Noah “40” Shebib is using his voice and privilege to advocate for Palestine — and he says getting Drake to join him was no struggle at all.
The OVO Sound co-founder was among the first to sign Artists4Ceasefire, a coalition of entertainment figures calling for immediate de-escalation and a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. The open letter has since gathered over 500 signatures, including Ariana Grande, Boots Riley, Ryan Coogler, Pedro Pascal, ASAP Nast, and OVO boss Drake.
Speaking with Rolling Stone, Shebib recalled how simple the process was: “A friend came to me and asked me if I want to sign and I said, of course. He asked if Drake would, and I went to talk to him and the team. That simple really.”
Artists4Ceasefire was launched after Hamas’ 2023 attack in Israel and the Israeli government’s retaliatory strikes on Gaza. According to the U.N.’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 63,000 Palestinians have been killed in the last 22 months, with many deaths tied to malnutrition amid accusations of Israel’s starvation campaign.
The letter urged: “We urge your administration, Congress, and all world leaders, to honor all of the lives in the Holy Land and call for and facilitate a ceasefire without delay—an end to the bombing of Gaza, and the safe release of hostages… Since Oct 7th, more than 86,000* tons of bombs and missiles have been dropped on Gaza – resulting in one child being killed or injured* every 30 minutes*.”
Shebib admitted that speaking out comes with risks in the entertainment world, where Palestine advocacy is often met with false claims of antisemitism. Still, he says he hasn’t faced backlash.
“I protect myself in all spaces very well,” he said. “That was a lifelong journey to learn how. I was mindful of that. I’m also mindful that other people take great risks standing up against the occupation, and that is so inspiring to witness. I only work with one person, really. There is no one who can come in and tell us what to think and do. That is my privilege, to be vocal. I am proud of that and will do that to the death.”
When asked about the massive rap feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, Shebib didn’t name names, but pointed out that K.Dot hasn’t spoken publicly on Gaza.
“What do you want me to say about that?” he replied. “None of those artists said shit about the state of the world. At a time like this, everything else is just noise.”
