Omar Bounoua, an Afghani-Algerian-British drill rapper from Greenford, UK who goes by Workrate, has created a hip-hop/rap rap song titled Charbu Darbu Reply. The song boasts lyrics that condemn violence against Palestinians and call for a ceasefire in Gaza. The song’s catchy title, however, references and is a direct response to Charbu Darbu, a popular hip-hop song from Israeli duo Ness Ve Stilla that, unlike Charbu Darbu Reply, is recognized for advocating Palestinian genocide.
Charbu Darbu was the No. 1 song in Israel at the end of 2023. It features death threats to public figures like Dua Lipa, Mia Khalifa and Bella Hadid who have been vocally advocating for peace in Palestine. This is why artistic efforts like Charbu Darbu Reply are significant. They use hip-hop and rap to spread messages of peace like wildfire, reflecting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions.
Charbu Darbu Reply is one out of four songs in Workrate’s EP, 4 Months in Gaza, that’s especially directed at calling for peace in Palestine. Before releasing the EP in early 2024, Workrate had already released a four-part song titled Gaza as early as October 2023 to call for the ceasefire.
The words “charbu darbu” themselves are Syrian Arabic. They translate into English as “swords and strikes,” referring to a Hebrew slang term that means to give their all in a fight. When lyrics in the original Charbu Darbu call for people to give their all to the war, lyrics in Charbu Darbu Reply call for people to unite in solidarity with Palestine.
Charbu Darbu Reply begins with lyrics that recall the horrors of war in Gaza. In his verse, Workrate calls for prayers for women and children, as the army is killing civilians.
“That’s enough millions, that’s enough billions,” he says, recalling the magnitude of the death toll in the war in Gaza.
As of June 25th of 2025, the Palestinian death toll has soared up to approximately 84,000, according to a new study. Workrate’s verses attempt to capture the magnitude of deaths and lives taken by Israeli military action, which at the time of the song’s release were closer to approximately 27,000. He prompts his listeners to empathize with the loss and grief of Palestinian people. With his songs accessible on international platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music, Charbu Darbu Reply still has the potential to inspire individuals across the globe to mobilize and call for a ceasefire.
Outside of his own EP, Workrate has also collaborated with another rapper—Detroit artist Eddy Mack—to create a song that supports the ceasefire in Gaza. Their song, Shemal Yameen, has had over 900,000 listens on Spotify and again references and directly confronts Charbu Darbu. Proceeds from the song go to relief efforts in Gaza.
Despite not being Palestinian, these artists have gathered together under a shared sense of kinship. They relate to Palestine’s struggle for their land and their identity, and they hope that their listeners would be able to feel the same way.
“Nothing hits you more emotionally than music. I want to open people’s hearts, I want to break people down emotionally,” said Eddy Mack in an interview with WBEZ Chicago.