# “I Don't Give a Sh*t What DJ Khaled Thinks” - Anees on Cancel Culture and Zohran Mamdani Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srMVybMo4ZM Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/srMVybMo4ZM Generated: 2025-08-28T13:37:05.646+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Musician Anees discusses his journey from law school to music, his Palestinian heritage, and his views on activism and cancel culture. He emphasizes that Palestinian joy and love are forms of resistance and criticizes the silence of celebrities like DJ Khaled on political issues, advocating for speaking truth over maintaining career stability. **Key Points:** - Anees, a musician of Palestinian and Lebanese descent, shares that his music is driven by what's on his heart, not by a desire to be political, stating, "It's just whatever's on my heart." - He expresses indifference to DJ Khaled's silence on political matters, asserting, "I don't give a [ __ ] what DJ Cow thinks," and notes that many celebrities seem "very small" despite their public stature. - Anees believes that Palestinian joy and love are forms of resistance, a sentiment reinforced by a photojournalist from Gaza who wanted to hear his upbeat song "Sunny Day." - He criticizes the prevalence of cancel culture and mob mentality, preferring to offer grace for perceived mistakes rather than immediate condemnation, stating, "I don't believe that the pathway to... making a difference at times... is pushed forward by cancellation." - Reflecting on his past, Anees states that "All the things I know today about being an artist were learned in the art of delivering pizzas," highlighting lessons in human interaction and storytelling from the job. - Anees recounts the challenging decision to leave law for music, noting his parents' initial apprehension but ultimately supporting his pursuit, and emphasizes that his career choice was deeply influenced by his upbringing in a civil rights-focused family and his Palestinian identity. - He praises Zohran Mamdani's political success as a "crack in the matrix" that breaks down taboos, demonstrating that challenging the establishment and pro-Israel lobbies is possible, especially through small donor support. **Context:** This interview features musician Anees discussing his identity, career path, and political views with Mie Hassan on the "We're Not Kidding" podcast. Anees, who is half Palestinian and half Lebanese, grew up in the DC area and initially pursued a career in law before transitioning to music. The conversation touches upon his family's history, his experiences delivering pizzas, and his strong stance on political issues, particularly concerning Palestine. ## Detailed Analysis Anees, a musician of Palestinian and Lebanese heritage, shares his journey from law school to the music industry, emphasizing that his artistic expression is intrinsically linked to his identity and experiences, not dictated by political strategy. He learned valuable lessons in human interaction and storytelling from his decade-long experience delivering pizzas, which he believes were foundational to his artistic development. Anees expresses a strong conviction that speaking out on issues, particularly Palestine, is a moral imperative, stating that profiting from silence would compromise his peace of mind and self-respect. He critiques the broader culture of "cancel culture" and the tendency to interpret actions in bad faith, advocating for a more nuanced approach that includes grace. Anees also highlights the significance of Palestinian joy and love as forms of resistance, a perspective reinforced by his interactions with individuals affected by the conflict in Gaza. He draws parallels between his own journey and the political rise of Zohran Mamdani, viewing Mamdani's success as a breakthrough that challenges established norms and demonstrates the power of grassroots support against powerful lobbies. Anees criticizes the silence of prominent figures like DJ Khaled on critical issues, suggesting that true measure of a person lies in their willingness to stand for human rights during crises, not in their celebrity status. ### Interview Topics - Anees's career transition from law to music - Lessons learned from pizza delivery - Palestinian and Lebanese heritage and identity - Views on activism and political engagement - Critique of cancel culture and celebrity silence - Significance of Palestinian joy as resistance - Support for political figures like Zohran Mamdani ### Anees's Background - Born and raised in Northern Virginia, part of a family with roots in civil rights activism - Father is a lawyer, mother is a doctor, highlighting parental expectations for professional careers - Initially pursued and completed law school, passing the bar, but chose music instead - Delivered pizzas for 10 years, even after passing the bar, finding it a rich source of life lessons ### Musical and Political Stance - Music is an expression of what's on his heart, often touching on political and social issues - Believes music is a spiritual act that requires caring about others, contrasting this with capitalism - Advocates for speaking out on Palestine, stating, "if I profit from my silence to me, I'll never be able to sleep on my pillow." ### Views on Activism and Cancel Culture - Criticizes "mob" and "cancel culture mentality," preferring grace over condemnation for mistakes - Does not believe cancellation is the way to make a difference - Calls out celebrities like DJ Khaled for their silence on critical issues, stating, "sometimes these celebrities that seem like they're these big people are very small." ### Inspiration and Resistance - Finds inspiration in Palestinian joy and love as forms of resistance, a concept that resonated with him through interactions with people from Gaza - Views Zohran Mamdani's political success as a "crack in the matrix" that breaks down taboos and challenges the pro-Israel lobby. ### Key Quotes - "All the things I know today about being an artist were learned in the art of delivering pizzas." - "I don't give a [ __ ] what DJ Cow thinks." - "Palestinian joy is resistance. Palestinian love is resistance." - "Sometimes these celebrities that seem like they're these big people are very small."