In a surprising drop of three new studio albums released last Friday, global hip-hop superstar Drake has reignited public debate over celebrity silence on the crisis in Gaza, with a pointed lyrical diss targeting Palestinian-American hitmaker DJ Khaled for his failure to speak up in support of the Palestinian people.
The scathing verse appears on *Make Them Pay*, a track pulled from Drake’s surprise-released album *Iceman*, one of three full-length projects the Canadian rapper dropped unannounced to shock fans worldwide. The lines in question directly name DJ Khaled – whose full legal name is Khaled Mohammed Khaled – and call out his public silence amid Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza. Drake raps: “And, Khaled, you know what I mean / The beef was fully live, you went halal and got on your deen / And your people are still waitin’ for a free Palestine / But apparently everything isn’t black and white and red and green.”
This is not the first time DJ Khaled has faced public backlash for his refusal to address the Gaza crisis. Since 2023, the renowned producer and artist, who regularly highlights his Palestinian heritage in public interviews and musical content, has been widely criticized by fans, activist groups and high-profile public figures for staying silent on Israel’s military operations in the besieged enclave. Last year, American comedian Dave Chappelle famously called out DJ Khaled’s inaction during a stand-up set, saying, “DJ Khaled, let me tell you something. For a Palestinian, this man is awfully quiet right now, and as a Palestinian, how could you be that quiet right now?” To date, DJ Khaled has not issued any public response to the repeated criticism, nor has he made any public statement addressing the crisis in Gaza. Middle East Eye attempted to reach DJ Khaled’s team for comment ahead of this report, but received no response by the time of publication.
Supporters of Drake’s stance have quickly pointed to the Canadian rapper’s long-standing early support for Palestinian calls for peace. Political commentator Hasanabi noted on social media platform X that even amid broader criticism of Drake, he was among the first high-profile major recording artists to sign the *Artists4Ceasefire* open letter calling for an immediate end to hostilities in Gaza, just 23 days after the October 7 attacks in 2023.
Drake’s latest batch of surprise releases is scattered with repeated references to Middle Eastern culture and Islamic practice, beyond the diss verse targeting DJ Khaled. On the track *Whisper My Name*, he raps “My YGs are fastin’ and prayin’ / You lucky it’s Ramadan”, while *Make Them Cry* includes a shoutout to “the Bulgari in Turkey”. One of the three albums dropped Friday is even titled *Habibti*, an Arabic term that translates to “my love”.
Online discourse around the verse has remained divided: while many have praised Drake for holding a prominent Palestinian celebrity accountable for public inaction, others have pushed back, arguing that Drake himself has not maintained consistent, outspoken advocacy for Palestine despite his criticism of DJ Khaled.