Macklemore apologized for his controversial outfit that some claimed perpetuated offensive Jewish stereotypes.
“The character I dressed up as had no intended cultural identity or background,” the rapper wrote on his website late Monday. “I wasn’t attempting to mimic any culture, nor resemble one. A ‘Jewish stereotype’ never crossed my mind.”
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The rapper made a surprise performance at the EMP Museum in Seattle on Friday dressed in a fake nose, wig and beard.
“Some people there thought I looked like Ringo, some Abe Lincoln. If anything I thought I looked like Humpty Hump with a bowl cut,” he added.
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“My intention was to dress up and surprise the people at the show with a random costume and nothing more,” he wrote. “Thus, it was surprising and disappointing that the images of a disguise were sensationalized leading to the immediate assertion that my costume was anti-Semetic (sic). I acknowledge how the costume could, within a context of stereotyping, be ascribed to a Jewish caricature. 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. I’m saddened that this story, or any of my choices, would lead to any form of negativity.”
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“I truly apologize to anybody that I may have offended I hope this better explains the situation and my point of view,” he concluded.
The rapper urged fans to check out the Anti-Defamation League.
“Through this situation I’ve got hip to some incredible groups like the ADL and I encourage people to check the great work they, and others like them, do: http://www.adl.org“