Pro-Palestine: 7 American Rappers Standing on the Right Side of History
Today, reality is saturated with misinformation and media manipulation, and the role of artists as voices of conscience has never been more critical. The unprecedented global solidarity movement for the Palestinian people, ignited by the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, has found a powerful and authentic expression in hip-hop.
This article profiles seven American rappers who, through their music and activism, have taken an unequivocal stand against oppression and for justice. Hip-hop, born from a culture of protest and social commentary, is the natural medium for this message. As a genre, it has always provided a voice for the marginalized and oppressed, making it the perfect vehicle for expressing support for the Palestinian cause. For a publication dedicated to the culture of hip-hop, it is essential to explore how artists are using their craft to speak on one of the most critical issues of our time.
The decision to focus specifically on American artists is deliberate. For decades, the American populace has been subjected to pervasive state-sponsored and media-driven propaganda, designed to foster either outright opposition to the Palestinian cause or, at the very least, a shameful ignorance of the atrocities committed against Palestinians. This systematic campaign of misinformation has been particularly effective, given that the U.S. government is a primary funder and enabler of the violence and oppression in the region.
The courage of these rappers to overcome this conditioning, to learn the facts for themselves, to speak truth to power, and to use their platforms to open the eyes of others is a testament to their moral clarity and compassion. We seek to honor and celebrate their bravery in the face of widespread institutional silence.
This report is the first in a planned series that will leverage our deep expertise in hip-hop to articulate our unwavering and unconditional support for the beautiful people of Palestine, as well as amplifying the voices of artists from other nations under occupation and conflict.
The Voice of the Voiceless: A History of Hip-Hop as Resistance
Hip-hop’s foundation is rooted in resistance. It emerged in the South Bronx in the 1970s, born from the raw experiences of African American, Afro-Caribbean, and Latino youth living in inner-city communities plagued by poverty, systemic racism, and a lack of opportunity. Faced with these challenging conditions, young artists turned to music, poetry, and dance to express their emotions and reclaim their identity. This creative response provided a sense of belonging and community, giving a powerful voice to those who were unheard.
This lyrical revolution quickly transcended its origins. Pioneers of the genre used their music to address pressing social and political concerns, from police brutality and economic inequality to corruption and institutional racism. Tracks like Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s “The Message” in 1982 and Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power” in 1989 laid the groundwork for hip-hop to become a medium for holding the powerful accountable and delivering lyrical indictments against systemic injustice. Hip-hop’s protest spirit fueled movements like Black Lives Matter, from J. Cole marching with crowds to Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Alright’ becoming the definitive protest anthem.
Palestinian youth saw a direct parallel between their own experiences with Israeli occupation and the struggles of African Americans against racism and police brutality. This shared understanding is why hip-hop was so readily adopted in Palestine. Beginning in 1998, with the group DAM (Da Arab MCs), Palestinian youth tailored the genre to address their own grievances, using the music as a form of nonviolent protest. DAM’s members described their lyrics as “the new intifada,” with the words themselves serving as “the stones”. A prime example is a clever line from their song ‘Al Quds’, that raps “If your drive is to colonize, I won’t put my seat belt and sit in silence. Never been a passive passenger, if the message is to shoot then Imma shoot the messenger.”
The adoption of hip-hop by Palestinians is not a mere cultural appropriation; it is the adoption of a proven, powerful communication tool. Hip-hop was born from American struggles, but the language of resistance it created is a universal grammar of oppression, applicable to similar struggles against power structures around the world. This is why it is both logical and deeply moral for American artists to lend their voices to the Palestinian cause, as they are speaking the same language of injustice.
Watch Slingshot Hip Hop official trailer | The film documents the birth and development of the Palestinian hip-hop scene. It braids together the stories of young artists in Gaza, the West Bank, and within Israel who discover hip-hop as a tool to overcome the divisions and obstacles of occupation and poverty.
The Black-Palestinian Joint Struggle: Rap's Role in Global Liberation
A particularly potent parallel to the Palestinian struggle can be drawn to the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa. In the mid-1980s, hip-hop emerged in Cape Town’s “colored” townships as a trusted medium for youth, gaining more support than national TV and radio, which had historical ties to the apartheid regime.
Groups like Prophets of da City pioneered the use of local slang in their music to connect with their fan base and advocate for their community’s voice outside of these segregated areas. Beyond the local scene, music played a significant role in the international anti-apartheid movement, with songs inspiring young people worldwide to get involved in campaigning against the regime. This historical engagement with a major global struggle against racial and colonial domination established a clear precedent for hip-hop’s current alignment with the Palestinian cause.
The philosophical underpinnings of this solidarity run deep, rooted in a shared history of struggle. A decades-long tradition of political solidarity exists between Black people and Palestinians, often described as a “joint struggle” against racism, colonialism, and imperialism. For many artists, the fight for Palestinian liberation is not a separate or foreign issue but a logical and necessary extension of their domestic work against anti-Black racism and systemic violence.
Artists like Vic Mensa have detailed finding “overwhelming” parallels between the Black American and Palestinian experiences, citing themes of mass incarceration, racial profiling, and dehumanization at the hands of an oppressive state. By using the language and framework developed to critique domestic injustice, these artists transform a seemingly distant conflict into a personal and urgent matter for their audience, reinforcing the genre’s role as a powerful, transnational voice for the oppressed.
Watch Amandla! A Revolution in Four Part Harmony (trailer), Red Bull Music Academy, Cape Town, 2003 | This documentary tells the story of the anti-apartheid movement through the freedom songs that gave voice to the struggle. It shows how music was not just a form of expression but a tool for communication, morale, and unity.
From Occupation to Annihilation: The Documented Reality
Any discussion of American solidarity with the Palestinian people must be grounded in the historical and ongoing reality of the atrocities committed against them. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict did not begin with the events of October 7, 2023. It is a long-standing process of violence, dispossession, and colonization that has been meticulously documented by human rights and legal bodies for decades. The history is marked by a series of massacres and war crimes dating back to the Nakba in 1948 and continuing through the Qibya massacre, the Kafr Qasim massacre, and numerous other atrocities.
The military occupation that began in 1967 is a core component of what Amnesty International describes as a “cruel system of apartheid” that oppresses Palestinians and denies them their fundamental rights. This system is characterized by land confiscation, illegal settlements that are deemed a war crime under international law, and widespread institutionalized discrimination. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) found in July 2024 that Israel’s occupation is unlawful, a conclusion that reinforces the legal and moral consensus regarding the nature of the conflict.
The current onslaught on Gaza represents an escalatory stage of this decades-long process of erasure. As of August 2025, a United Nations special committee, Amnesty International, Médecins Sans Frontières, B’Tselem, and numerous other human rights organizations and international law scholars have concluded that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians during its ongoing blockade, invasion, and bombing of the Gaza Strip. These experts have identified acts of genocide, including large-scale killing, the use of starvation as a weapon of war, the destruction of civilian infrastructure, mass forced displacement, and the prevention of births, all with the intent to destroy Gaza’s population in whole or in part.
The devastating toll is among the highest of recent global conflicts. At least 60,000 people have been killed, averaging 91 deaths per day. The majority of the victims are civilians, with at least 50% being women and children. The number of injured exceeds 100,000, with more than 21,000 children left with disabilities; Gaza now has the most child amputees per capita in the world. Thousands more uncounted dead are believed to be buried under the rubble of destroyed buildings.
An enforced Israeli blockade has heavily contributed to ongoing starvation and a confirmed famine. As of August 2025, 100% of the population is experiencing “high levels of acute food insecurity,” with about 641,000 people facing catastrophic levels of starvation. Israel’s destruction of civilian infrastructure is near-total: 84% of health centers have been destroyed or damaged, 80% of schools have been destroyed, and all 12 of Gaza’s universities have been leveled. Over 1.9 million Palestinians, 85% of Gaza’s population, have been forcibly displaced.
B’Tselem’s report, titled “Our Genocide,” further clarifies that this is not an isolated event but a “coordinated attack on all aspects of Palestinians’ life”. The intent is inferred not only from the scale of the destruction but also from the “dehumanizing and genocidal statements” made by senior Israeli officials and the consistent pattern of conduct on the ground.
This overwhelming legal and moral consensus stands in stark contrast to the often decontextualized narratives presented in mainstream Western media. The documented reality of the situation proves that the stance taken by these artists is not simply a political opinion but a stand for documented truth. It demonstrates that the ongoing genocide is a direct escalation of a pre-existing system of oppression and dehumanization, making the historical context essential to a complete understanding of the crisis.
Watch Born in Gaza (Official Trailer) | This powerful documentary follows the lives of ten children in Gaza after the 2014 conflict, showcasing the devastating impact of war on their daily lives and emotional well-being.
The Right Side of History: 7 American Rappers Standing with Palestine
This list is a testament to the courage and moral clarity of artists who have used their platforms to challenge complicity and advocate for justice. These rappers, born and raised in the United States without Palestinian ancestry, represent a diverse and powerful front of solidarity.
Macklemore: The Mainstream Vanguard
Macklemore, a commercial superstar who operates as an independent artist, holds a unique and impactful position within this movement. He rose to international fame with multi-platinum albums like The Heist and This Unruly Mess I’ve Made, earning multiple Grammy Awards and establishing a reputation for using his platform to address social issues. His most significant and direct act of solidarity with the Palestinian cause is the surprise single, “Hind’s Hall,” released on May 6, 2024.
The song’s title is a direct and poignant tribute to Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza after her family’s car was targeted. Her desperate phone calls to emergency services, trapped in the car with the bodies of her relatives, moved hearts around the world.
Lyrically, the song is an unambiguous indictment of Western complicity, with Macklemore criticizing the United States for funding Israel and describing the occupation as “apartheid” and the military operations as “genocide”. He directly holds President Joe Biden accountable, rapping, “The blood is on your hands, Biden, we can see it all”. The song also critiques the music industry’s “platform of silence” on the war, directly contrasting the high-profile feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar with the far more significant humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Beyond the music, Macklemore has been a visible participant in the movement, wearing the keffiyeh and reciting poetry at protests. He has also performed the song live and released a second version featuring Palestinian and Palestinian-American artists. In one of his speeches, he challenges listeners to overcome the propaganda, saying “once you get past the media and the White House focusing solely on October 7th, once you begin to look at October 6th, 5th, 4th and the 75 years before of oppression and displacement, that’s when the truth opens up.”
A critical contextual factor in the impact of “Hind’s Hall” is Macklemore’s status as a white independent artist. His position affords him the freedom to express himself on a highly contentious subject without the same career-ending repercussions that might face artists on major labels who are beholden to corporate interests. This circumstance is a central point of the song itself, which serves as a powerful critique of the corporate music industry’s silence.
The song’s reception has been widely positive within activist circles, with critics like Aja Romano calling it “electrifying” and Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine praising it as “the most Rage Against The Machine song since Rage Against The Machine”.
Black Star: The Conscious Cornerstone
As founding figures of the conscious rap movement, the iconic duo Black Star’s voice carries immense weight. The careers of Talib Kweli and Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def), defined by lyrical integrity and a commitment to social justice, have a long and consistent history of pro-Palestine solidarity.
They have referenced the Palestinian struggle since their 1998 debut album, with lyrics like “My raps will hold a gat to your back like Palestinians” (RE:DEFinition, 1998), “Israelis got tanks, Palestinians got rocks” (Gun Music, 2002), and “Beef is what George Bush would do in a fight, Beef is not what Ja said to 50 … Beef is Iraq, the West Bank and Gaza Strip” (What Is Beef, 2003), demonstrating a long-standing commitment that predates the recent surge in awareness. More recently, they have been explicit in his commentary, Kweli stating in an interview that the conflict is not a religious one, but rather about “colonization” and “Zionism”.
Their commitment extends beyond lyrics and commentary into direct action. In 2014, Kweli canceled a a performance in Israel stating he can’t perform in a place where Palestinians couldn’t attend. In 2019, he was disinvited from a German music festival for refusing to denounce the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Kweli publicly labeled the German government’s demand as “fascism,” choosing to stand on his principles rather than censor himself for a paycheck, stating, “I’d rather be a decent human being and stand up for what’s right than censor myself and lie about BDS for a check”.
Their unwavering conviction, demonstrated over many years, serves as a powerful symbol of genuine dedication that transcends career considerations. Furthermore, Kweli and Bey were a key signatory of the #MusiciansForPalestine open letter, which called on governments to “stop funding all resources and technologies that back the Israeli state and their war crimes” and urged a cultural boycott of Israeli institutions.
Vic Mensa: The Experiential Witness
Vic Mensa is a politically charged rapper and activist journalist who has consistently used his platform to connect social issues, from the water crisis in Flint, Michigan to the fight against climate change. He is a Grammy-nominated artist whose projects merge raw personal experience with political commentary. Mensa’s support for Palestine is particularly significant because he has taken it a step further than most, traveling to the occupied territories to see the reality for himself with a group of African-American artists and activists.
He documented his experiences in a powerful essay for TIME titled “What Palestine Taught Me About American Racism,” drawing explicit and direct parallels between the racism faced by Black Americans and the human rights abuses inflicted on Palestinians. He recounts “humiliating checkpoints” and the economic disparity made “acutely transparent” by the “separation wall”.
Mensa found the parallels between the two experiences “overwhelming,” comparing the “worm-infested water tank” in a Palestinian refugee camp to the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, and the separation wall to the economic divide in Chicago.
His unique role as an artist whose activism is rooted in direct, personal observation and testimony transforms the “foreign” into the universal, making the Palestinian struggle accessible and relatable to a U.S. audience by framing it through the lens of a familiar domestic struggle. His observation that “martial law is a very real and tangible condition in Palestine” highlights a key difference while simultaneously reinforcing the shared experience of living under an oppressive state. Mensa was also a signatory of the #MusiciansForPalestine open letter.
Noname: The Intellectual Anarchist
Noname, an acclaimed rapper and poet, is celebrated for her intricate, socially aware lyricism on projects like Telefone and Room 25. She is a pragmatic activist whose work extends beyond music into grassroots organizing. Noname is the founder of the Noname Book Club, a Black-owned business that connects community members with “radical books” as a tool for “collective liberation”.
Her solidarity with Palestine is consistent with her anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist worldview. She was one of over 600 artists to sign the #MusiciansForPalestine open letter, which called for a cultural boycott of Israeli institutions. Her lyrical themes offer a vision of a better world, with her rapping about a new vanguard and a new world order: “They talkin’ abolishin’ the police… We democratizin’ Amazon, we burn down borders”.
At live shows, she has famously elicited chants of “Free Palestine” and connected the struggle to other global liberation movements. Noname represents a new generation of artists who are unafraid to challenge both the political and music industry establishments, including those in Sudan and Haiti. The reported cancellation of her shows due to her political views symbolizes a growing movement that will not be intimidated by what has been described as a “new era of McCarthyism” aimed at silencing dissent.
Lupe Fiasco: The Philosophical Luminary
Lupe Fiasco is a lyrical master and social commentator, critically acclaimed for his intellectual and complex projects like Food & Liquor and The Cool. He demonstrated early solidarity with Palestine in 2011 with his song “Words I Never Said“. The track directly addressed the Gaza War, with Fiasco rapping, “Gaza Strip was getting bombed, Obama didn’t say shit”. In an interview, he explicitly stated that he did not vote for then-President Obama because of his stance on Palestine, demonstrating a long-standing intellectual engagement with the topic.
Later that year, on his mixtape Friend of the People, he released a song titled “The End of the World” that honored Palestine and Rachel Corrie, with lyrics where he rapped, “Wonder if she saw my scarf for Palestine all on it”. His support has also come in the form of defending his stance.
During a show, he lectured the audience, arguing that Palestinians are also Semites and that any hostility or war against them is therefore anti-Semitic. His approach is characterized by a commitment to political education, using his platform to introduce his audience to complex historical and semantic arguments.
Immortal Technique: The Uncompromised Revolutionary
Immortal Technique, an independent veteran and O.G. activist, is renowned for his uncompromisingly political and anti-corporate discography. His career is defined by the powerful synergy between his lyrical content and his real-world activism, consistently backing up his words with direct action. He has been involved in fundraising for a children’s hospital in Palestine and frequently performs at benefit concerts for Gaza, he also helped build an orphanage in Kabul, Afghanistan with the profits from his 2008 album The 3rd World. For him, the global fight against colonialism and injustice is not just a lyrical theme but a core part of his identity.
His lyrics have long critiqued U.S. imperialism and its role in international conflicts, including the “massacres in Jenin“. More recently, he has described the situation in Gaza as a “genocide” and a continuation of the U.S. government’s pattern of sponsoring violence against innocent civilians to further its own agenda.
He suggests that the widespread pro-Palestine student protests are a stark contrast to the minimal pushback to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, attributing this to the rise of social media which has eroded the government’s and mainstream media’s control over the narrative. Immortal Technique’s independent status has allowed him to maintain an uncompromised political stance, positioning him as a mentor and an inspiration to a new generation of activists.
Redveil: The Next Generation's Voice
Redveil is a rising star who has quickly gained significant traction with critically praised albums and high-profile festival appearances. He represents a new wave of young artists who are leveraging their growing platforms to deliver clear, urgent calls to action. Redveil has taken a direct and powerful approach to his activism on stage. During a performance, he stood in front of a screen displaying a list of names of Palestinians killed by Israel since October 7th, noting that “nobody on this list made it to the age of four”.
He urged the audience to take action by calling their representatives to demand a ceasefire, telling them, “it’s not complicated, don’t let nobody tell you that”. He then led the crowd in a chant of “Free Palestine”. His direct and unambiguous message cuts through the “it’s complicated” narrative that often surrounds the conflict. He and other young artists are inspiring a new generation of activists to engage directly with geopolitics, bypassing traditional media filters and delivering their message in an unfiltered way.
This list is further extended by a collective of artists who have used their influence to take a unified stand. Black Thought, Brother Ali, Questlove, Bun B, Run the Jewels, Royce Da 5’9″, A-Trak, and Digable Planets were among the more than 600 musicians who signed a letter calling for a boycott of Israel. This collective action is a powerful statement, demonstrating a broad and unified front of hip-hop solidarity that is willing to risk commercial consequences for the sake of justice.
Watch Macklemore Speaks Out in Support of Mahmoud Khalil and Calls for a Free Palestine | Speech excerpt of Macklemore at the ‘Free Mahmoud Khalil, Free Palestine!’ event in New York City. This event was in support of Mahmoud Khalil, Palestine, and civil liberties.
The Price of Truth: Censorship and the BDS Movement
The activism of these artists is particularly courageous when viewed against the backdrop of a coordinated, systemic effort to silence dissent. The professional consequences for speaking out against Israeli policy are real and severe. As documented by Brother Ali’s experience, the backlash includes social media shadow-banning, blacklisting by promoters, and the abrupt termination of business deals. This phenomenon is not limited to the music industry. Artists and activists in many fields have been “censored, suspended, blacklisted or otherwise threatened with workplace consequences for expressing their views”.
This chilling effect is often enabled by a political and legal framework that seeks to equate criticism of the Israeli state with antisemitism. The rise of anti-BDS laws in the United States is a prime example of this strategy. As of 2024, 38 states have passed bills designed to discourage boycotts of Israel. In Europe, similar measures have been implemented, as seen in the case of Talib Kweli’s disinvitation from a German festival. These legislative and political campaigns provide a legal and social justification for institutions and promoters to censor artists. This coordinated effort against free expression makes the stand of these rappers a much greater act of courage, as they are knowingly risking their livelihoods to speak the truth.
Conclusion: Seeds of a New Era
Hip-hop was born from the struggle for liberation, and it has consistently served as a vehicle for resistance. The American rappers who have taken a stand for the Palestinian people are not simply making a political statement; they are fulfilling the moral and historical purpose of their art form. They are using their platforms to challenge decades of propaganda and expose the documented realities of a genocide. Their actions prove that the solidarity between Black and Palestinian liberation movements is not a fleeting trend but a deeply rooted moral consistency.
The courage of artists like Macklemore, Talib Kweli, and Brother Ali, who have faced down censorship and professional pressure, is inspiring. Their efforts, combined with the power of student protests and the unified voices of a new generation, are creating a new era of awareness and activism. As Macklemore’s song powerfully suggests, “they can bury us, but they will find out we are seeds”. The old systems of propaganda and complicity are beginning to crumble under the weight of this new, unified movement for justice. The artists who have stood on the right side of history are not just protesting a war; they are nurturing the seeds of a future where freedom and dignity are universal truths.
