Macklemore cancels Dubai concert upon fans' insistence
The American rapper Macklemore acknowledged the challenges his decision might bring for him in the future.
August 25, 2024
Macklemore has cancelled his upcoming concert in Dubai.
The Hind’s Hall rapper, 41, made the announcement in a lengthy Instagram post on Saturday.
Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, who goes by the stage name Macklemore, said that it was due to his fans that he felt the need to "get a grasp on the situation."
"Over the last several months I’ve had a number of people reach out to me, sharing resources and asking me to cancel the show in solidarity with the people of Sudan and to boycott doing business in UAE for the role they are playing in the ongoing genocide and humanitarian crisis in the region. It was important for me to learn and really get a grasp on the situation," read the second image he shared in a slider post.
The American rapper acknowledged that his decision to withdraw might invite challenges for him in the future.
"My decision to cancel the Dubai show comes from this place. I know that this will probably jeopardise my future shows in the area, and I truly hate letting any of my fans down. I was really excited too. But until the UAE stops arming and funding the RSF I will not perform there."
He also called on other celebrities lined up to perform in Dubai to reflect on their choices.
"I have no judgment against other artists performing in the UAE. But I do ask the question to my peers scheduled to play in Dubai: If we used our platforms to mobilise collective liberation, what could we accomplish?"
Further on, in the carousel, he also discussed the catastrophes in Sudan at length, stressing on how the region has been plagued with mass displacement, famine, and s**ual violence, with the death toll soaring to 150,000.
"At the end of the day I have to ask myself what is my intention as an artist?" he raised.
He noted how he was once among those "conditioned to be apathetic on issues outside of personal needs" and questioned the power of making a difference individually.
"For a long time I lived in a shoulder shrug place of “The worlds f***** up, but I’m gonna get the bag. What difference can we individually make anyway?” We have been intentionally conditioned to be apathetic on issues outside of our personal needs," the fifth slide read.
He noted that while the systematic oppression in West Asia that "woke the world up" cannot be dismantled during his lifetime, he emphasised that it is still evolving the "collective analysis" among generations.
"We are being called in this moment to advocate for the most marginalised around the world. To put our own luxury and abundance aside for the collective pursuit of freedom and safety for all. What are we willing to risk in order to uproot the systems that depend on genocide for monetary gain?"
As per foreign news outlets, the UAE has denied allegations of sending weapons to Sudan’s RSF paramilitary, though it is widely regarded as an "open secret."
