US rapper Macklemore has found a seemingly unlikely ally in the classically trained legal mind of Attorney-General George Brandis.

Key points: Brandis' says Abbott's comments about rapper are "bizarre"

Brandis' says Abbott's comments about rapper are "bizarre" Macklemore says he is getting "a lot of tweets from angry old white men"

Macklemore says he is getting "a lot of tweets from angry old white men" NRL stands by decision to have rapper perform at grand final

Senator Brandis has described a demand by Tony Abbott about the NRL grand final's entertainment line-up as "bizarre".

The former prime minister took to social media to voice his concern Macklemore was bringing his personal brand of politics to the event by promising to perform his hit song Same Love, which is about same-sex marriage.

The performance comes amidst the same-sex marriage postal survey, and vigorous campaigning from both sides of the debate in Australia.

But Senator Brandis argued the song "topped the charts a couple of years ago" and that it was not unusual for headline acts to play their most popular tunes at the events.

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"This particular song is one of four songs, I believe, that Macklemore is singing," the Attorney-General told ABC News Breakfast.

"It is one of his most popular songs, and for Mr Abbott or anyone else to say that it should be banned I think is a bizarre thing to say.

"I thought Mr Abbott believed in freedom of speech."

Macklemore responded to some of the criticism before hopping on a plane to cross the Pacific.

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"It's interesting actually, because I'm playing Same Love, and they're going through right now trying to legalise same-sex marriage in Australia," he told LA radio station Power 106.

"So I'm getting a lot of tweets from angry old white men in Australia who I think there was a petition today to ban me from playing it.

"So it's interesting times in Australia. Imma go harder."

NRL stands by Macklemore, says fans expect to hear hits

The NRL stood firm in the face of the mild political hysteria

"I don't regret choosing Macklemore," chief executive Todd Greenberg told reporters in Sydney.

"I think it is one of the bravest and best decisions we have made for pre-match entertainment, but people will be the judge of that on Sunday."

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One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, meanwhile, claimed she had never even heard of Macklemore.

"That is how important he is to me. The whole fact is, is it politicised? It is absolutely ridiculous," Senator Hanson told Channel Seven.

"I think people have had up to here with the same-sex marriage issue. This is again, it's in their face, people are fed up with it.

"We have so many other great artists in this country that we could actually put up there. Why do we bring in someone from overseas and a lot of his songs I have heard, you would not want to play them because of the lyrics?"

She argued homegrown heroes such as John Farnham should be given top billing at the NRL Grand Final.

Senator Hanson was spotted rocking out to Daryl Braithwaite's rendition of his hit Horses at an event in Parliament House earlier this year.

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