Residente Postpones New Album to Condemn Genocide in Gaza — ‘Why Doesn’t Everything Stop?’
It’s been over two months since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Since then, many actors, musicians, celebrities, and activists have spoken out condemning the Israeli attacks on Palestinians in Gaza.
Over 260 artists including Selena Gomez, Alfonso Cuarón, and Jenna Ortega, signed a letter advocating for an immediate ceasefire. Production company Spyglass fired Melissa Barrera from the renewed “Scream” film after her comments supporting Palestine and calling for an end to genocide.
The latest to join is Grammy-winning artist, Residente, who posted a video on Instagram on December 12 protesting against Israel’s ongoing attacks on the West Bank.
In Spanish, the Puerto Rican rapper told fans that he could not release his latest album “in the face of the macabre genocide that’s slowly destroying Palestine.” He would also not be releasing any of the accompanying music videos.
Residente said he decided not to release any new music in October after the war began
René Pérez Joglar, Residente’s real name, decided not to release his latest album in October once the war started shortly after Hamas stormed into Israel. The Israeli government responded almost immediately to the attack by launching airstrikes on Gaza. Current estimates say Israel’s bombardment has killed more than 17,000 people.
“I don’t feel good, it hurts too much, I think of my son every day, I can’t be indifferent to this,” Residente said in the video. “I ask myself: when did we start dehumanizing each other to the point where we can see how they blow up the heads of boys and girls in our faces and we say nothing?”
In November, like Residente, Barrera wrote on her Instagram stories about how “people are still silently watching it all happen.” He also called the attacks on the region a “genocide” and accused the United States of perpetuating it.
He also called on his audience to pause and reflect on what they were posting during this time.
“Instead of showing off your outfit, the food you had for dinner or bragging about a night out, stop for a moment,” he said in the video. “Look for information on Palestine and denounce the genocide that Israel is committing with the support of the United States against civilians in Palestine.”
On Tuesday, President Joe Biden issued his strongest statement yet saying Israel’s “indiscriminate bombing” of Gaza would cause them to lose international support.
The Puerto Rican rapper also called out the music industry for staying silent amid the conflict
In the video, he asked why this crisis isn’t being treated like 2020’s COVID-19 pandemic. “Everything should stop so we can all focus on Gaza,” he said.
He also added he wasn’t coming from a place of criticism but of disappointment.
“As an artist, I was sad to see that during the entire Grammy’s show, no one said anything about the genocide,” he wrote. “Don’t be afraid to get canceled for supporting Palestine because you’re going to be on the right side of history.”
Residente also asked people to educate themselves on Palestine, citing his own ignorance regarding the issues faced by Palestinians. Particularly since he wrote a line about them on his song “Atrévete-Te-Te.”
“I know there’s a lot of misinformation. It is our responsibility to educate ourselves. I grew up under the United States’ mass media that educates us to think that all Palestinians are terrorists,” he shared.
“That’s why as a kid I wrote ‘Atrévete’ and had no idea what was going on in the Middle East. I wrote this line that’s now canceled in my concerts that says ‘It’s going to blow up like a Palestinian.’ I’m so ashamed of that, really ashamed, but I started educating myself.”
He ended the post’s caption by writing “Liberty for Palestine” and adding the flag emoji for Palestine and Puerto Rico. The video has garnered over 400,000 likes and comments from fans mostly in support.
“Thank you for showing that neutrality is trash,” one person wrote. Another shared how this is an example of “real leadership” from the musician.
The artist has previously spoken out on politics and is not shy about expressing his sentiments
In his lengthy career, Residente has sold millions of albums and won 27 Latin Grammys. Now a solo artist, he got his start as a singer for the hip-hop group Calle 13. He’s also received a reputation as a leader in Latin American politics and history.
In 2020, Residente released the single “René” in which he talks about his childhood best friend who was killed at the hands of Puerto Rican police. The song subsequently became a hit, garnering more than 260 million views on YouTube.
With his song and music video for “This is Not America,” Residente was a vocal critic of the United States’ foreign policy in Latin America, in particular the role the U.S. has played in the region’s instability.
As far as his new album goes, he did not indicate when or if the album would be released. Instead, he signed off saying, “I’ll see you all next year.”
