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If you\u2019ve been keeping score on \u2018We\u2019re Not Kidding\u2019, so far Mehdi has spoken with several <\/span>comedians<\/a>, <\/span>actors<\/a>, <\/span>broadcasters<\/a>, and one <\/span>beauty mogul<\/a>. Now he\u2019s is joined by our first internationally acclaimed musician \u2014 the Palestinian-Lebanese-American singer-songwriter-rapper <\/span>Anees<\/a> \u2014 to talk about his activism on Gaza and his belief in the power of music to influence politics.<\/span><\/p>\n Anees tells Mehdi about his winding career path of going to law school, passing the bar exam, and delivering pizzas for 10 years. Though you may be surprised to find out which of those had the most lasting impact. <\/span>\u201cAll the things I know today about being an artist were learned in the art of delivering pizzas,\u201d <\/strong>Anees says. After getting his big break during an Instagram livestream with superstar Justin Bieber, Anees made the leap from up-and-comer to professional musician.<\/span><\/p>\n Growing up in a half-Palestinian, half-Lebanese household with a father who worked in civil rights, Anees explains to Mehdi how making political music isn\u2019t even a conscious choice for him. Though when it comes to other famous musical artists, including a well-known Palestinian <\/span>(cough cough, DJ Khaled), Anees has his own thoughts as to why some celebrities choose to stay out of the political fray. <\/span>\u201cSometimes these celebrities that seem like they’re these big people are very small.\u201d <\/strong>When discussing US lawmakers and Israel, the duo unpack the mixed signals coming from progressives like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and whether purity tests on the left are helpful or harmful.<\/span><\/p>\n Finally, Mehdi and Anees discuss the possibility of Zohran Mamdani winning the New York City mayor\u2019s race and the shockwaves it would send to the political establishment. <\/span>\u201cZohran is about the interests of people over the interests of elites. Zohran is about the interests of the people over the interests of lobbies and foreign powers,\u201d <\/strong>Anees says. <\/span>\u201cHe\u2019s a crack in the matrix.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Free subscribers get a 10-minute preview of the video above while Zeteo\u2019s paid subscribers can watch it in full. As always, you can also listen wherever you get your podcasts.<\/strong><\/p>\n