Macklemore cancels presser over NRL Same Love song

US rapper Macklemore has cancelled a press conference in Sydney today where he was expected to address the controversy over his NRL grand final appearance.

• Macklemore urged to “Go harder”

US rapper Macklemore has cancelled his scheduled press conference today ahead of his controversial performance at the NRL grand final on Sunday.

The rapper was scheduled to fly into Sydney this morning and address the press at midday to talk about the inclusion of his song Same Love — which was become an anthem across the world for the same-sex marriage cause — in his set list.

Macklemore

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However the musician’s Australian publicist told The Daily Telegraph that the conference had been cancelled and didn’t know whether it would be rescheduled.

The NRL issued a statement saying the rapper’s departure from America had been delayed, pushing back his arrival.

It is not clear whether Macklemore will answer questions before his performance, but he is expected to still make his rehearsals tomorrow at lunch.

Kesha and Macklemore perform on stage

Macklemore told a radio show in the US this week he had received “a lot of tweets from angry old white men” and vowed to “go harder” because of the furore. “Imma go harder, Imma love,” he told The Cruz Program.

MOMENT MACKLEMORE TOOK SAME-SEX MARRIAGE MAINSTREAM

Despite calls from politicians Tony Abbott to ban the song, because it “politicises” sport, the song has climbed back up the Australian charts and is currently Number One on iTunes.

“Yesterday someone started a petition in Australia to ban me from playing Same Love at the #NRLGF. Today its #1 on iTunes. Love is winning,” he wrote on Twitter earlier this morning.

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Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Same Love was one of the singer’s top songs and the NRL backed same-sex marriage.

“What’s the problem,” he told the Nine Network. “I look forward to it.”

Macklemore