Lately, certain Zionist forces have attempted to make an example of Kehlani, the R&B star who has expressed solidarity with the people of Palestine. Earlier this year, Cornell University canceled a planned Kehlani show over what the university's president described as her "antisemitic, anti-Israel sentiments." Last month, New York's City Park's Foundation canceled Kehlani's Pride event at Central Park SummerStage, seemingly at the behest of mayor Eric Adams. Kehlani has not backed down during any of this. She's merely restated that she's not antisemitic and that she believes that Israel's occupation of Palestine needs to end. Today, there's more political pressure over another Kehlani show, and there's also a new Kehlani single.
Let's talk about the single first. Kehlani's new track "Folded" has nothing to do with Israel or Palestine. Instead, it's a slinky post-breakup song with a lush head-nod beat. On the track, she tells an ex to come pick up their clothes from her house. The production comes from Khris Riddick-Tynes, Kehlani's collaborator on the 2024 single "After Hours," as well as Andre Harris, Donovan Knight, and Don Mills. Listen below.
As for the other stuff: Kehlani is currently scheduled to perform at the San Diego Pride Festival, which goes down July 19-20 at Balboa Park, and all of the Jewish organizations that generally take part in the festival have pulled out because of Kehlani's involvement. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that eight organizations and synagogues -- including the Jewish Federation Of San Diego, the Anti-Defamation League Of San Diego, and the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center -- have issued a joint statement that they've dropped out of the festival because of "serious safety concerns" over Kehlani's "repeated amplification of violent antisemitic rhetoric."
Those organizations claim that they previously urged San Diego Pride to "reconsider giving Kehlani a platform." They never responded, so "there will be no organized Jewish presence at San Diego Pride this year." The festival's medical director and assistant medical director have also stepped away from their volunteer roles at this year's festival. In response, San Diego Pride's board of directors says that they don't endorse any of the political views of the performers booked to perform at the festival: "We honor the value of artistic integrity, the importance of free expression and the role that artists play in shaping culture, challenging systems and amplifying voices while respecting each other’s differences."
Kehlani, an Oakland native, was also slated to perform at a new San Francisco Pride festival called SoSF until they pulled out of the lineup last week. Kehlani didn't give any reason for that cancellation, but fellow performers DJ Adam Kraft and Nicki Jizz have also pulled out of that festival in solidarity with them.
