Macklemore responds to petition to ban his NRL performance

Macklemore is due to perform his hit single Same Love – a song he wrote to promote marriage equality for all – at this Sunday’s NRL Grand Final.

But apparently there’s a lot of “angry, old white dudes” who are totally against it.

While chatting on US radio station POWER 106 on The Cruz Show, the rapper revealed that he was flying to Australia “to perform at kind of the Super Bowl of their rugby league”.

“And it’s interesting actually cause I’m gonna play ‘Same Love’ and they’re going through trying to legalise same-sex marriage in Australia,” the 34-year-old explained.

“I’m getting a lot of tweets from angry, old white dudes in Australia. Today I think there is a petition to ban me from playing it,” Macklemore – real name Benjamin Haggerty – said.

In response to those “angry, old white dudes” the rapper simply said: “I’mma go harder.”

He’s not backing down despite nearly 9000 people signing former NRL player Tony Wall’s petition to “remove LGBTIQ politics out of the awesome sport of Rugby League.”

“My family and many other loyal NRL fans, who are No votes, will not feel comfortable watching the Grand Final when the NRL is imposing such a bold political stance on its fans while the issue is currently being voted on by the Australian people,” the ex-NRL player writes.

The 2013 hit was widely acclaimed after its release, and was adopted as an anthem for supporters of same-sex marriage in the US, the singer's decision to play it at the grand final has upset some conservative politicans and commentators in Australia.

The lyrics, in the same vein as equality anthems like Lady Gaga's Born This Way, express compassion and support for all people. Read the lyrics below:

When I was in the 3rd grade I thought that I was gay 'cause I could draw/ My uncle was and I kept my room straight
A pre-conceived idea of what it all meant
For those who like the same sex had the characteristics
The right-wing conservatives think its a decision
And you can be cured with some treatment and religion
Man-made, rewiring of a pre-disposition. Playing God.
And I can't change
Even if I tried
Even if I wanted to
And I can't change
My love, my love, my love
She keeps me warm

Later in the lyrics Macklemore expresses his own frustrations with how homosexuality is viewed within the hip-hop industry:

If I was gay I would think hip-hop hates me
Have you read the Youtube comments lately
"Man that's gay" gets dropped on the daily
We've become so numb to what we're sayin',
The same fight that lead people to walk-outs and sit-ins
It's human rights for everybody
There is no difference
Live on! And be yourself!
No freedom 'til we're equal
Damn right I support it.

RELATED: Hughesy slams THAT ‘ridiculous’ anti-gay marriage ad

RELATED: The Macklemore song causing NRL controversy

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott has also shared his grievances with the performance.

Well, in the words of Macklemore: “It’s all the same love, about time that we raised up!”

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