Seattle, Washington: Rapper Macklemore has released a new song that praises college students across the country protesting Israel’s war in Gaza. In the surprise release titled “Hind’s Hall,” Macklemore vows not to vote for President Joe Biden in the upcoming election in November. The song references the temporary name given by pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia University for a building they occupied on campus.

With this song, the Grammy-winning artist becomes one of the first major music figures to explicitly criticize the US government’s continued support for Israel, supporting students protesting their universities’ financial investments in companies tied to Israel. The lyrics of the song reflect the sentiments of pro-Palestinian protesters who are refusing to vote for Biden due to his backing of Israel.

Additionally, Macklemore’s song also criticizes the police response to the protests on college campuses across the US. Many schools called for police intervention to break up the protests, leading to confrontations and arrests. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators have been occupying lawns and buildings on campuses, demanding that universities divest from Israel.

The music industry has seen some artists sign onto the Artists 4Ceasefire letter addressed to Biden, including Dua Lipa, Jon Batiste, and Selena Gomez. Macklemore has pledged that all proceeds from the streaming of his song will go to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.

This is not the first time Macklemore has spoken out about political issues. In the past, he has been vocal about LGBTQ rights and has criticized former President Donald Trump. Despite facing accusations of antisemitism in the past, Macklemore continues to use his platform to advocate for social justice. The ongoing protests on college campuses against the war in Gaza show that the conversation around this issue is far from over.