Belly has rolled out his new album 96 Miles From Bethlehem, the title of which is a nod to the Grammy-nominated artist’s birthplace of Jenin in Palestine.
The nine-track release follows the 2021 album See You Next Wednesday and last year’s Mumble Rap 2 tape. Enlisted for features are fellow Palestinian artists including Elyanna, Saint Levant, and MC Abdul. DaHeala, meanwhile, contributes production.
A deeply personal listening experience, and one that’s notably billed as both an ode to Palestine and an artistic exploration of its current struggles, 96 Miles From Bethlehem features the previously released "Patience vs. Patients" track. The song opens with a warning against "false prophets" and "imposters" before walking listeners through a scene of heartbreaking violence.
The intentionally profanity-free album closes with "The Gift, The Curse, and The Fate," several lines of which harken back to the core sentiments of "Patience vs. Patients."
