A pair of young Israeli rappers have made headlines for a song in which they called for celebrities Dua Lipa and Bella Hadid to be killed for their pro-Palestine stance.
Ness and Stilla released their pro-war drill song Harbu Darbu in November last year – after the Palestinian terror group Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7.
Since its release, Harbu Darbu has gone on to become the IDF’s unofficial war anthem. Soldiers regularly blast it out of their speakers, and it has been played more than 18 million times on the Spotify streaming platform.
But who are the controversial artists who have suddenly shot to fame?
Ness, real name Nessya Levi, is 21 and is relatively new to the music scene.
A pair of young Israeli rappers have made headlines for a song in which they called for celebrities Dua Lipa and Bella Hadid to be killed for their pro-Palestine stance. Pictured: Ness, real name Nessya Levi, is 21 and is relatively new to the music scene, is one half of the duo
Stilla, 25, who’s real name is Dor Soroker, has been in the industry for longer than his musical partner, uploading videos on to YouTube for the last seven years
She has one other song on YouTube which was uploaded six months ago called Small Bag. It is a far less threatening song about makeup and Versace sunglasses.
Levi, who is half-Russian, served in the IDF for a year, despite young Israeli women being required to undertake two years of national service.
It was not immediately clear why she left the force a year early.
Despite not usually singing about religion and politics, opting to go for more light-hearted topics, an interview with Israel’s Ice Magazine showed the singer’s more serious side.
Levi is quoted as having said that she believes ‘most of the world is anti-Semitic’, claiming that was why the pair’s song has received backlash from some quarters – including from ex-porn star Mia Khalifa who was also threatened in their song.
‘The ugly face of the world came out in this war, this is our way to take part and contribute. If they don’t come out on us, then they come out on the IDF soldiers, if not on the IDF soldiers, on the government,’ she told Ice. ‘It doesn’t bother us, this song is meant to contribute to unification in the State of Israel.’
Stilla, 25, who’s real name is Dor Soroker, has been in the industry for longer than his musical partner, uploading videos on to YouTube for the last seven years.
Levi, who is half-Russian, served in the IDF for a year, despite young Israeli women being required to undertake two years of national service
Levi is quoted as having said that she believes ‘most of the world is anti-Semitic’, claiming that was why the pair’s song has received backlash from some quarters
The singers have individual music careers as well as making hits together. Typically, Ness sings about makeup and designer accessories whilst Stilla raps about mental health and drugs – although that have more recently turned their attention to the war
The rapper is far more adept at serious lyrics than Levi and has rapped about mental health, drug use and isolation.
In one of his songs, Standing Heart, Soroker speaks about his troubles with feeling alone. Part of the rap goes: ‘Sits up nights, writes for hours and can’t find a tune.
‘I don’t have a spare minute and still feel like I’m wasting time.
‘My head is always in a mess. Two years plus hanging from the neck between the army and the tune. Stuck in the corner of the corner. Is it for nothing?’
Other songs of his are more explicit – and the lyrics of these songs show how deeply territorial the rapper truly is, quite akin to his passion for Israel during the conflict.
In one music video, called 64 Bars, Soroker can be seen puffing on a cigarette, while rapping: ‘You only told me to burn cells, vegetable buff and cocaine.’
Later in the rap he moves on to remarks on his territorial beliefs, where he raps about trying to convince his friend to urinate in his own sister’s cup in order to ‘mark his territory.’
The pair joined forces putting their first music video on YouTube six months ago, three months before their hit war-rallying ‘anthem’ came out.
In the song, which has had over 18m views on YouTube, the two singers call for the murder of Muslim celebrities – singer Dua Lipa, model Bella Hadid – and also ex-pornstar Mia Khalifa.
The rappers released their drill song Harbu Darbu (pictured) three months ago and it has since gone on to be watched 18m times on YouTube
In the song, Ness (left) and Stilla (right) threaten the three celebrities, who have all expressed anti-war sentiments, claiming that the IDF will ‘rain a storm down on them’.
Dua Lipa and Bella Hadid have both expressed their anti-war sentiments, and Ness and Stilla claim that the IDF will ‘rain a storm down on them’ for that.
The song is in Hebrew but when translated into English, it is clear right from the get-go that it is going to be aggressive. The title, Harbu Darbu means mayhem.
The first two lines are: ‘A bunch of f***** rats getting out of the tunnel.
‘Acting like thugs you idiots I swear there will be no forgiveness.’
To the backing track of a drill beat, it goes on to talk about how the IDF are ‘in the mood for Harbu Darbu on your head’.
Ness and Stilla go on to mock Hamas, claiming that when they chant ‘Palestine for free’ it sounds like a ‘holiday sale’.
The last verse begins by saying ‘we will rain a storm down on you, you f****** and repeats the line: “Every dog gets what he deserves in the end”.’
The rappers then list all the people on their list – or, as they claim, the IDF’s list.
In the song, this begins with Hamas and Hezbollah chiefs, but then they turn their attention to the three celebrities.
‘Every dog gets what he deserves in the end.
‘Bella Hadid, Dua Lipa, Mia Khalifa.
‘Every dog gets what he deserves in the end.
‘All IDF units are coming to do Harbu Darbu on their head.’
The reason Dua Lipa is on the rappers’ ‘kill list’ is because of her calls for a ceasefire in the on-going war in Gaza between the IDF and Hamas on social media.
The reason Dua Lipa (pictured on February 4) is on the rappers’ ‘kill list’ is because of her calls for a ceasefire in the on-going war in Gaza between the IDF and Hamas on social media
Bella Hadid, who is Palestinian on her father’s side, also tweeted her way onto the rappers’ list
In a 24-hour Instagram story, the Albanian-British singer wrote: ‘With each passing day, my heart aches for the people of Israel and Palestine.
‘Grief for the lives lost in the horrifying attacks in Israel.
‘Grief as I witness the unprecedented suffering in Gaza, where 2.2 million souls, half of them children, endure unimaginable hardships.
‘For now, I desperately hope for a ceasefire in Gaza and urge governments to halt the unfolding crisis.
‘Our hope lies in finding the empathy to recognize this dire humanitarian situation.
‘Sending love to Palestinian and Jewish communities worldwide, who bear this burden more heavily than most.’
Bella Hadid, who is Palestinian on her father’s side, also tweeted her way onto the rappers’ list.
One of her tweets read: ‘While I have hopes and dreams for Palestinians, none of them include the harm of a Jewish person.
Mia Khalifa, who is Lebanese, has courted more controversy with her views on the conflict. In fact, she even praised the Hamas terrorist’s immediately after the October 7 Israel massacre
‘The terrorising of innocent people is not in alignment with and does not do any good for the ‘Free Palestine’ movement. The idea that it does has fueled a painful, decades-long cycle of back and forth retaliation.
‘No innocent civilian, Palestinian or Israeli, deserves to be a casualty.’
Mia Khalifa, who is Lebanese, has courted more controversy than the others with her views on the conflict. In fact, she even praised the Hamas terrorist’s immediately after the October 7 Israel massacre.
Her tweet referenced the recording of the attack and read: ‘Can someone please tell the freedom fighters in Palestine to flip their phones and film horizontal.’
She later apologised for her comments.
Reacting to the song in December, Khalifa wrote on X (formerly Twitter): ‘Y’all that song calling for the IDF to kill me, Bella, and Dua is over a DRILL beat, they can’t even call for genocide in their own culture, they had to colonize something to get it to #1.’
But Harbu Darbu has been welcomed with open arms by IDF troops with videos on YouTube and TikTok of soldiers driving tanks to the rallying tune.
Harbu Darbu has been welcomed with open arms by IDF troops (seen operating on Wednesday) with videos on YouTube and TikTok of soldiers driving tanks to the rallying tune
Houses in Gaza lie in ruin amid Israel’s on-going offensive into the coastal strip
Israeli music promotor Hillel Wachs spoke to the country’s newspaper The Jerusulam Post and said: ‘There is a long tradition of some iconic song that comes out of a war, that becomes the song that is identified with that war.’
He went on to tell the paper that Harbu Darbu could be that song.
Ness and Stilla say that it is time to replace sorrow with anger.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry nearly 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict.
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