Rapper Macklemore canceled his October concert in Dubai on Saturday, citing the United Arab Emirates’ involvement in the Sudan war. The singer said the decision came from a drive to “advocate for the most marginalized around the world.”
The “Same Love” singer wrote that he came to the decision after “numerous conversations with trusted organizers and friends and my own reading/ research,” and urged his fans to read a lengthy statement explaining his reasoning.
The power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) descended into lethal chaos in April 2023, beginning in the country’s capital and continuing to spread across the country since then. Per the International Rescue Committee, the conflict has killed at least 15,500 people, while some estimates are as high as 150,000.
“The crisis in Sudan is catastrophic,” Macklemore wrote, citing the death toll of 150,000 and saying that “over ten million people have been displaced, millions face imminent famine [and] sexual violence is widespread.”
“While numerous external forces contribute to this crisis, advocates, organizers, journalists, and officials repeatedly highlight the UAE’s role in funding the RSF militia as a major factor,” he continued.
The singer acknowledged the “shoulder shrug” from which many around the world have approached the conflict — “What difference can we individually make anyway?” he wrote as an example — but pushed back against this stance: “We have been intentionally conditioned to be apathetic on issues outside of our personal needs.”
“The plight of the Palestinian people has woken the world up,” he continued. “We have seen people around the globe protesting in the millions, college encampments and widespread information through social media that has not only documented the last 10 months of genocide but the last 76 years of ethic cleansing and occupation in Palestine.”
In May, Macklemore released “Hind’s Hall,” a pro-Palestine song praising college protestors and criticizing President Biden’s response to the crisis.
“At the end of the day I have to ask myself what is my intention as an artist?” Macklemore continued on Saturday. “The last 10 months l’ve been learning what factors/motivators feed genocide and global systemic oppression. I keep getting led back to self interest over collective interest at the root. Capitalism is the glue that holds this ideology together. And if I take the money, while knowing it doesn’t sit right with my spirit, how am I any different than the politicians I’ve been actively protesting against? How can I be outraged by their lack of integrity while compromising my own? How am I different than the countries that put dollars and power over human life?”
His statement concluded with a message of collective power. “Although dismantling systemic oppression might not fully happen during my lifetime, our collective analysis is evolving,” he wrote. “That is where it starts. When we realize our individual liberation IS Palestinian liberation. Is Sudanese liberation. Is Congolese liberation. We are being called in this moment to advocate for the most marginalized 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?”
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