The people of Gaza are at the top of Belly‘s mind. On Thursday, the Canadian-Palestinian rapper released the nine-track album 96 Miles From Bethlehem as an ode to Palestine amid the Israel-Hamas war, featuring appearances from Elyanna, Saint Levant, and MC Abdul.
“I got a lot more to say,” Belly wrote on Instagram before releasing the project, whose proceeds will support those affected by the Israeli attacks on Gaza and the West Bank.
Belly opens the album with “Metal Birds” about the Israeli airstrikes that have killed thousands of innocent Palestinians amid Israel’s war with the terrorist group Hamas. (According to the United Nations, over 34,500 Palestinians have been killed since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack.)
“Patience vs Patients” starts with the sound of children’s voices at a playground before a militaristic beat commences and Belly unleashes a powerful rap: “More than a feeling, I know we’re dealing with a dangerous beast, kill us in broad day, then they blame the deceased/There was no change, even when we came with receipts, ‘Cause we gave ’em to a nation of sheep.”
“Jenin’s Song” is dedicated to the refugee camp of the same name, while Saint Levant joins on “Baroudeh” and Palestinian-Chilean star Elyanna‘s vocals are featured on “Maktub,” with both artists singing in Arabic. “Thank you Belly for speaking up for our people,” wrote Elyanna on Instagram Stories. Saint Levant called working with Belly “a childhood dream come true.”
Saint Levant is also set to release his own album, titled Deira, dedicated to Gaza on June 7. The album is named after a hotel that his father designed and built, and where he spent most of his childhood. He said the building was destroyed by an Israeli attack in December. “As we all know, Palestinians only know resilience. We will return, and we will rebuild,” he wrote in a separate Instagram post . “This album, which I spent over a year making, imagines a return to DEIRA in a liberated Palestine.”
96 Miles From Bethlehem Track List
1. Metal Birds
2. Blue Bags
3. Patience vs. Patients
4. Jenin’s Song
5. Crucifix
6. Baroudeh (ft. Saint Levant)
7. Carry Me (ft. Ibrahim Maalouf)
8. Maktub(ft. MC Abdul)
9. The Gift, The Curse, and the Fate