Hind's Hall: Rapper Macklemore releases new song for Palestine

The track is inspired by the current student protests and the death of Palestinian child Hind Rajab

Macklemore will donate all streaming proceeds for his new song about Palestine to the UNRWA. Sarah Dea / The National

Macklemore has released a new song for Palestine.

Titled Hind’s Hall, the track is inspired by the current student protests happening around the world. It also pays tribute to Hind Rajab, a Palestinian child, 6, who was recently killed by the Israeli military in Gaza while waiting for help.

The song samples Fairouz’s Ana La Habibi, lending it a familiar sound to one of the Arab world's most famous singers. With a run time of less than three minutes, Hind’s Hall addresses several issues, including police brutality, American politics, white supremacy, social media censorship and student activism.

In the track, Macklemore critiques the status quo, questioning why peaceful actions such as divestment from Israel and calls for peace are perceived as threats.

“The people, they won’t leave / What is threatening about divesting and wanting peace? / The problem isn’t the protests, it’s what they’re protesting / It goes against what our country is funding / Block the barricade until Palestine is free,” he begins rapping.

Throughout the song, the American rapper continues to speak out about issues related to the Israel-Gaza war. He calls attention to the role of law enforcement and systemic structures in maintaining oppression.

“Actors in badges protecting property / And a system that was designed by white supremacy / But the people are in the streets / You can pay off Meta, you can't pay off me.”

He concludes by urging listeners to consider standing up for justice, particularly in solidarity with Palestine while commending those who already have.

“What you willing to risk? / What you willing to give? / What if you were in Gaza? / What if those were your kids?” He raps in the song.

“You’d want the world to stand up / And the students finally did.”

Although the track isn’t available on streaming platforms yet, Macklemore says that once it is, all of the song’s proceeds will be donated to the UNRWA. As of writing, the clip for the song has already been watched more than 7.1 million times on Instagram and more than 5.3 million times on X.

For regional fans of Macklemore, the rapper will perform a gig in Dubai on October 4 at the Coca-Cola Arena.

Social media reactions

Gazan photojournalist Motaz Azaiza, who is featured in the clip, commented with five clapping hand emojis.

Musician Tom Morello, who was formerly in Rage Against the Machine, posted his thoughts on X:

User Mohammadfff_ wrote: “@Macklemore is a real one for this. We Palestinians won’t forget who stood with us.”

“Every revolution needs a song, music is so important. These lyrics are 100, thank you for this,” said user Thenewyorknest.

“Gonna be blaring this at our encampment tomorrow,” said user Kaedence__.

Macklemore’s activism for Palestine

This isn’t the first time Macklemore has been vocal about his support for Palestine. In October, he signed an open letter calling for a ceasefire and an end to Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip.

In November, he spoke at a pro-Palestinian rally in Washington DC, accusing Israel of committing genocide.

“When I say Free Palestine, it’s not against anyone. It actually means we should protect everyone,” he said in an Instagram Reel in December.

“It means equality for all, respect, peace and love. It means the right to exist, regardless of what sector you’re from … There are innocent humans out in Gaza getting murdered with our dollars, and those precious human lives are an extension of us.”

Earlier this year, Macklemore was seen waving a fan’s keffiyeh while crowd surfing at his concert in Arizona.