Belly

Belly forged his path as a rapper, singer/songwriter, and producer by channeling the displacement, hardship, and street-level grind that marked his upbringing as a Palestinian-Jordanian immigrant in Canada. Though he launched his career amid the Canadian punk circuit, he gained traction in 2007 via his first full-length project, The Revolution, which climbed into the Canadian Top 30, earned gold certification, and captured the Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year. Joint ventures with Roc Nation and XO soon broadened his reach and commercial footprint stateside, highlighted by the platinum-certified 2015 track “Might Not” among his many joint efforts with the Weeknd, and extending through the pointed 2018 album IMMIGRANT. Following a multi-year hiatus, he resurfaced in 2021 with See You Next Wednesday and followed it with the 2023 mixtape Mumble Rap 2.

Ahmad Balshe entered the world in the West Bank city of Jenin before his family relocated to Ottawa, Ontario, seeking relief from violence and economic struggle. By age 13 he was reportedly dealing drugs on local streets while already conscious of his position as a poor Muslim youth in a largely non-Muslim society. Long drawn to hip-hop, he began channeling that frustration into rhymes and quickly built a reputation as a commanding MC. His profile caught the eye of Ottawa label founder Tony Sal, who placed the teenager on the fledgling CP Records roster. By 2003 Belly had cultivated a loyal regional audience and dropped multiple singles alongside several mixtapes that paired him with DJ Kay Slay and DJ Big Mike.

The Revolution arrived in 2007, foregrounding themes of faith and Middle Eastern conflict. The project earned gold status in Canada and secured the 2008 Juno for Rap Recording of the Year, propelled in part by the Top Ten Canadian pop single “Pressure.” A string of independent mixtapes preceded his next proper solo effort, 2012’s Sleepless Nights 1.5, which carried the singles “Hot Girl” featuring Snoop Dogg and “The Top” featuring Ava. In 2015 Belly unveiled the Roc Nation mixtape Up for Days and appeared on the Weeknd’s Beauty Behind the Madness; later that year he released “Might Not,” which brought the Weeknd in as featured artist and delivered his first platinum plaque.

Another Day in Paradise expanded his mixtape catalog in 2016 and hosted appearances from Waka Flocka Flame, Lil Wayne, Travis Scott, and others, including the single “Zanzibar” with Juicy J. That same year Belly co-wrote “6 Inch” for Beyoncé’s Lemonade alongside the Weeknd. Recognized as Songwriter of the Year at the 2016 SOCAN Awards, he issued the further mixtape Inzombia featuring Young Thug, Ty Dolla $ign, and Ashanti. The 2017 project Mumble Rap followed, with a Pusha T cameo and Boi-1da production, and peaked just outside the Canadian Top 50. A series of 2018 singles—“Man Listen,” “4 Days” with YG, and “Maintain” with Nav—preceded the October release of his second studio album IMMIGRANT, which opened at number 31 on the Canadian chart and number 169 on the Billboard 200, aided by “What You Want” featuring the Weeknd and the title track that spotlighted M.I.A. and Meek Mill.

After more than a year of silence, Belly revealed in April 2020 that therapy for depression and PTSD had renewed his commitment to music. Preview singles “Money on the Table” with Benny the Butcher, “Zero Love” featuring Moneybagg Yo, and “Better Believe” with the Weeknd and Young Thug ushered in See You Next Wednesday, which landed at number 26 in Canada—his strongest chart placement—in August 2021. Mumble Rap 2 surfaced in 2023 as the first of three promised releases before retirement, carrying contributions from Rick Ross, Gucci Mane, Nav, and the late Gil Scott-Heron.