Macklemore sidekick reveals what REALLY happened when rapper sparked cries of antisemitism for jumping on stage with a fake hooked nose… years before his Ed Sheeran debacle

Rapper Macklemore ignited a political firestorm and vicious free-speech row last month when his ‘Free Palestine’ chants saw him controversially booted from British megastar Ed Sheeran’s tour.  

But it isn’t the rapper-turned-firebrand’s first show of stoking the flames. 

The outspoken Seattle musician, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, had sparked widespread fury and accusations of antisemitism when he popped up on stage more than a decade ago wearing a fake hooked nose, black beard and black hat.

Now, the ‘Thrift Shop’ rapper’s longtime friend has revealed what really happened backstage during that notorious ‘Jewish caricature’ incident in 2014 – one that had all the hallmarks of being a career-ending controversy long before his Sheeran debacle. 

Michael ‘Wanz’ Wansley, who famously sang the chorus on Macklemore’s Grammy-winning 2012 hit ‘Thrift Shop’, told the Daily Mail in an exclusive interview that the rapper was just trying to blend into the crowd when he appeared on stage for the surprise pop-up show in his hometown. 

‘When he got to the green room, nobody really recognized him at all,’ Wansley said. 

Rapper Macklemore was controversially booted from British megastar Ed Sheeran’s tour last month after yelling ‘Free Palestine’ as he was performing – igniting a political firestorm and vicious free-speech row

More than a decade earlier, Macklemore also found himself at the center of controversy when he popped up on stage in 2014 wearing a fake hooked nose, black beard and black hat – fueling accusations of antisemitism

‘And what I was told – what I heard, being in the room – was that he wanted to be able to go out and walk around town without being recognized.

‘He wanted to be Ben, and this was a way for him to do that. And the usual disguise that he wanted to get wasn’t available, so he got what he got. 

‘But nobody, and I do mean nobody backstage for over an hour before the performance said anything resembling, “Oh, you look like an old Jewish guy”.’

Instead, Wansley said the reaction was, ‘Wow, that’s a cool costume.’ 

But thanks to the antisemitic overtones, the public backlash was swift – sparking outcry from the likes of Seth Rogen and the Jewish humanitarian organization B’nai B’rith International.

At the time, Macklemore answered swirling criticism on social media by insisting ‘A fake witches nose, wig, and beard = random costume. Not my idea of a stereotype of anybody’ – prompting Rogen to fire back, ‘Really?? Because if I told someone to put together an anti-Semitic Jew costume, they’d have that exact shopping list.’ 

Macklemore later apologized for wearing a fake hooked nose, black beard and black hat, insisting it wasn’t intended to be a ‘Jewish caricature’ costume 

The ‘Thrift Shop’ rapper’s longtime friend, Michael ‘Wanz’ Wansley, recently told the Daily Mail that Macklemore was just trying to blend into the crowd when he appeared on stage for the surprise pop-up show in his hometown

At the time, Macklemore answered swirling criticism on social media by insisting he wasn’t trying to stereotype anyone. The public backlash was swift, though, sparking outcry from the likes of Seth Rogen and the Jewish humanitarian organization B’nai Brith International

Just days later, though, Macklemore apologized, insisting it wasn’t intended to be a ‘Jewish caricature’ costume. 

‘I acknowledge how the costume could, within a context of stereotyping, be ascribed to a Jewish caricature,’ he said in a social media post. ‘I am here to say that it was absolutely not my intention and unfortunately at the time I did not foresee the costume to be viewed in such regard.’

Asked to clarify if he thought the costume was in any way antisemitic, Wansley told the Daily Mail: ‘It was never the intent. It was never planned.’

‘And for those of us who knew him, who had been on the road with him forever, those of us who were in the entourage, nobody said anything about that at all. Not management, not his wife, not anyone,’ Wansley added. 

Until now, the on-stage disguise saga more than a decade ago had proven to be the most controversial moment of Macklemore’s career. 

Then, Macklemore lit the fuse again on September 4 when, while warming up the crowd for Sheeran, he yelled ‘Free Palestine’ before going on to play his protest song Hind’s Hall, which was inspired by a young girl killed in Gaza in 2024. 

The Anti-Defamation League led a swift backlash, while the singer Pink – who is Jewish – reposted a social media post from Stop Antisemitism that called Macklemore’s remarks propaganda and called for fan refunds. 

Under pressure from venue owners, including New England Patriots chairman Robert Kraft, Sheeran’s team swiftly dumped the rapper from the LOOP Tour. 

The fallout quickly sparked a vicious free-speech row that resulted in global protests, the attempted cancelation of Sheeran and Pink – and growing support for Macklemore.

Macklemore – real name Benjamin Haggerty – looked fresh-faced, confident and like nobody’s idea of a political firebrand in his Seattle high school yearbook photos. But 26 years later, he is now a household name thanks to a vicious free-speech row

Wansley, a longtime collaborator of Macklemore’s and a regular face on his tours, insisted that Macklemore has ‘always been one to stand up for the underdog… He’s always been one to stand up for the outcast’

Macklemore enjoyed a comfortable upbringing in Seattle’s trendy Capitol Hill neighborhood where he still lives. Home today is a gated $6m mansion where he lives with his wife Tricia, 42, and their three kids

The rapper, for his part, has since announced his own Free Palestine Tour – with the first date to be played in Dublin, Ireland, on October 26.

Now, as the ordeal continues to make headlines, Macklemore’s friends and family have told the Daily Mail what his life is really like – and how politics have gotten him in trouble before. 

The son of photography teacher Bill and social worker Julie, he enjoyed a comfortable upbringing in Seattle’s trendy Capitol Hill neighborhood where he still lives. 

 Wansley told the Daily Mail that he and Macklemore had bonded over a shared history of drug and alcohol abuse, which first saw the rapper admitted to rehab in 2008 and again after relapsing in 2011 and 2020

Home today is a gated $6m mansion where he lives with his wife Tricia, 42, a former nurse turned tour manager who he married in 2015 and with whom he has three children. 

But despite all his creature comforts, Macklemore – who the Daily Mail has learned is 44 and not 43 as he publicly claims – has long made a point of being vocal about politics. 

As a result, when his home was robbed last year by violent thieves who attacked his children’s nanny with bear spray and screamed ‘f**k Macklemore,’ he initially thought he had been targeted for his views. 

In reality, the culprits turned out to be a pair of career criminals, Patrick Maisonet and Earl Riley, both of whom are now facing trial for that incident as well as a spree of other alleged burglaries targeting Seattle-area pro athletes. 

Nonetheless, Macklemore has faced repeated pushback over his views – including his songs being banned by the Seattle Mariners after he shouted ‘f**k America’ during a pro-Palestine benefit concert in 2024. 

He subsequently apologized, noting that ‘my thoughts and feelings are not always expressed perfectly or politely.’ 

Asked by the Daily Mail if Macklemore – who was seen as a fresh-faced teenager in his Seattle high school yearbook – has always been consumed by politics, the rapper’s brother Tim, a 39-year-old cannabis entrepreneur, said, ‘He has.’ 

Sheeran’s team swiftly dumped Macklemore from the LOOP Tour after his pro-Palestine remarks on stage

In the aftermath, singer Pink – who is Jewish – reposted a social media post from Stop Antisemitism that called Macklemore’s remarks propaganda and called for fan refunds. The fallout quickly sparked a vicious free-speech row that resulted in the attempted cancelation of Sheeran and Pink

The treatment of Macklmore in the wake of his comments resulted in global protests. Pictured above is a mural dedicated to the rapper, which was painted on a destroyed building in Palestine

And the rapper’s childhood best friend Ezekiel Fry told the Daily Mail: ‘He’s a really good guy. He’s always had a strong moral compass.’ 

Wansley, a longtime collaborator of Macklemore’s and a regular face on his tours, was more forthcoming. 

‘I couldn’t tell you exactly when he got really passionate about [Palestine],’ he said, adding that Macklemore has ‘always been one to stand up for the underdog. He’s always been one to stand up for the outcast.’

Wansley told the Daily Mail that he and Macklemore had bonded over a shared history of drug and alcohol abuse, which first saw the rapper admitted to rehab in 2008 and again after relapsing in 2011 and 2020. 

He added that Macklemore has compassion for the people of Israel as well as Palestine ‘because it’s not about Israeli people as much as it is about the Israeli government. 

‘It’s not about Palestinian people as much as it is about Hamas. Hamas is the one who created the tragedy and atrocities of October 7th, not the Palestinian people.

‘But I would question how many people have actually gone to look at the stats,’ Wansley said. ‘How many Israelis died on October 7th and were kidnapped? And since then, how many Palestinians have been killed? It’s a big imbalance. Huge.’ 

Fry, meanwhile, said Macklemore’s most recent firebrand comments have made him more popular than ever in their hometown. 

‘It’s the best thing he’s ever done. If you go around anywhere in Seattle, we love Ben right now. We think what he’s doing is great. He’s drawing great attention to the genocide in Palestine,’ he said. 

‘I’m really proud of him right now.’ 

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