Macklemore Insists His 'Anti Semitic' Costume Meant No Harm

Macklemore Insists His 'Anti Semitic' Costume Meant No Harm

Rapper Macklemore, reeling from accusations his recent choice of stage costume smacked of anti-Semitism, took to his blog Monday to defend his actions.

Everyone from comic actor Seth Rogen to the liberal-leaning Daily Beast savaged Macklemore for his stunt.

The trouble began when the rapper took the stage in Seattle Friday night wearing a fake nose, beard and hair. The look resembled an ugly Jewish stereotype given the nose’s hook and the dark facial hair and wig.

The rapper claimed he wanted to don a disguise for his Seattle show to “walk around unnoticed and surprise the crowd with a short performance.” The costume in question, which he says came from a gaggle of props he picked up from a trip to Japan, hardly would help him blend in.

Here’s Macklemore describing why he chose those particular items:

As it turns out the fake noses they sell at the costume store are usually big (my nose didn’t fit most of them).  So I ended up with a big witch nose.  I went with a black beard, because that’s the furthest color from my natural hair.  Disguise was the intention.  I personally thought I looked very ambiguous in terms of any “type” of person.  Some people there thought I looked like Ringo, some Abe Lincoln. If anything I thought I looked like Humpty Hump with a bowl cut … The character I dressed up as on Friday had no intended cultural identity or background.  I wasn’t attempting to mimic any culture, nor resemble one.  A “Jewish stereotype” never crossed my mind.

He says he understands how some people could connect his costume with a Jewish stereotype but he insists that wasn’t his intention.

I would never intentionally put down anybody for the fabric that makes them who they are. I love human beings, love originality, and… happen to love a weird outfit from time to time. I truly apologize to anybody that I may have offended.

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