Ahmad Balshe (; born 7 April 1984), known professionally as Belly, is a Palestinian-Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born in

Jenin Jenin ( ; , ) is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, and is the capital of the Jenin Governorate. It is a hub for the surrounding towns. Jenin came under Israeli occupied territories, Israeli occupation in 1967, and was put under the administra ...

, Balshe was raised in

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

. His debut mixtape, ''Death Before Dishonor: Vol. 1'' (2005) was followed by eight additional projects until the release of his debut studio album, '' The Revolution'' (2007). After an eight-year hiatus in favor of songwriting for fellow Canadian singer

the Weeknd Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (; born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is best known for adding Pop music, pop, electronic music, electronic and hip-hop stylings ...

, Balshe signed with his record label, XO, as a recording artist in 2015. Released in a joint venture with Roc Nation, his eighth mixtape, '' Up for Days'' (2015), marked his first release on a major label and was led by the single " Might Not" (featuring the Weeknd) — his first entry on both

Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. It was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007 as the standard record chart in Canada; a new chart ...

and ''Billboard'' Hot 100 which received double platinum and

platinum Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...

certifications by

Music Canada Music Canada is a non-profit Industry trade group, trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 in Toronto to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It also offers benefits to s ...

(MC) and the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA), respectively. His second studio album, ''

Immigrant Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents. Commuters, tourists, and other short- ...

'' (2018), narrowly entered the ''Billboard'' 200 along with his third, '' See You Next Wednesday'' (2021). His fourth album, '' 96 Miles from Bethlehem'' (2024) was released by SALXCO and explored political subject matter, namely the ongoing

Israeli–Palestinian conflict The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is an ongoing military and political conflict about Territory, land and self-determination within the territory of the former Mandatory Palestine. Key aspects of the conflict include the Israeli occupation ...

. In songwriting, Belly has been credited on each of the Weeknd's studio albums. He has also provided backing vocals and songwriting for American singer

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...

's 2016 song " 6 Inch". In 2020, he co-wrote tracks on the Weeknd's fourth studio album ''After Hours'', including its single " Blinding Lights", which became ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

''s Greatest Hot 100 Hit of All Time in 2021. 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 (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's mu ...

, three

MuchMusic Video Awards The iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards were an annual awards show broadcast annually on Much (TV channel), Much from 1990 to 2018, and Fuse (TV channel), Fuse from 2010 to 2013 that honoured the year's best music videos. Originally debuting in ...

, and has twice attained a top chart position in the national Much Music Countdown. Belly has collaborated frequently with fellow Palestinian

DJ Khaled Khaled Mohammed Khaled (; born November 26, 1975), known professionally as DJ Khaled, is an American DJ and record producer. Originally a Miami-based radio personality, Khaled has since become known for enlisting high-profile music industry ar ...

Early life

Ahmad Balshe was born on 7 April 1984 in

, Palestine. When he was seven years old, he moved to

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada with his family, through

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

, and

Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...

, 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 and eve ...

" featuring

Ginuwine Elgin Baylor Lumpkin (born October 15, 1970), better known by his stage name Ginuwine ( ), is an American R&B singer. He began his career as a member of the musical collective Swing Mob in the early 1990s. As a solo act, he signed with Epic R ...

, 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, 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

and the War in Iraq. During the 2007 NHL Playoffs, as the

Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators (), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. The Senators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Di ...

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 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

for Rap Recording of the Year. The singles from ''The Revolution'' won two

for Best Rap Video: "

" in

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

and "Ridin'" in

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 Ricardo Emmanuel Brown (born November 23, 1972), better known by his stage name Kurupt, is an American rapper and record producer. Born and raised in Philadelphia, he formed Tha Dogg Pound in 1992 along with Daz Dillinger; the rap duo has releas ...

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 Tyree Cinque Simmons (born April 22, 1978), known professionally as DJ Drama, is an American disc jockey (DJ), record executive and music promoter. He initially gained recognition as the DJ for Atlanta-based rapper T.I., and continued to gai ...

''.'' 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), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...

, 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''. 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 LaRon Louis James Sr. (born February 18, 1982), better known by his stage name Juelz Santana, is an American rapper and member of now-defunct hip-hop group, the Diplomats (also known as Dipset). He is best known for his appearances on group coho ...

French Montana Karim Kharbouch (Moroccan Arabic, Arabic: IPA pronunciation, 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 immigrated to New York ...

and

. Belly was also prominently featured on the Weeknd's sophomore album ''

Beauty Behind the Madness ''Beauty Behind the Madness'' is the second studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. It was released on August 28, 2015, through XO and Republic Records. It features guest appearances from Labrinth, Ed Sheeran and Lana Del Rey. T ...

'' 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 Jordan Michael Houston III (born April 5, 1975), known professionally as Juicy J, is an American rapper and record producer. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he is a founding member of the Southern hip-hop group Three 6 Mafia, established ...

. 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 September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...

Kehlani Kehlani Ashley Parrish ( ; born April 24, 1995) is an American singer, songwriter and dancer. She is originally from Oakland, California, and achieved initial fame as a member of the teen pop group PopLyfe in 2011. Kehlani's debut mixtape, '' ...

, Starrah, Waka Flocka, Juicy J and B-Real. On 11 November, he released his tenth mixtape ''Inzombia''. It featured guest appearances from Young Thug, Zack, 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 currently ex ...

, Ty Dolla $ign, 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

'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 Matthew Jehu Samuels (born October 12, 1986), known professionally as Boi-1da (a play on Boy Wonder) is a Canadian record producer and songwriter based in Toronto, Ontario. He is an in-house producer for Drake's OVO Sound label and has prod ...

. On 8 December, he was featured on

's fourth studio album '' Rubba Band Business'' on the song "On & On", which also featured

Tory Lanez Daystar Shemuel Shua Peterson (born July 27, 1992), known professionally as Tory Lanez, is a Canadian singer-songwriter and record producer. First discovered by Sean Kingston, he received initial recognition for his mixtape ''Conflicts of My S ...

. 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, ''

'', which was released on 12 October. The album also features guest appearances from Zack,

Meek Mill Robert Rihmeek Williams (born May 6, 1987), known professionally as Meek Mill, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he embarked on his career as a battle rapper, and later formed a short-lived rap group the Blo ...

Yo Gotti Mario Sentell Giden Mims (born May 19, 1981), known professionally as Yo Gotti, is an American rapper, singer, and record executive. Rooted in Memphis rap, he released five independent albums—''Youngsta's on a Come Up'' (1996), ''From da Dope ...

, and M.I.A.

2021: ''See You Next Wednesday''

On 7 April 2021, Belly released the dual lead singles from his third studio album, '' See You Next Wednesday'', "Money on the Table" featuring Benny the Butcher and "IYKYK". He then released the second single, "Zero Love" featuring Moneybagg Yo, on 3 June. On 22 July, he released the third single " Better Believe", a collaboration with the Weeknd and Young Thug. 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 from Nav,

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 (S ...

, Gunna,

Big Sean Sean Michael Leonard Anderson (born March 25, 1988), known professionally as Big Sean, is an American rapper. He met Kanye West as a teenager, and signed with his record label GOOD Music, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings in 2007. He gained popul ...

, Lil Uzi Vert, and PnB Rock. On 17 December 2021, a new posthumous single from

Aaliyah Aaliyah Dana Haughton ( ; January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001) was an American singer, actress, dancer, and model. Known as the " Princess of R&B" and "Queen of Urban Pop", she is credited with helping to redefine contemporary R&B, p ...

was released, titled "

Poison A poison is any chemical substance that is harmful or lethal to living organisms. 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 figurati ...

" featuring the Weeknd, in which Belly co-wrote the song, which contains vocals recorded by Aaliyah shortly before her

death Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sh ...

in 2001.

2023: ''Mumble Rap 2''

On 21 April 2023, Belly released the first single from his twelfth mixtape, '' Mumble Rap 2'', "American Nightmare", his first release after taking a hiatus all of 2022. He then released the second single, "Ambiance" on 5 May. The mixtape was released on 19 May and features guest appearances from Nav,

Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. An influential figure in modern Hip-hop, hip hop music, Rick Ross has become known for his "Wiktionary:booming, booming" vocal perfor ...

Gucci Mane Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He is credited, along with fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Jeezy, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music for mainstream a ...

, and the late

Gil Scott-Heron Gilbert Scott-Heron (April 1, 1949 – May 27, 2011) was an American Jazz poetry, jazz poet, singer, musician, and author known for his work as a spoken-word performer in the 1970s and 1980s. His collaborative efforts with musician Brian Jackso ...

, while it was primarily produced by Hit-Boy.

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 and businesswoman Dina Rabadi. They married on 9 September 2023 in an intimate

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

ceremony at

Mission Santa Barbara Mission Santa Barbara () is a Spanish missions in California, Spanish mission in Santa Barbara, California, United States. Often referred to as the 'Queen of the Missions', it was founded by Padre Fermín Lasuén for the Franciscan order on Decem ...

, followed by a larger ceremony held in Montecito, California.

Discography

Studio albums

* '' The Revolution'' (2007) * ''

'' (2018) * '' See You Next Wednesday'' (2021) * '' 96 Miles from Bethlehem'' (2024)

Awards and nominations

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...

Black Reel Awards

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

iHeartRadio Music Awards The iHeartRadio Music Awards is a music awards show that celebrates music heard throughout the year across List of radio stations owned by iHeartMedia, iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide and on iHeartRadio, iHeartMedia's digital music platf ...

Juno Award The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's mu ...

SOCAN Songwriting Prize The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada, SOCAN Songwriting Prize, formerly known as the ECHO Songwriting Prize, was an annual competition recognizing the best in Canadian emerging music, both anglophone and francophone, fro ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Belly 1984 births Living people 21st-century Canadian male musicians 21st-century Canadian rappers Canadian hip-hop record producers Canadian hip-hop singers Canadian male rappers Canadian male singer-songwriters Canadian Muslims Canadian people of Jordanian descent Canadian people of Palestinian descent Jordanian emigrants to Canada Jordanian Muslims Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year winners Juno Award for Songwriter of the Year winners Singers from Ottawa Palestinian emigrants to Canada Palestinian Muslims Palestinian rappers People from Jenin Republic Records artists Roc Nation artists Canadian trap musicians XO (record label) artists