Palestinian-Canadian rapper Belly has surprise-dropped a new album titled “96 Miles From Bethlehem,” which is described as being about “the gift, curse, and fate of being Palestinian” but is clearly inspired by the war in Gaza. The 40-year-old artist, whose real name is Ahmad Balshe, was born in the Palestinian city of Jenin in the Israeli-occupied West Bank — which is located 96 miles from Bethlehem, as the album’s title says —but relocated to Canada with his family when he was 7.
The brief, nine-song album is, not surprisingly, a dark listen, with his rapping style (which is often reminiscent of early Kanye West) jarring against the ominous rhythms of many of the songs, which also feature spoken segments in Arabic and occasional Middle Eastern melodies. It was released on the Universal Arabic Music (founded by Weeknd manager Wassim “Sal” Slaiby in 2021) and features guest appearances from fellow Palestinian artists Elyanna, Saint Levant, and MC Abdul and production contributions from DaHeala (The Weeknd) with traditional instrumentalists.
The lyrics, needless to say, are harrowing and are often from a Palestinian perspective on the war in Gaza. Some are angry and accusing but most are sad — “Jenin’s Song” features lyrics about Belly’s hometown as if it were a woman. Elsewhere, the lyrics are more direct:
Popular on PvNew
“Drones, helicopters, killing our doctors
Turned the hospital to a hospice
While you watched it” (“Patience vs. Patients”)
“It’s misdirection, sadistic with these twisted methods,
Restricted weapons, inflicted such a sick oppression,
They hit the Masjid, irfaa, pick up, its disconnected,
Can’t get reception, but y’all don’t get the message,
Black clouds and toxic rain and bright blue bags for coffins
Send me to the crossing, Lord” (“Blue Bags”)
“Mirages of olive branches,
that never extend to truth,
Lining the Orwellian orchard of forgotten souls,
and martyred youth, generations of teardrops watering trees that once grew” (“The Gift, the Curse and the Fate”).
After launching his career in the early ‘00s, Belly became one of the most successful rappers in Canadian history but went on hiatus for several years and focused on songwriting and production with the Weeknd, and had a hand in many of his biggest hits, from “The Heights” to “Blinding Lights.” He relaunched his career as a rapper in 2018 with the album “Immigrant.” “Bethlehem” is his fourth full-length album.
