| "Harbu Darbu" "חרבו דרבו" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single byNess and Stilla [he] | ||||
| Language | Hebrew | |||
| Released | 14 November 2023 (2023-11-14) | |||
| Genre | Israeli hip hop,drill,trap | |||
| Length | 2:29 | |||
| Ness and Stilla [he] singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Harbu Darbu" onYouTube | ||||
"Harbu Darbu" (Hebrew:חרבו דרבו) is ahip-hop song by Israeli musical duoNess and Stilla [he]. The song's title refers to "raining hell on one's opponent", being derived from anArabic expression meaning "war strike" or "mayhem". The lyrics of the song support the soldiers of theIsrael Defense Forces and condemn the perpetrators of theHamas attack on Israel, calling for the deaths of the leaders ofHamas, includingIsmail Haniyeh andMohammed Deif (both killed in July 2024), as well as thepro-Palestinian Western celebritiesBella Hadid,Mia Khalifa, andDua Lipa.
The single was released on 14 November 2023, just over a month after the attacks, and was featured on theGalgalatz radio station. The song reached number 1 on streaming platforms in Israel in November 2023. Israeli media generally described it as awar song that aimed to channel Israelis' anger at the Hamas attack. The Arab world was outraged at what they saw as a barbaric songinciting to genocide which additionally tried toappropriate Arabic symbols for themselves.
Israeli musical duoNess and Stilla [he] formed in 2023 and had a successful debut single in April 2023 with "Tik Katan" (Small Purse).[1] Recording for "Harbu Darbu" commenced a month after the OctoberHamas-led attack on Israel. Ness (Nessya Levi [he]) and Stilla (Dor Soroker [he]) said that they wrote "Harbu Darbu" to raise the Israeli people's morale, deciding it was "time to replace the sadness with anger".[2]
The song's name is a distortion of theSyrian Arabicحرب وضرب,[romanization needed] meaning "mayhem", "war strike",[3] or "swords and strikes". In Hebrew, the phrase evolved through criminal slang[4][5] and means "to destroy an enemy"[6] or "raining hell on one's opponent".[5]
In a post onInstagram, Soroker and Levi wrote "We are back in the studio. This is the result. This song is not really our song, it's your song. For more than a month, all the fighters, the female fighters, and the security forces all over the country have been giving their hearts and souls for all of us. This song is yours and only yours and you should know it well – every dog gets its day."[7]
"Harbu Darbu" is atrap song, typical ofIsraeli hip hop, with a minimalistdrill beat. Vocalists Stilla and Ness trade off verses in the song.[8][5]
As a patriotic anthem, "Harbu Darbu" praises soldiers of theIsrael Defense Forces (IDF). The song's chorus is a roll call of units of the IDF, including theGolani Brigade, theNahal Brigade, theArmored Corps, theGivati Brigade, theIsraeli Navy, theIsraeli Air Force, theArtillery Corps, theParatroopers Brigade,Duvdevan Unit, andM113 armored personnel carriers (Bardelas). In a verse by Ness, she raps about how all the girls have their eyes on the soldiers and remarks on how even the "guy on the news" is beginning to look handsome, referring to television presenterDanny Kushmaro.[8][a] The song endorses writing the names of the Israeli children who died in theGaza envelope on bomb shells. Another verse says that the slogan "Free Palestine" sounds like a holiday sale.[9]
"Harbu Darbu" condemns the perpetrators of theHamas attack on Israel and calls for revenge on anyone who planned, executed, or supported it. It tells the people of Gaza to "wait for [bombs] to rain on you like a debt",[6] with one verse referring toHamas as "sons of Amalek",[5] echoing Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu's statement in the wake of the attack, saying that Israelis were "committed to completely eliminating this evil (of Hamas) from the world", adding: "You must remember what Amalek has done to you, says ourHoly Bible. And we do remember."[b][10] The lyrics call for enemies to be "Xed out",[c] using the phrase "every dog's day will come" in Arabic,[5] conveying the idea that wrongdoers will eventually face consequences.[12] The song then names a series of enemies, beginning withHezbollah secretary-generalHassan Nasrallah, Hamas leaderIsmail Haniyeh, and Hamas military commanderMohammed Deif. The song goes on to call for the deaths[13][14][15] of Western celebritiesBella Hadid,Dua Lipa, andMia Khalifa, who expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people.[16][17][18]
A review for "Harbu Darbu" inThe Times of Israel found that the song "encapsulates a feeling of righteous fury" following the previous month's Hamas-led attack,[5] while an article inThe Jerusalem Post called it an "angry rap tune".[19]Ynet called it an "infectioustrap piece",[8] while Dor Meir Moalem of Mako wrote that the song could have a better hook.[9] An article inThe Forward called "Harbu Darbu" a "hawkish war cry". The song was featured on theGalgalatz radio station as part of Ido Porat'sNew and Interesting show. Israel studies professor Shayna Weiss said that the anger and extreme politics of the song are a departure from the sad songs traditionally played on the radio during times of conflict, with "Harbu Darbu" being a "rally around the flag,Zionist anthem" more typical of theSecond Intifada.[6] In the Arab world, the song caused outrage, withAl Jazeera English andMiddle East Eye saying that the songendorsed genocide.[20][21]Billboard magazine included "Harbu Darbu" in aHanukkah playlist, comparing it toLeonard Cohen's performances for the IDF during the 1973Yom Kippur War.[22]
| Mia K. (@miakhalifa) tweeted: |
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
2 December 2023[23]
Mia Khalifa criticized the song's use of a drill beat, writing "they can't even call for genocide in their own culture, they had to colonize something to get it to #1."[17] Stilla responded to Khalifa, calling her an idiot. A statement by the artists said, "We are happy for the conversation the song is sparking around the world, that everyone will know and remember that we are a strong nation, a strong army and most importantly, everyone gets their due."[20] A separate article for theGlobal Village Space opined that the song had a "barbaric nature" and its criticism of those speaking out about the treatment of Palestinians had potentially "creat[ed] further concern about the impact of such content on international platforms". The article also addressedcultural appropriation, addressing the song's Syrian Arabic title, repeated use of Arabic language and use of Arabic Nomadic attire in the music video.[18]
A music video for "Harbu Darbu" was released alongside the single on 14 November 2023. The video, directed by Omer Aloni, features the two musicians in "fashionably casual clothes" in various urban and desert locales, including a warehouse parking lot and a club. During the video, fighter jets fly abovein formation.[19][5] Another source (Global Village Space) described the music video attire as Arabic nomadic dress.[18] Ness and Stilla have performed the song for IDF soldiers.[6]
As of December 2023, "Harbu Darbu" has received over 13 million views onYouTube and additional millions onSpotify.[19] Videos ofGen Z Israelis dancing and lip synching to "Harbu Darbu" went viral onTikTok.[3]
| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| IsraelMedia Forest | 8[24] |
