Award winning rapper Stormzy has been accused of “selling out” and abandoning his principles following his latest campaign with fast food chain McDonald’s.
Fans of the Vossi Bop hitmaker, 31, have noticed an Instagram post advocating for a free Palestine shared by British artist in 2023 no longer appears on his page, with some falsely alleging he deleted it prior to agreeing to do an advert for McDonald’s. The advert has even prompted a response from former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who has branded the collaboration as “hugely disappointing.”
“Stormzy, you went from speaking out for Palestine to wiping your posts for a McDonald’s deal? Guess your principles are as cheap as fast food, served with a side of hypocrisy,” one Instagram user penned underneath McDonalds and Stormzy’s post on Wednesday, with another adding: “Enjoy your blood money and burgers.” A third added: “These celebrities don’t have an ounce of integrity. One moment it’s ‘free Palestine’ and the next its brand deals with McDonalds. Stormzy ain’t no goat what a fucking melt
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Many who stand in solidarity with Palestine have been boycotting McDonalds over recent months due to the fast food restaurants past links to Israel and its army. While McDonalds isn’t on the official Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions (BDS) Movement list of companies to boycott, the BDS has endorsed the social media led movement and supported calls to stop spending money with the business.
Stormzy’s involvement with McDonalds has come as a surprise to some given his past vocal support for Palestine, with many assuming he would adhere to all boycotts linked to the BDS. The advert’s release on Wednesday coincides with fans noticing Stormzy has at some point removed several posts from his Instagram page, including one stating that he will always “be on the side of the oppressed”.
In October 2023, after reuniting with Maya Jama, Stormzy shared a list of 14 “fleeting thoughts” with his 3.4million followers. In the lengthy caption, Stormzy declared “Free Palestine”, said he will “be on the side of the oppressed” and admitted he was considering having a hair transplant before revealing his dream of having a child.
His 10th though read: “My 3 aspirations in life since I turned 30 is to just be a better Man of God, to hopefully become a Dad one day and to serve others.” Since sharing the post over a year ago, Stormzy and Love Island host Maya have split once again. It is not known exactly when the musician deleted or archived this specific post but other images have seemingly been erased from his main feed, with 19 posts still visible. The Mirror understands Stormzy archived a number of posts – including the one mentioning Palestine – last year.
On Wednesday, McDonalds launched The Stormzy Meal, consisting on nine chicken nuggets, fries, BBQ dips, a Sprite Zero and an Oreo McFlurry OR apple pie. “The Stormzy Meal. Big Mike x McD’s. Available now,” Stormzy captioned the advert promoting the special on Instagram. The post has been flooded with negative comments but the ability to comment has not yet been limited.
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Many Palestinian solidarity movements have boycotted McDonalds since October 2023 after Israeli McDonalds franchises announced it would donate free meals to the Israeli military amid the war on Palestine. In April 2024 it was announced that McDonalds would buy its 30-year-old Israel franchise from Alonyal, taking back ownership of 225 outlets, amid the social media led boycott.
On Thursday, Jeremy Corbyn called on Stormzy to cut ties with McDonalds and admitted it was “hugely disappointing” to see the rapper collaborate with the brand. Corbyn, who was supported by Stormzy during his time as Labour Party leader, shared the open letter on the Peace & Justice Project website.
“Israel’s sustained oppression of the Palestinian people has been well-documented for many years, and worldwide attention to the movement for a free Palestine has peaked since the start of the genocide in Gaza,” an extract from the letter reads. “Stormzy’s decision to partner with McDonald’s allows them to culture-wash their reputation as caterers of genocide in Gaza.
“We are therefore asking Stormzy to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people in their hour of need and respect the BDS committee’s call for a global boycott of McDonald’s by ending his new partnership with them.” The site then urged readers to “Write to Stormzy and his management team using our tool below and ask him to cut ties with McDonald’s.”
The Mirror has approached representatives for Stormzy for comment on this story.
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Source: Mirror
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