Fans have been left wondering why rapper Macklemore canceled an upcoming show, with some believing it was a show of solidarity for the Gaza Strip.
But that wasn't the case. The show was in Dubai, and he canceled because of the Sudanese civil war, which has already killed tens of thousands of people, starved millions, and caused a humanitarian disaster.
Dubai, an attractive Gulf city, is the largest city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which has been accused of funding one of the warring factions in Sudan, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
“The crisis in Sudan is a disaster,” Macklemore said in an Instagram post Monday. Some food security experts estimate that up to 2.5 million people could starve or become ill by October.
“I have to ask myself what my intentions are as an artist,” the rapper, who rose to fame with his 2012 classic Thrift Shop, continued.
“If I were to take the money,” Macklemore said, “how could I be any different from the politicians I've been actively protesting against, even though I know it's against my sanity?”
His moral stance has brought a brutal conflict that has received far less international attention than Ukraine or Gaza into popular culture, and activists hope other artists will follow his lead.
“It was incredible,” says one London-based activist who has campaigned for a ceasefire. “There were a lot of comments from people saying, ‘Oh my God, what is happening in Sudan?’
“I think it opened people's eyes.”
