Gaza’s 11-year-old rapper
Meet the 11-year-old rapper from Gaza with big ambitions and the talent to bring them to life.
At only 11 years old, he raps about war and the difficulties of growing up in Gaza.
Abdel-Rahman Al-Shantti is also known as MCA Abdul and has a growing global online audience.
He’s struck up friendships with rappers and DJs around the world and has even received airplay in Ireland.
Sometimes he sings covers, but he also writes his own lyrics.
“I started singing rap two years ago, and I felt I was talented in it, so I kept practising,” says Al-Shantti. “I kept practising to reach this level and I still want to continue to improve myself and learn how to write more original lyrics.”
His friends and classmates are not always able to keep up with the high-paced rapping in English but they support him and feature in his videos.
Al-Shantti says he wants to show the world how difficult life in Gaza has become under a crippling Israeli blockade, but he remains positive.
This report was produced and edited by Al Jazeera NewsFeed’s Hassan Ghani.