Belly (rapper)
Encyclopedia
Ahmed Balshe (born April 7, 1984), better known by his stage name
Belly, is a Palestinian
-Canadian Juno Award
-winning rapper.
Born in Jenin
, Palestine
, his musical career has been based in Ottawa, Ontario. In addition to a Juno, he has won three MuchMusic Video Awards
and has twice attained a top chart position in the national Much Music Countdown. Belly has written many #1 and platinum gold/hits for other artists. His stage name of Belly/Rebellyus was derived from the term "rebellious."
, as well as the video for "History of Violence" Directed by Martin Verigin and Jeffrey Hagerman. The video remains his most controversial record to date. In "History of Violence," Belly explains his views on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
and the War in Iraq.
Shortly after, he released "I'm the Man" featuring Kurupt
produced by Footage Entertainment. it was premiered as the "Big One" on MuchMusic
station. He also released a video for "Smells Like Money" (produced by Whosane?) on MySpace
in early October 2007.
In late October 2007, his third single featuring Mario Winans
entitled "Ridin'" was released. The video features Mario Winans, model KD Aubert, who plays Belly's lead-girl, and Dr. Benjamin Chavis
.
were competing, Belly released a single entitled "Bandwagon" (produced by Whosane?). When the Senators made the Stanley Cup Finals, Belly released a second version of the song which featured goaltender Ray Emery
.
, was released on June 5, 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" (produced by Whosane?), "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" (produced by Whosane?), "Leave me Alone," where he talks about his long time friends and the memories that he kept from them. "The System" contained his hit singles "Don't Be Shy," "Ridin'," and "Pressure"
The Revolution achieved Gold sales in Canada and won the 2008
Juno Award
for Rap Recording of the Year. Singles from The Revolution won two MuchMusic Video Awards
for Best Rap Video; "Pressure" in 2007
and "Ridin'" in 2008
.
, Ontario
on August 15, 2008 based on a search warrant
to seek firearms there. However, the only items of note found in this raid were three BB gun
s that were purchased, on sale, from a Canadian Tire
store. No charges were laid and Belly later commented that the raid "was a waste of Ottawa taxpayers' money, but now my neighbours can see that I don't have anything to hide."
, Blackout Movement
, Snoop Dogg
, Diaz Brothers
, DJ Infamous
, Da Heala, Whosane, Mario Winans
and more). The first single "Hot Girl" featuring Snoop Dogg
was released in July 2009, and the video, directed by MMVA award-winner RT!, was added on MuchMusic’s “BIG ONE.” Later that year, Belly released a mixtape titled "DJ Smallz Presents: Back For the First Time Vol. 1". Artists featured on the mixtape were Snoop Dogg
, Drake
, Kurupt
, P Reign. Stack Bundles, Bynoe and Belly’s brother Truth.
After *Back For The First Time* Belly worked with labelmate and Canadian pop star Danny Fernandes
for his single “Automatic” and released records like “Kill Bill” with Mistah Fab and “Murder Music” with Barrington Levy among others, which were featured on his mixtape SleepLess Nights hosted by DJ Ill Will released in 2011. Belly's first single of 2011 was "Back Against the Wall" featuring Grammy nominated singer Kobe Honeycutt. The second song, “Must Be Nice” featuring Vado was released shortly after. Production on the mixtape was mainly handled by DannyBoy Styles of Blackout Movement, with tracks from Boi-1da, Da Heala, Aliby, Whosane? and JGramm as well.
Belly's latest body of work was a compilation of songs he had worked on with Dogg Pound rapper Kurupt
some time after his first album THE REVOLUTION. Some songs were unreleased with a few that had seen release dates on previous mixtapes. This mixtape was called Belly & Kurupt The Lost Tapes 2008 hosted yet again by DJ Ill Will. In 2011, Belly released another new mixtape titled The Greatest Dream I Never Had which he has said will have no features.
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Belly, is a Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
-Canadian Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
-winning rapper.
Born in Jenin
Jenin
Jenin is the largest town in the Northern West Bank, and the third largest city overall. It serves as the administrative center of the Jenin Governorate and is a major agricultural center for the surrounding towns. In 2007, the city had a population of 120,004 not including the adjacent refugee...
, Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, his musical career has been based in Ottawa, Ontario. In addition to a Juno, he has won three MuchMusic Video Awards
MuchMusic Video Awards
The MuchMusic Video Awards are annual awards presented by the Canadian music video channel MuchMusic to honour the year's best music videos....
and has twice attained a top chart position in the national Much Music Countdown. Belly has written many #1 and platinum gold/hits for other artists. His stage name of Belly/Rebellyus was derived from the term "rebellious."
Career
His first single "Pressure" featuring Ginuwine peaked at the #10 position on Canadian CHR radio charts, and #1 on MuchMusic's Video chart. In April 2007, Belly released the video for his second single "Don't Be Shy" featuring Nina SkyNina Sky
Nina Sky is an American musical duo composed of identical twins Nicole and Natalie Albino .-Early life and career:Albino's parents moved to New York from Puerto Rico and were divorced when the girls were younger...
, as well as the video for "History of Violence" Directed by Martin Verigin and Jeffrey Hagerman. The video remains his most controversial record to date. In "History of Violence," Belly explains his views on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The conflict is wide-ranging, and the term is also used in reference to the earlier phases of the same conflict, between Jewish and Zionist yishuv and the Arab population living in Palestine under Ottoman or...
and the War in Iraq.
Shortly after, he released "I'm the Man" featuring Kurupt
Kurupt
Ricardo Emmanuel Brown , better known by his stage name Kurupt, also known as Kurupt Tha Kingpin, Kurupt Young Gotti or Young Gotstra is an American rapper and former Executive Vice President of Death Row Records...
produced by Footage Entertainment. it was premiered as the "Big One" on MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
station. He also released a video for "Smells Like Money" (produced by Whosane?) on MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
in early October 2007.
In late October 2007, his third single featuring Mario Winans
Mario Winans
Mario Winans is an American R&B singer, songwriter, music producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Born Mario Brown, he is the son of gospel recording artist Vickie Winans and her first husband, Bishop Ronald Brown. He is also the stepson of his mother's second husband, gospel singer, Pastor Marvin...
entitled "Ridin'" was released. The video features Mario Winans, model KD Aubert, who plays Belly's lead-girl, and Dr. Benjamin Chavis
Benjamin Chavis Muhammad
Benjamin Chavis is an African American civil rights leader. Dr. Chavis was born Benjamin Franklin Chavis, Jr. on January 22, 1948 in Oxford, North Carolina. In his youth, Dr. Chavis was an assistant to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who inspired him to work in the civil rights movement. Dr...
.
Go Sens go
During the 2007 NHL Playoffs, as the Ottawa SenatorsOttawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
were competing, Belly released a single entitled "Bandwagon" (produced by Whosane?). When the Senators made the Stanley Cup Finals, Belly released a second version of the song which featured goaltender Ray Emery
Ray Emery
Ray Emery , often nicknamed Razor or Sugar Ray, is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender, currently with the Chicago Blackhawks. He formerly played for the Anaheim Ducks, Philadelphia Flyers, and the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League and Atlant Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey...
.
2007: The Revolution
His debut album, The RevolutionThe Revolution (Belly album)
The Revolution is the debut studio album by Canadian rapper, Belly which was released on June 5, 2007 in Canada on Capital Prophets Records Inc.. The album became a commercial success a month after its release, when it was certified gold by the CRIA for shipping over 50,000 copies...
, was released on June 5, 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" (produced by Whosane?), "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" (produced by Whosane?), "Leave me Alone," where he talks about his long time friends and the memories that he kept from them. "The System" contained his hit singles "Don't Be Shy," "Ridin'," and "Pressure"
The Revolution achieved Gold sales in Canada and won the 2008
Juno Awards of 2008
The Juno Awards of 2008 were held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on the weekend ending 6 April 2008. These ceremonies honoured music industry achievements in Canada in the latter part of 2006 and in most of 2007....
Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
for Rap Recording of the Year. Singles from The Revolution won two MuchMusic Video Awards
MuchMusic Video Awards
The MuchMusic Video Awards are annual awards presented by the Canadian music video channel MuchMusic to honour the year's best music videos....
for Best Rap Video; "Pressure" in 2007
2007 MuchMusic Video Awards
The 2007 MuchMusic Video Awards were held in Toronto, Ontario at MuchMusic's headquarters on June 17, 2007 and featured performances by Fergie, Maroon 5, The Used, Avril Lavigne, Finger Eleven, Hilary Duff, and others. The most nominated artists were Billy Talent and Nickelback with five...
and "Ridin'" in 2008
2008 MuchMusic Video Awards
The 2008 MuchMusic Video Awards were held in Toronto, Ontario at MuchMusic's headquarters on June 15, 2008 with the rain-soaked Red carpet arrivals that started at 8:00pm ET, but was slightly delayed by rainstorms that soaked the crowds and artists, the awards started at 9:00 and ended at 11:00...
.
2008: Police raid
A major police raid was conducted at the artist's home in GreelyGreely, Ontario
Greely is a quickly growing rural village in the southern end of Ottawa, formerly a part of the Township of Osgoode. It has been a part of the City of Ottawa since amalgamation in 2001. Greely is currently the largest rural village in terms of land area and the third largest in terms of population...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
on August 15, 2008 based on a search warrant
Search warrant
A search warrant is a court order issued by a Magistrate, judge or Supreme Court Official that authorizes law enforcement officers to conduct a search of a person or location for evidence of a crime and to confiscate evidence if it is found....
to seek firearms there. However, the only items of note found in this raid were three BB gun
BB gun
BB guns are a type of air gun designed to shoot projectiles named BBs after the birdshot pellet of approximately the same size. These projectiles are usually spherical but can also be pointed; those are usually used for bird hunting. Modern day BB guns usually have a smoothbore barrel, with a bore...
s that were purchased, on sale, from a Canadian Tire
Canadian Tire
Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited is one of Canada's 60 largest publicly traded companies. The firm operates an inter-related network of businesses engaged in retailing hardgoods, apparel and petroleum as well as financial and automotive services, employing more than 58,000 people across Canada...
store. No charges were laid and Belly later commented that the raid "was a waste of Ottawa taxpayers' money, but now my neighbours can see that I don't have anything to hide."
2009: Mixtapes - Present
In 2009 Belly spent some time in Miami, Florida working with some of the industry’s most notable producers and artists. (Jim JonsinJim Jonsin
James Scheffer, better known by his professional name, Jim Jonsin, is an American Grammy award winning record producer, songwriter, record executive, and entrepreneur...
, Blackout Movement
Blackout Movement
Blackout Movement is a Florida-based production team who produced numerous tracks, most notably, Mims hit This Is Why I'm Hot. They have also produced tracks for Teairra Mari, Ja Rule, Jim Jones, Jin, Mr...
, Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
, Diaz Brothers
Diaz Brothers
Lu Diaz and Hugo Diaz are brothers who form the Diaz Brothers music production team based out of Miami, Florida. Although they feel they are not limited to one type of music, their primary focus is on Hip-Hop, and are most famous for bringing the Cuban rapper Pitbull to fame...
, DJ Infamous
DJ Infamous
Marco Rodriguez-Diaz, better known by his stage name Infamous, is a Grammy winning record producer and three-time world champion DJ.-Biography:Infamous is a Miami Based Music Producer most known for his work with rapper Lil Wayne...
, Da Heala, Whosane, Mario Winans
Mario Winans
Mario Winans is an American R&B singer, songwriter, music producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Born Mario Brown, he is the son of gospel recording artist Vickie Winans and her first husband, Bishop Ronald Brown. He is also the stepson of his mother's second husband, gospel singer, Pastor Marvin...
and more). The first single "Hot Girl" featuring Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
was released in July 2009, and the video, directed by MMVA award-winner RT!, was added on MuchMusic’s “BIG ONE.” Later that year, Belly released a mixtape titled "DJ Smallz Presents: Back For the First Time Vol. 1". Artists featured on the mixtape were Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
, Drake
Drake (entertainer)
Aubrey Drake Graham , who records under the mononym Drake, is a Canadian recording artist and actor. He originally became known for playing Jimmy Brooks on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation....
, Kurupt
Kurupt
Ricardo Emmanuel Brown , better known by his stage name Kurupt, also known as Kurupt Tha Kingpin, Kurupt Young Gotti or Young Gotstra is an American rapper and former Executive Vice President of Death Row Records...
, P Reign. Stack Bundles, Bynoe and Belly’s brother Truth.
After *Back For The First Time* Belly worked with labelmate and Canadian pop star Danny Fernandes
Danny Fernandes
Daniel Bosco Fernandes is a Canadian singer and songwriter of Portuguese descent. He is signed to CP Records.-Career:...
for his single “Automatic” and released records like “Kill Bill” with Mistah Fab and “Murder Music” with Barrington Levy among others, which were featured on his mixtape SleepLess Nights hosted by DJ Ill Will released in 2011. Belly's first single of 2011 was "Back Against the Wall" featuring Grammy nominated singer Kobe Honeycutt. The second song, “Must Be Nice” featuring Vado was released shortly after. Production on the mixtape was mainly handled by DannyBoy Styles of Blackout Movement, with tracks from Boi-1da, Da Heala, Aliby, Whosane? and JGramm as well.
Belly's latest body of work was a compilation of songs he had worked on with Dogg Pound rapper Kurupt
Kurupt
Ricardo Emmanuel Brown , better known by his stage name Kurupt, also known as Kurupt Tha Kingpin, Kurupt Young Gotti or Young Gotstra is an American rapper and former Executive Vice President of Death Row Records...
some time after his first album THE REVOLUTION. Some songs were unreleased with a few that had seen release dates on previous mixtapes. This mixtape was called Belly & Kurupt The Lost Tapes 2008 hosted yet again by DJ Ill Will. In 2011, Belly released another new mixtape titled The Greatest Dream I Never Had which he has said will have no features.
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak | Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAN Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
|||
| 2007 | The Revolution The Revolution (Belly album) The Revolution is the debut studio album by Canadian rapper, Belly which was released on June 5, 2007 in Canada on Capital Prophets Records Inc.. The album became a commercial success a month after its release, when it was certified gold by the CRIA for shipping over 50,000 copies...
|
Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... : Gold |
|
| TBA | Champagne Dreams, Marijuana Thoughts EP
|
||
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Position | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAN Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
|||
| 2007 | "Pressure" (feat. Ginuwine Ginuwine Elgin Baylor Lumpkin , better known by his stage name Ginuwine is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Signed to Epic Records since the mid-1990s, Ginuwine had released a number of multi-platinum and platinum-selling albums and singles, becoming one of R&B's top artists during the late 1990's... ) |
10 | The Revolution |
| "Don't Be Shy" (feat. Nina Sky Nina Sky Nina Sky is an American musical duo composed of identical twins Nicole and Natalie Albino .-Early life and career:Albino's parents moved to New York from Puerto Rico and were divorced when the girls were younger... ) |
45 | ||
| "I'm the Man" (feat. Kurupt Kurupt Ricardo Emmanuel Brown , better known by his stage name Kurupt, also known as Kurupt Tha Kingpin, Kurupt Young Gotti or Young Gotstra is an American rapper and former Executive Vice President of Death Row Records... ) |
— | ||
| "Ridin'" (feat. Mario Winans Mario Winans Mario Winans is an American R&B singer, songwriter, music producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Born Mario Brown, he is the son of gospel recording artist Vickie Winans and her first husband, Bishop Ronald Brown. He is also the stepson of his mother's second husband, gospel singer, Pastor Marvin... ) |
80 | ||
| 2008 | "Get to Know You" (feat. Keshia Chanté Keshia Chanté Keshia Chanté is a Canadian Juno Award-winning critically acclaimed singer-songwriter, model, and actress... ) |
74 | non-album single |
| 2009 | "Hot Girl" (feat. Snoop Dogg Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school... ) |
58 | Back for the First Time Vol. 1 |
| 2010 | "To The Top" (feat. Ava) | — | Champagne Dreams, Marijuana Thoughts EP & Sleepless Nights |
| "Back Against The Wall" (feat. Kobe) | — | ||
| "Make It Go" (feat. Drake Drake (entertainer) Aubrey Drake Graham , who records under the mononym Drake, is a Canadian recording artist and actor. He originally became known for playing Jimmy Brooks on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation.... ) |
— | ||
| 2011 | "She Ride" (feat. Gucci Mane Gucci Mane Radric Davis , better known by his stage name Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He debuted in 2005 with Trap House and followed with albums such as Hard to Kill in 2006, Trap-A-Thon and Back to the Trap House in 2007. In 2009, his second studio album The State vs. Radric Davis was released... & JRDN JRDN Ralph Jordan Croucher better known by his stage name JRDN is a Canadian recording artist. Croucher’s upbringing was split between Halifax, Nova Scotia and Toronto, Ontario, Canada... ) |
— | Champagne Dreams, Marijuana Thoughts EP |
| "I Drink I Smoke" (feat. Snoop Dogg Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school... ) |
— | ||
Collaboration in singles by other artists
- "Rush the Floor" by MassariMassariSari Abboud better known by his stage name Massari is a Lebanese Canadian R&B, pop, and hip hop singer who grew up in Canada. Massari means "money" in Arabic....
feat. Belly (2006) - "Private DancerPrivate Dancer (Danny Fernandes song)Private Dancer is the second single by R&B singer Danny Fernandes. It was written by Belly, Danny Fernandes, and David Evering. It is also the 2nd track on Danny Fernandes' debut album Intro.-Chart positions:...
" by Danny FernandesDanny FernandesDaniel Bosco Fernandes is a Canadian singer and songwriter of Portuguese descent. He is signed to CP Records.-Career:...
feat. Belly (2008) - "Amnesia" by Caspian feat. Belly (2009)
- "AutomaticAutomatic (Danny Fernandes song)"Automatic" is a 2010 single by Canadian Danny Fernandes featuring fellow Canadian Belly from Danny Fernandes's second studio album AutomaticLUV....
" by Danny FernandesDanny FernandesDaniel Bosco Fernandes is a Canadian singer and songwriter of Portuguese descent. He is signed to CP Records.-Career:...
feat. Belly (2010) - "Hit Me Up" by Danny Fernandes feat. Josh Ramsay feat. Belly (2011)
Official mixtapes
- DJ Kool Kid Presents: Death Before Dishonor: Vol. 1 (2005)
- DJ Kay Slay Presents: Death Before Dishonor: Vol. 2 (2006)
- Big Mike Presents: Death Before Dishonor: Vol. 3 (2007)
- DJ Smallz Presents: Back for the First Time Vol. 1 (2009)
- DJ Ill Will Presents: Sleepless Nights (2011)
- DJ Ill Will Presents: Belly & Kurupt The Lost Tapes 2008 (2011)
- DJ Drama Presents: The Greatest Dream I Never Had (2011)
Awards & Nominations
- 2007: Won MuchVibe Best Rap Video for Pressure
- 2008: Won MuchVibe Best Rap Video Ridin' Ridin
- 2008: Won Juno Award Hip Hop Recording of The Year
- 2010: Won VideoFACT Indie Video of the Year "Hot Girl"