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Ahmad Balshe ( ar, أحمد بلوشي) (born 7 April 1984), known professionally as Belly, is a Palestinian-Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born in
Jenin Jenin (; ar, ') is a State of Palestine, Palestinian city in the northern West Bank. It serves as the administrative center of the Jenin Governorate of the State of Palestine and is a major center for the surrounding towns. In 2007, Jenin had ...
, Balshe was raised in
Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the c ...
. At twenty-one years old, he moved on to his main love hip-hop with the release of his debut mixtape, ''Death Before Dishonor: Vol. 1''. He then released eight additional projects in a span of six years, including his debut studio album '' The Revolution'' (2007), as well as two collaborative mixtapes, ''The Lost Tapes'' and ''The Greatest Dream I Never Had'', with Kurupt and DJ Drama, respectively. After a hiatus from music, Belly secured a recording contract with XO in 2015, and later an additional contract with Roc Nation, after co-writing a variety of songs for R&B artists the Weeknd and
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
. Belly received a total of eleven credits across the former's latest studio albums, while also providing backing vocals and co-writing the song " 6 Inch" from the latter's album, '' Lemonade''. Belly then went on to release four mixtapes, and his second studio album '' Immigrant'' in 2018. Belly was honoured as Songwriter of the Year at the 2016 SOCAN (Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada) Awards for his "significant and outstanding contributions to popular music over the past year". Alongside his SOCAN award, Belly has won a
Juno Award The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall o ...
, three
MuchMusic Video Awards The iHeartRadio MMVAs were an annual awards show broadcast on Much to honour the year's best music videos that was last held in 2018. Originally debuting in 1990 as the Canadian Music Video Awards, the awards were renamed in 1995 to the MuchMu ...
, and has twice attained a top chart position in the national Much Music Countdown. In 2020, he co-wrote tracks on the Weeknd's fourth studio album ''After Hours'', including the 2019 single "
Blinding Lights "Blinding Lights" is a song by Canadian singer the Weeknd. It was released on November 29, 2019, through XO and Republic Records, as the second single from his fourth studio album, '' After Hours'' (2020). The song was written and produced by ...
", which eventually became the '' Billlboard'' #1 Greatest Hot 100 Hit of All Time in 2021.


Early life

Ahmad Balshe was born on 7 April 1984 in
Jenin Jenin (; ar, ') is a State of Palestine, Palestinian city in the northern West Bank. It serves as the administrative center of the Jenin Governorate of the State of Palestine and is a major center for the surrounding towns. In 2007, Jenin had ...
, Palestine. When he was seven years old, he moved to
Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the c ...
,
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, Canada with his family, through
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the Ara ...
,
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus lie ...
, and
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
, to escape violence and poverty.


Career


2007–2008: Early career and ''The Revolution''

Belly's first single, "
Pressure Pressure (symbol: ''p'' or ''P'') is the force applied perpendicular to the surface of an object per unit area over which that force is distributed. Gauge pressure (also spelled ''gage'' pressure)The preferred spelling varies by country a ...
" featuring Ginuwine, peaked at number 10 on the Canadian CHR radio charts, and number one on MuchMusic's Video chart. In April 2007, he released the video for his second single " Don't Be Shy", featuring
Nina Sky Nina Sky is an American musical duo consisting of identical twins Nicole and Natalie Albino. Their debut single " Move Ya Body", released from their self-titled debut album in 2004, was a success, reaching number four on the ''Billboard'' Hot ...
, as well as the video for "History of Violence" directed by Martin Verigin and Jeffrey Hagerman. The latter remains his most controversial record to date, as he explains his views on the
Israeli–Palestinian conflict The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is one of the world's most enduring conflicts, beginning in the mid-20th century. Various attempts have been made to resolve the conflict as part of the Israeli–Palestinian peace process, alongside other ef ...
and the War in Iraq. During the
2007 NHL Playoffs The 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 11, 2007. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-seven series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then th ...
, as the
Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member ...
were competing, Belly released the single "Bandwagon", produced by Hussain Hamdan. When the Senators made the Stanley Cup Finals, he released a second version of the song which featured goaltender Ray Emery. His debut album, '' The Revolution'', was released on 5 June 2007. This double disc album was divided into two sections: ''The People'' and ''The System''. ''The People'' contained more in depth songs, such as "History of Violence", "Follow Me", and "Revolutionary", where he challenges his listeners to discover the facts regarding the Middle East situation. Other songs on this disc include "People Change" and "Leave Me Alone", where he talks about his longtime friends and the memories that he kept from them. ''The System'' contained his hit singles "Ridin'", and "Pleasure". ''The Revolution'' achieved Gold sales in Canada and won the
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
Juno Award The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall o ...
for Rap Recording of the Year. The singles from ''The Revolution'' won two
MuchMusic Video Awards The iHeartRadio MMVAs were an annual awards show broadcast on Much to honour the year's best music videos that was last held in 2018. Originally debuting in 1990 as the Canadian Music Video Awards, the awards were renamed in 1995 to the MuchMu ...
for Best Rap Video: "
Pressure Pressure (symbol: ''p'' or ''P'') is the force applied perpendicular to the surface of an object per unit area over which that force is distributed. Gauge pressure (also spelled ''gage'' pressure)The preferred spelling varies by country a ...
" in
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple Inc., Apple's first iPhone (1st generation), iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakis ...
and "Ridin'" in
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
.


2011–2012: Additional mixtapes and hiatus

In 2011, Belly released his fifth mixtape ''Sleepless Nights'', hosted by DJ ill Will. He also released his sixth mixtape in collaboration with rapper Kurupt entitled ''Belly & Kurupt The Lost Tapes 2008''. The mixtape, also hosted by DJ ill Will, contained a compilation of songs the two had worked on some time after Belly's debut studio album was released. Some of the songs featured on the mixtape were previously unreleased. Belly then released his seventh mixtape ''The Greatest Dream I Never Had'', hosted by DJ Drama''.'' Belly's next project ''Sleepless Nights 1.5'' was released in April 2012. The first single, " Hot Girl" featuring
Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...
, was released on 8 September 2009. Its second single, "To The Top" featuring Ava, was released in 2010. Belly's first single of 2011 was "Back Against the Wall", featuring singer Kobe Honeycutt.


2015–2016: Signing to XO and Roc Nation

In May 2015, after a five-year hiatus, Belly released his eighth mixtape ''
Up for Days ''Up for Days'' is the eighth mixtape by Palestinian-Canadian rapper Belly. It was released through XO and Roc Nation on 7 May 2015. The mixtape features guest appearances from the Weeknd, Travis Scott, French Montana, and Juelz Santana. Product ...
''. It was his first project to be released under the record labels XO and Roc Nation and featured guest appearances by Travis Scott, Juelz Santana,
French Montana Karim Kharbouch (Arabic: æɾiːm χɑɾbuːʃ born November 9, 1984), better known by his stage name French Montana, is a Moroccan-American rapper. Born and raised in Morocco, he emigrated to the United States with his family when he was 13. ...
and the Weeknd. Belly was also prominently featured on the Weeknd's sophomore album '' Beauty Behind the Madness'' in August 2015, earning writing credits on six of the fourteen songs: " Often''"'', " The Hills''"'', "Shameless''"'', " Earned It''"'', " In the Night''"'' and "As You Are''"''. On 24 November 2015, Belly formally signed to Roc Nation. In February 2016, Belly released the single "Zanzibar", featuring Juicy J. On 27 May, he released his ninth mixtape ''Another Day in Paradise'', which featured guest appearances by Travis Scott,
Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman, joining ...
, Kehlani,
Starrah Brittany Talia Hazzard, professionally known as Starrah, is an American songwriter, singer and rapper. She has written or co-written multiple songs that have reached the top 20 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, including Rihanna's " Needed Me", ...
,
Waka Flocka Juaquin James Malphurs (born May 31, 1986), known professionally as Waka Flocka Flame, is an American rapper. Signing to 1017 Brick Squad and Warner Bros. Records in 2009, he became a mainstream artist with the release of his singles " O Let's ...
, Juicy J and
B-Real Louis Mario Freese (born June 2, 1970), known by his stage name B-Real, is an American rapper. Since 1991, he has been one of two lead rappers in the hip hop group Cypress Hill, along with Sen Dog. He has also been a part of the rap metal band ...
Asal Hazel. On 11 November, he released his tenth mixtape ''Inzombia''. It featured guest appearances from
Young Thug Jeffery Lamar Williams (born August 16, 1991), known professionally as Young Thug, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is considered to be an influential figure of his generation, with his music impacting the modern sound of hip ...
,
Zack Zack or Zach may refer to: People * Zach (surname), various people * Zack (surname), various people * Zack (personal name), lists of people and fictional characters named Zack, Zach, Zac, Zak or Zakk * Záh (gens) or Zách, a ''gens'' (clan) in th ...
, Nav,
Future The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that current ...
,
Ty Dolla $ign Tyrone William Griffin Jr. (born April 13, 1982), known professionally as Ty Dolla Sign (stylized as Ty Dolla $ign or Ty$), is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He first gained major recognition in 2010 for his feature on Ameri ...
, Jadakiss and Ashanti. The mixtape was supported by two singles; "Consuela" and "The Day I Met You". Later that month, the Weeknd released his third studio album ''Starboy'', with Belly earning writing credits on nine of the eighteen songs: " Party Monster", " False Alarm", " Rockin'", " Six Feet Under", "Love to Lay", "A Lonely Night", "Ordinary Life", "Nothing Without You" and "All I Know".


2017–2018: ''Mumble Rap'' and ''Immigrant''

On 23 June 2017, Belly was featured on
DJ Khaled Khaled Mohammed Khaled (born November 26, 1975), known professionally as DJ Khaled, is an American DJ, record executive, record producer and rapper. Khaled first gained recognition as a radio host in the 1990s on the radio station 99 Jamz, a ...
's tenth studio album ''Grateful'' on the song "Interlude". On 6 October, he released his eleventh mixtape ''Mumble Rap'', which was executive produced by Boi-1da. On 8 December, he was featured on Juicy J's fourth studio album '' Rubba Band Business'' on the song "On & On", which also featured Tory Lanez. On 23 March 2018, Belly released the single "4 Days", featuring rapper YG and producer DJ Mustard. The song's music video was released three days later. He then released the single " Maintain" featuring Nav on 6 April, followed by the single " What You Want" featuring the Weeknd, which was released on 24 May. Both singles appeared on his second studio album, '' Immigrant'', which was released on 12 October. The album also features guest appearances from
Zack Zack or Zach may refer to: People * Zach (surname), various people * Zack (surname), various people * Zack (personal name), lists of people and fictional characters named Zack, Zach, Zac, Zak or Zakk * Záh (gens) or Zách, a ''gens'' (clan) in th ...
,
French Montana Karim Kharbouch (Arabic: æɾiːm χɑɾbuːʃ born November 9, 1984), better known by his stage name French Montana, is a Moroccan-American rapper. Born and raised in Morocco, he emigrated to the United States with his family when he was 13. ...
, Meek Mill,
Yo Gotti Mario Sentell Giden Mims (born May 19, 1981), known professionally as Yo Gotti, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record executive. In 1996, Gotti released his debut album ''Youngsta's On a Come Up'' under the alias Lil Yo. He went on to re ...
, and M.I.A.


2021: ''See You Next Wednesday''

On 7 April 2021, Belly released the first single from his third studio album ''
See You Next Wednesday ''See You Next Wednesday'' is a recurring gag in most of the films directed by John Landis, usually referring to a fictional film that is rarely seen and never in its entirety. Each instance of ''See You Next Wednesday'' in Landis's films seems to ...
'', "Money on the Table" featuring Benny the Butcher. He then released the second single, "Zero Love" featuring
Moneybagg Yo DeMario DeWayne White Jr. (born September 22, 1991), known professionally as Moneybagg Yo, is an American rapper. He is signed to fellow Memphis rapper Yo Gotti's record label, Collective Music Group (CMG), in a joint venture deal with Intersco ...
, on 3 June. On 22 July, he released the third single " Better Believe" featuring the Weeknd and
Young Thug Jeffery Lamar Williams (born August 16, 1991), known professionally as Young Thug, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is considered to be an influential figure of his generation, with his music impacting the modern sound of hip ...
. The song debuted on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart at number 88. On 18 August, Belly revealed the album artwork and tracklist, and announced the release date of 27 August. The album also features guest appearances by
Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air ...
, Nav, Gunna,
Big Sean Sean Michael Leonard Anderson (born March 25, 1988), known professionally as Big Sean, is an American rapper. Anderson began his music career in 2007 and gained popularity in 2010 with his third mixtape '' Finally Famous Vol. 3: Big''. He then s ...
,
Lil Uzi Vert Symere Bysil Woods ( ; born July 31, 1995), known professionally as Lil Uzi Vert, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. They are characterized by their facial tattoos, facial piercings, eccentric hairstyles and androgynous fashion, im ...
, and PnB Rock. On December 17, 2021, a new posthumous single from
Aaliyah Aaliyah Dana Haughton (; January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001) was an American singer and actress. She has been credited for helping to redefine contemporary R&B, pop and hip hop, earning her the nicknames the "Princess of R&B" and " ...
was released, titled "
Poison Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...
". The song featured The Weeknd, who was credited as a co-writer alongside Static Major and Belly. "Poison" contains vocals recorded by Aaliyah shortly before her
death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
in 2001. Garrett can be heard delivering background vocals.


Personal life

On 30 July 2019, Balshe filed a lawsuit against Coachella Music LLC, Goldenvoice LLC, and IPS Security Incorporated alleging assault and battery, negligence, and emotional distress in response to an incident which occurred during the 2018 Coachella Music Festival. A video obtained by TMZ shows festival security staff pushing Balshe up against a security barrier and repeatedly punching him. On 31 May 2021, Balshe announced his engagement to resident doctor Dina Rabadi.


Discography


Studio albums

* '' The Revolution'' (2007) * '' Immigrant'' (2018) * ''
See You Next Wednesday ''See You Next Wednesday'' is a recurring gag in most of the films directed by John Landis, usually referring to a fictional film that is rarely seen and never in its entirety. Each instance of ''See You Next Wednesday'' in Landis's films seems to ...
'' (2021)


Awards and nominations


Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...


Black Reel Awards


Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...


iHeartRadio Music Awards


Juno Award The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall o ...


SOCAN Songwriting Prize


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Belly 1984 births Living people 21st-century Canadian male musicians 21st-century Canadian rappers Canadian male rappers Canadian Muslims Canadian people of Jordanian descent Canadian people of Palestinian descent Canadian songwriters Jordanian emigrants to Canada Jordanian Muslims Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year winners Juno Award for Songwriter of the Year winners Musicians from Ottawa Palestinian emigrants to Canada Palestinian Muslims Palestinian rappers People from Jenin Republic Records artists Roc Nation artists XO (record label) Trap musicians Alternative R&B musicians