Is Macklemore Anti-Semitic? Rapper Defends Long Nose, Beard Costume On Twitter [PHOTOS]

Macklemore is denying that he is anti-Semitic or was mocking Jews amid backlash for wearing a costume that included a long nose and a beard during a secret performance Friday night.

Macklemore explains his controversial stage costume: http://t.co/GWMlYa3XEe pic.twitter.com/EmS9l9SWqU
- MTV News (@MTVNews) May 19, 2014

The “Thrift Shop” rapper, whose real name is Ben Haggerty, took to Twitter early Monday morning to say that the getup was just a “random costume.”

A fake witches nose, wig, and beard = random costume. Not my idea of a stereotype of anybody.
- Macklemore (@macklemore) May 19, 2014

Photos of the costume flooded the social media site as some users believed Macklemore, who along with Ryan Lewis released the gay-marriage anthem “Same Love” in 2012, was being disrespectful toward Jews with the costume.

Um, Macklemore wears costume that resembles Jewish stereotypes http://t.co/9kbwxRWVqQ pic.twitter.com/l2weWW5FTd
- Andrew Kaczynski (@BuzzFeedAndrew) May 19, 2014

Can someone explain to me WTF Macklemore is doing? pic.twitter.com/LRjLM2ACk4
- Anthony Fantano (@theneedledrop) May 19, 2014

Only @macklemore could turn the gentrification of hip hop into an anti-Semitic minstrel show pic.twitter.com/qZfFewDbts
- Rebecca Pierce (@aptly_engineerd) May 19, 2014

What’s so great about Macklemore is that he loves everyone equally. Except Jews I guess.
- Joshua Topolsky (@joshuatopolsky) May 18, 2014

What makes Macklemore's anti-Semitic costume even crazier is that his biggest song is about saving money.
- Jensen Karp (@JensenClan88) May 18, 2014

@macklemore how on earth do you expect people to take a message of acceptance from you seriously when you mock a religious group? #Hypocrite
- JOlender (@Joseph_Olender) May 19, 2014

@macklemore that nose is a "witches' nose" because in b Europe Jews were persecuted as witches for centuries
- Martin Genev (@cyberseer) May 19, 2014

Macklemore says costume wasn't about Jews • He should have paid attention in history class • http://t.co/89KVMDYA39 pic.twitter.com/G3RWOrfPkT
- Norm Gregory  (@NormGregory) May 19, 2014

I've never had less respect for a rapper than I do for @macklemore at the moment. Performed Thrift Shop in an anti-Semitic costume. Really?
- Taylor Onderko (@taylor_on) May 19, 2014

Others used snark while addressing the Macklemore controversy:

Luckily Macklemore won't have to deal with any Jews IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.
- Jensen Karp (@JensenClan88) May 18, 2014

in macklemore's defense everything he knows about the jewish people he learned from repeated viewings of "borat"
- nice_mustard (@nice_mustard) May 19, 2014

Twitter Racism