For a brief moment, a snippet of Israel’s national anthem rang out over a frenzied crowd at the Outside Lands music festival in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 7, the second day of the three-day festival. Few, if any, noticed the somber notes. The partygoers danced without interruption.
Anderson Paak might have expected to hear crickets during his performance with his band, the Free Nationals, given that they were playing at the same time as rock legend Radiohead. Instead, the rap artist drew a lively reception and generally positive reviews.
In his song “Come Down,” which has been played more than 4 million times on Spotify and which he played at Outside Lands to a raucous response, Paak briefly samples Israel’s national anthem, Hatikvah. The anthem can be heard at the beginning of the song before Paak cuts in and then sporadically throughout. As the funky rap track fades out, the sound of an electric guitar accompanies the notes of Israel’s national song.