Macklemore's new protest song goes viral, Tom Morello calls it “the most Rage Against the Machine song since Rage Against the Machine”

Seattle rapper Macklemore is causing a stir on the internet. The artist known for socially conscious songs like “Same Love” and “White Privilege II” has written and released a new song highlighting the protests at Columbia University over the bloody conflict between Israel and Palestine.

This new track, “Hind's Hall,” has been trending on Twitter (X) for about 24 hours, with Macklemore's post already racking up more than 14 million views. It was also praised by Tom Morello, lead guitarist of famed protest rock group Rage Against the Machine, who wrote on X: “Honestly @macklemore“Hind’s Hall” is the Rage Against The Machine song since Rage Against The Machine.”

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Others praised the song, including presidential candidate Cornel West, who wrote on the social media platform: “Greetings to my brother @macklemore uses his powerful art to tell some painful truths! #TruthJusticeLove.”

As for the song's content, the rapper offers:

People won't leave
What is threatening about separating and wanting peace?
The problem is not the protests, but what they are protesting against
It goes against the way our country is financed
(Hey) Block the barricade until Palestine is free
(Hey) Block the barricade until Palestine is free.

The video for the song, also posted on X, shows a lot of difficult images. And while some may disagree with the song's competition, the conflict in the region has certainly cost many lives, both recently since an attack on a music festival in Israel and in the country's response and decades of war.

The Jewish journalist Dave Zirin writes about the song The nation“Macklemore raps about the student occupations, the violent police crushing peaceful resistance, the music industry's silence in the face of genocide, the efforts to ban TikTok, the proud Jewish role in this fight, and the big lie of anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism in some way the same.”

Those interested can check out the new track and video below.