鈥橞oycott Israel'
By Immortal Technique, Don Martin, Tumi, Eltipo Este & Tonto Noiza
Free download
www.donmartin.no/boycott-israel
The ongoing slaughter in Gaza has brought a great many artists, musicians and celebrities out in support of Palestine.
This is nothing new. In fact, every major Israeli offensive seems to grow the number of artists willing to speak up and stand against the crimes of the apartheid state.
But there鈥檚 support, and then there鈥檚 solidarity.
Both are welcome, of course. But there鈥檚 a difference between expressing one鈥檚 outrage at a crime against humanity and outwardly answering the call from those who seek to end those same crimes.
A new track, 鈥淏oycott Israel鈥, is a solid attempt to do the latter.聽
What sticks out about 鈥淏oycott Israel鈥, and what allows it to work on a certain level, is the basic internationalism that the line-up itself embodies.
The track is primarily from Don Martin, one-third of Norwegian hip-hop group Gatas Parlament. For more than 20 years, they have have been something roughly akin to Norway鈥檚 version of Public Enemy. Martin鈥檚 bandmate Elling Borgersrud once ran for public office as a member of the far-left Red Electoral Alliance.
It also features what can reasonably be called a global consortium of militant hip-hop notables: well-known Peruvian-American rapper Immortal Technique, El Tipo Este of Cuban duo Obsesion, Parisian rapper Tonto Noiza, and Jonnesburg-based Tumi Molekane.
As if to drive the globalism home, each artist raps in their native tongue.聽
Generally, it鈥檚 impressive that the whole track is built around informing listeners of the Palestinian 聽without sounding like a pamphlet (though it sometimes comes close).
Tech鈥檚 best wordplay comes in the form of asking: 鈥淪o how the fuck you gonna have a peace settlement? When people want a piece of your land to build settlements?鈥
Molekane鈥檚 verse is strongest, at least among the two delivered in English, if for no other reason than its reference to the artist鈥檚 own experiences with South African apartheid and their parallels to Palestine today.聽
The track ends with a sample from author Arundhati Roy鈥檚 famed聽, delivered in September 2002.
[Reprinted from .]