MCA Abdul, 11 years old, the rap sensation from Gaza

He still wears short pants and sits every day on the benches of his school in Gaza with his little classmates. But when the bell announcing the end of classes rings, the young Abdel-Rahman Al-Shanti becomes MCA Abdul, a rapper praised by the community (144,000 subscribers on instagram, excuse the pun) and by prestigious peers such as DJ Khaled, to name but one.

In only two years of rap, this young schoolboy from Gaza has won the hearts of many fans. He has made friends with music stars from all over the world, and has even found himself on rotation on the airwaves in Ireland.

View this post on Instagram

My new rap "better life" amazing beats and coaching from @gmcbeats (plus help writing ) thanks for all the help and support from @steviegrainger And @youngerns here are the lyrics guys You don’t have to be rich and powerful to make a difference, What holds this world back is ignorance in the system, Small actions of kindness they help us improve, Spitting good vibes on this track over laid-back grooves. Money, petrol, seas and fights for other lands, They make wars, these problems keep power in their hands, I’m a drop of water but the sea can’t be without me, Yeah I know I’m just one kid but being one is astounding. I don’t have all the answers but thing I’m sure, That our enemies would be friends if we were not poor, Worried by violence passing the pain to our children, We are all in this together as humans in our billions. #peace #love #corkcity #rapper # rap

A post shared by MCA Abdul (@mca.rap) on Aug 31, 2020 at 10:37am PDT

He embodies the expression “to not look one’s age”.

While he occasionally sings covers, he also writes his own lyrics, delivering a message of peace and love, and struggling to make the voice of Gaza heard and resonate internationally.

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Me and my crew back at school … Love rapping for friends lyrics by @waheebnasan #love #rap #seeyouagain #cork @steviegrainger @gmcbeats @murlibo

A post shared by MCA Abdul (@mca.rap) on Aug 11, 2020 at 12:34pm PDT

As for his classmates, although they may have difficulty keeping up with his excellent level of English, they always support him and happily take part in his adventure by appearing in his videos.

The young man with an angel’s face, a flawless voice and a gesture that is sometimes still not very confident is, without a doubt, promised to a great career… To be followed very closely!