10.16.2026
18-Year-Old Palestinian Rapper MC Abdul Releases Day By Day, Shway Shway, His Inspiring Debut Album
The Culmination of a Journey That Started When He Was Just 11-Years-Old, the New Album Is a Testament to the Young Artist’s Talent and Resilience
Born in Gaza and Currently Living in California, MC Abdul Impresses With His 9-Track Album, Incorporating Elements of Hip-Hop, Afrobeats, and Traditional Middle Eastern Music into His Sound, As He Contemplates How to Balance His Burgeoning Rap Stardome and Responsibility to His People
The New Album Is Executive Produced by Suhel Nafar, With Cinematic Production Led by iLLMIND, and Features Buzzing Singles Like the Defiant “Wein Abdul?,” the Hopeful “Shway Shway,” and the Devastating “Wait For Me”
Critical Praise:
“There’s so much power behind a kid who once rapped to survive the day now building his debut album and a whole world for fans to wander through off the back of that same instinct.” — Cosmopolitan
“MC Abdul oozes confidence.” — GQ
“Rolling Stone Future 25…In a place where education isn’t a given, the power of music has a way of shining through, especially with a gift like MC Abdul’s.” — Rolling Stone
“Featuring Palestinian vocalist Nai Barghouti, “Wait For Me” blends personal storytelling with the social consciousness that has defined Abdul’s rise from viral freestyles in Gaza to becoming one of the most recognisable young voices advocating for Palestinian liberation.” — Complex
“Translating acute generational trauma and displacement into sharp lyricism” — The Hip-Hop Museum
The Announcement:
Using his prodigious rhyme skills to tell his incredible story, 18-year-old Palestinian rapper MC Abdul is a man on a mission. Culminating a journey that started when he filmed himself rapping atop rubble in Gaza, Abdul shares Day By Day, Shway Shway, his highly-anticipated debut album. Day By Day, Shway Shway marks the arrival of a major force in global music, telling the story of his traumatic past, his bustling present, and his promising future. The album features cinematic instrumentals, with production from !llmind, ReeceBeats, Danny Hajj, Djamil, and many others, combining hip-hop, Afrobeats, and Middle Eastern sounds, creating a sweeping drama that suits Abdul’s incredible story and gives a sense of grandeur to his slice-of-life rhymes.
Across nine tracks, Abdul chronicles his journey from Gaza to San Francisco, drawing parallels between his new life and the one he left behind to pursue his art. He left home at just 15-years-old, but Gaza is always on his mind. Told in three parts, album opener “Is It Real?” illustrates the dreamlike nature of his changing life: the first part details his journey from Gaza to Egypt in a bus with his father and Teta (grandmother), culminating in a seven-hour detention at the U.S. border in California; the second is a document of his survivor’s guilt, as he witnesses the beginning of the Genocide from afar, unable to reach his family; the third part, and album closer, features a moment of catharsis, as Abdul is finally able to reach his mother on the phone, and begin the process to bring her to safety in his new home of California.
“Is It Real?” provides a thematic narrative that ties together Day By Day, Shway Shway, rooting it in Abdul’s physical and spiritual journey, even as Abdul aims to showcase his skills as an entertainer. Notable on the album are singles “Wein Abdul?,” a triumphant and confident banger purpose-built to invigorate hip-hop fans across the globe, and “Shway Shway, ” an Afrobeats-inflected anthem that urges listeners to overcome their pain, one day at a time. New highlight “Story” is both a war cry and a diary entry, commenting on Abdul’s gratitude for his safety, but fear that the new life that he’s built might come crashing down at any moment.
In the album’s latter half, multiple songs directly confront the plight of the Palestinian people, as they suffer a prolonged siege and genocide at the hands of the Israeli military. The album’s first single, “Wait For Me,” is a dreamlike reverie, in which Abdul imagines his last moments before an Israeli airstrike and reflects on how hip-hop provided a mental escape. With a title that translates to “buzzing sound,” “Zanana” mimics the constant noise generated by Israeli drones in the skies above Gaza, as Abdul recounts his struggles with PTSD, which have not gone away even years after finding a safe haven in California.
Day By Day, Shway Shway is the ultimate realization of Abdul’s potential, marking a milestone in his evolution from precocious internet sensation to full-fledged artist, poet, and entertainer. Earlier this year, Abdul provided a new, interactive look into his journey, releasing Wein Abdul?,” an interactive video game creative-directed and designed by the artist J. Reem Salloum. Named after and inspired by his recent single “Wein Abdul?,” which translates to “where’s Abdul?,” the game offers a virtual tour of Gaza through Abdul’s eyes, offering a perspective on the Strip that is rarely seen in mainstream media. Locations fans can visit include Abdul’s old apartment building (since destroyed by an Israeli airstrike), Pizza Al-Taboon, his favorite pizza place in his hometown, and an amusement park in Khan Yunis, where he spent many late nights. Other locations reveal career highlights and important moments, including Abdul’s recent Stoop Session in the Bay Area. “Wein Abdul” doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities that accompanied Abdul’s life in Gaza, highlighting his journey through the militarized Rafah border crossing, his bus ride out of Gaza to Cairo, and admiring the resilience of the Palestinians who still live in Gaza.
With Day By Day, Shway Shway out now, Abdul continues to be an inspiration for his people and a standout talent in the modern rap game. Though he has already lived an eventful life, this is only the beginning.
Stream Day By Day, Shway Shway: https://music.empi.re/daybyday
Read more about the album artwork HERE
Watch “Shway Shway”: https://music.empi.re/shwayshwaymusicvideo
Visit the “Wein Abdul?” Interactive Game: https://abdulhq.com/
Watch “Wait For Me”: https://youtu.be/ZHD0QPEkCpw
Day By Day, Shway Shway tracklist:
- Is It Real? (Part One)
- My Story
- Shway Shway
- Wein Abdul?
- Is It Real? (Part Two)
- Wait For Me
- Zanana
- Missing Home
- Is It Real? (Part Three)
Credit: Shemp
Please contact Michelle or Francesca for more info.
The Background:
MC Abdul has been a global sensation since he was 11-years old, when videos of rapping atop rubble caused a massive viral moment. He has continued through his teenage years as one of music’s foremost advocates for Palestinian liberation. Growing up in Gaza, hip-hop provided a lifeline for the young Abdul, who learned English from rap legends and was inspired by the hip-hop tradition of speaking out against oppression. Videos of Abdul–of this middle school-aged child forcefully and soulfully articulating his struggle–circulated among music fans and activists alike, making him an iconic figure, but also putting a target on his back. It was a complex, hardship-filled journey for Abdul to leave Gaza, eventually reach the United States, where he currently lives, and later reunite with his family.
After reaching the United States, Abdul has pursued his dream of becoming a rap star. He made a historic Rolling Loud debut in 2024 as the youngest artist and first Gaza-born artist to perform on that stage. In addition, Abdul performed powerful showcases for platforms like GRAMMYs Global Spin, On The Radar, and From The Block. His cultural impact was further solidified by starring in Mustafa’s “Gaza Is Calling” music video alongside Bella Hadid. Having toured and collaborated with artists like Macklemore, Anees, Elyanna, and Saint Levant, and after opening for global superstar Atif Aslam, Abdul’s résumé is a testament to his status as a powerful voice for his people. With over 100 million views on his music videos, the champion for peace has already gained media support from Complex, Mashable, GRAZIA, Billboard, DAZED, RapTV, MILLE, Variety, VIBE, and LA Weekly among others, demonstrating the world’s growing desire to hear his side of the story.
Abdul’s forthcoming debut LP represents a leap onto the global stage, not just as a rapper but as an icon for a generation of youth whose stories of resilience are often left untold. Stay tuned for much more from the young artist as he continues his journey.
Photo credit: Shemp
Links:
instagram | tiktok | youtube | spotify
Day By Day, Shway Shway: https://music.empi.re/daybyday
“Shway Shway”: https://music.empi.re/shwayshway / https://music.empi.re/shwayshwaymusicvideo
Visit the “Wein Abdul?” Interactive Game: https://abdulhq.com/
“Wein Abdul?”: https://music.empi.re/weinabdul
“Wait For Me”: https://music.empi.re/waitforme