You can count Noah “40” Shebib among those artists and celebrities making their voice heard in support of Palestine, and he’s used his relationship with Drake to encourage him to do the same. The man behind the October’s Very Own sound spoke at length with Rolling Stone, and detailed how he was one of the early signatories for the collective of artists and other entertainers calling for an immediate de-escalation of combat in Gaza by Israel, and a ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas organization.
“A friend came to me and asked me if I want to sign and I said, of course,” Shebib said. “He asked if Drake would, and I went to talk to him and the team. That simple really.” The Artists4Ceasefire letter was signed by over 500 entertainers and other creative figures including director Ryan Coogler, musician and activist Boots Riley, singer Ariana Grande, actor Pedro Pascal in addition to Drake. When asked about the backlash that supporting Palestine would pose, Shebib was candid.
“I protect myself in all spaces very well,” he said to Iraqi-Canadian rapper and university . “That was a lifelong journey to learn how. I was mindful of that. I’m also mindful that other people take great risks standing up against the occupation, and that is so inspiring to witness. I only work with one person, really. There is no one who can come in and tell us what to think and do. That is my privilege, to be vocal. I am proud of that and will do that to the death.”
Of course, the conversation ambled onto the subject of Drake’s colossal beef with Kendrick Lamar that dominated music last year. “What do you want me to say about that?”, Shebib replied, not referring to the Compton, California superstar but inferring that he hasn’t spoken publicly about Palestine, adding: “None of those artists said s—t about the state of the world. At a time like this, everything else is just noise.”
The current conflict has reached catastrophic levels for Palestinians living in Gaza, almost two years after Israel began military strikes in retaliation for an attack by the Hamas group at a festival on October 7, 2023. Israel has been accused of creating a deliberate campaign of starvation against the Palestinians, with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs (OCHA) stating that over 63,000 Palestinians have been killed during the 22-month period. Israel has also greenlit a plan to occupy Gaza City, earning backlash from around the world.
