The world was never meant to shrink for 17-year-old Palestinian rapper MC Abdul.
Although he grew up in a world that always seemed to others that it would shrink and become smaller, a world in which violence and war diminished dreams, for him it was exactly the opposite. He has chosen to expand his world much further, but he still carries Gaza with him.
Born in Gaza in 2008, Abdul is part of a new generation that has grown up with social media. Abdul’s story cannot be summed up simply as “a young Palestinian rapper who exploded on social media after being inspired by Eminem.”
While he grew up inspired by American rappers like Eminem, Tupac Shakur, and Jay-Z, the truth is that his story alone, even at this early stage of his career, trumps them. His story is not only related to his name or his personality as a rapper, nor is it related to the number of songs he has achieved or the charts he has released, but rather it is related to a country and a cause that lives outside of it.
A homeland whose music existed long before the noise of violence. Long before Palestinian resistance songs spread around the world, e.g Hind Hall 2 (2024) Written by Macklemore, which also features Abdul, Palestine truly had its own unique voice. from Dabke (traditional folk dance) to oral poetry, and its music became the language through which the nation remembers itself.
Through this distinct Palestinian voice, Abdul blends his generation’s connection to world music with the legacy of his own heritage. For him, hip-hop is not an “aesthetic” defined by a particular image or identity; Rather, it is a form rooted in the lived reality of Palestinians and the daily experiences, struggles and stories that unfold on the ground.
after loss With more than 80 family members since the war on Gaza began in 2023, Abdul turns to music as a way to carry Gaza with him, bridging the physical distance between himself and the place that continues to shape his story.
In his last song, Wait for Me (2026)Rolling Stone Award-winning rapper Future 25 on his search for refuge in the rap icons he grew up on the streets of Gaza. He contrasts the struggles often recounted in modern hip-hop with his own war-torn reality, saying, “Rock bottom, we’re living in different predicaments. The world’s turning, and I’m rapping at this moment, but it never ends.”
With his debut album arriving this fall, Egyptian Streets spoke with Abed to explore his creative process, his connection to Palestinian heritage, and his emergence as an artist who represents the voice and experiences of his generation.
You have described writing as a form of therapy for yourself. Can you talk about moments in the writing process where putting words on the page helped you process feelings or experiences in ways you hadn’t been able to do before?
Writing has always been a form of therapy for me. I’m really grateful for music because it was the only place I could reflect on my feelings and everything I went through. I started rapping because I truly fell in love with it, and looking back now, it’s incredible to see where that passion took me.
Music saved my life. It gave me a way to tell my story, helped me get out of Gaza, and gave me the opportunity to chase a dream that previously seemed impossible: to become an international artist, and hopefully inspire others along the way. What made this upcoming album even more special was the process of creating it.
The writing camp we set up felt like a therapy session. We would all sit in a circle, including the producers, writers, and everyone else in the room, and I would share stories about my life, my experiences, and my journey. It really felt like I was sitting in a therapist’s chair, but instead of just talking, we were turning those feelings into music.
I started each song with an emotion, and then together we built the production around those emotions so that the music perfectly reflected what I was experiencing. It was one of the most therapeutic and creative experiences I’ve ever had, and I think people will be able to feel that when they listen to the album.
What does your writing process typically look like? Do you start with a specific feeling, memory, or idea, or do you tend to have a clear story you want to tell from the beginning?
I like to fill up my notebook and diary first, just writing down my feelings, things I’ve been through, and what I’ve been feeling lately. Then I go into the studio and look for beats that match the feelings and stories I’ve written about, turning those ideas into bars and bringing them to life through music.
I think a lot of artists maintain their authenticity by staying connected to their own experiences, and that’s how I stay rooted in the culture. I write about my journey and experience as a Gazan and a Palestinian, while always carrying my cultural traditions with me.
On this new album, for example, I incorporated a lot of Arabic instruments and sounds, while maintaining the American hip-hop influence that shaped me. When people listen to the songs, they’ll be able to hear both sides, like the culture I come from and the music that inspired me.
Besides American rappers, were there any Palestinian poets, musicians or writers who helped shape your creative personality when you were young?
Growing up in Gaza, I was surrounded by Arabic music because that was the music everyone around me grew up listening to. But to be honest, I personally relate more to Western music. I grew up listening to many different genres of music, but hip-hop was always the genre that spoke to me the most.
It wasn’t just the music; It was storytelling. I learned English through artists like Eminem and Nas, and seeing how they transformed their lives and experiences into art inspired me to do the same.
One of the Arab artists I have always looked up to is Mohamed Assaf. We are from Gaza, born and raised in the same city, and he was the first person I saw from my hometown reach the world stage through music. Seeing someone from where I come from achieving something at this level made me think it was possible for me too.
Naturally, Arabic rap also played a major role in my journey. Getting the opportunity to work with Tamer Nafar, the first Palestinian rapper The Rhythm Never Stops (2021) It was a full circle moment. He helped lay the foundation for Palestinian hip-hop and showed how rap can be a powerful tool to tell our stories, express our reality, and express who we are.
Palestinian poetry had the same influence in shaping my identity as an artist. Mahmoud Darwish is one of my favorite poets, and in my upcoming album, I sampled his poems because his words are timeless. They continue to speak to much of what our people are experiencing today.
That’s how I see my own music too. Hip-hop is my language, but my identity, culture, and experiences as a Palestinian are at the center of everything I create. Whether it’s through Arabic instruments, Palestinian poetry, or the stories I share, I want my music to represent my home while connecting with people around the world.
In your upcoming album, there are moments where you include your family and the Arabic language in your songs. These details create an intimate picture of Palestinian domestic life. Was it important for you to invite listeners into those personal spaces, and what did you hope those moments would convey?
With this album, I wanted it to feel very personal. That’s why it was important for me to include my family, incorporate Arabic lyrics into my rap songs, and embrace all those little details that help people understand who I am on a deeper level. I feel like these elements allow listeners to take the journey with me, to visualize the stories I’m telling, and to really connect with the emotions behind the music.
When I write about my life, I try to focus on the human experiences behind the stories rather than the politics. I simply speak my truth, singing about what I have lived, what I have witnessed, and what I know.
What do you hope people take away from your music and lyrics?
I want people to understand what it’s like to start with nothing, grow up in Gaza, and then suddenly have the opportunity to travel to the United States to meet my team and finish the mixtape I was working on at the time.
The plan was always to return to Gaza immediately afterward to be with my family, but instead, I became stuck in the United States when the genocide began in my homeland. From there, my focus shifted to trying to get my family out and making sure they were safe. After that, I started building a new life in America, learning how to adapt to a new country, a new environment, and a place where people spoke a different language. It’s been a big adjustment, but I’m also grateful that my family is safe now, and my siblings have the opportunity to build a better future.
This new album is about that whole journey. It’s also my way of reconnecting with music after being away for a while. Over the past year or two, I’ve been away from social media and haven’t been releasing a lot of music, so this project represents my comeback and everything I experienced during that time.
I hope this album inspires artists and people from all over the world who are going through their own struggles. Of course, I know that Palestinians will connect with it on a deeper level because these stories come from our life experiences, but my goal is for anyone to hear themselves in this music.
