Palestinian-born Canadian rapper Belly has released his new album See You Next Wednesday. It is his first release since 2018’s Immigrant, and features appearances from The Weeknd, Nas, Young Thug and more.
The 37-year old is one of Canada’s most distinguished rappers, with a Juno award and a 2016 SOCAN Songwriter of the Year award to his name. He signed to frequent co-collaborator The Weeknd’s label XO, and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation. Belly also boasts songwriting credits for Beyonce and Ariana Grande.
The fourth single off the new album, “Better Believe”, featuring The Weeknd and Young Thug, now has over 17 million views on Youtube. Its lyrics see the artists reflect upon their success and standing within the industry.
Ahmad “Belly” Balshe: Canadian rap extraordinaire
Belly’s decorated career began at the age of sixteen, when he played the drums in punk bands in Ottowa. At 21 he moved into the hip-hop world, releasing his debut mixtape Death Before Dishonor: Vol. 1. It was the Lebanese-born Wassim “Sal” Slaiby—also the Weeknd’s manager—who first discovered him rapping on an Ottowa sidewalk in the early 2000s.
Together they set up CP Music Group, which became the dominant independent hip-hop label in Canada. In 2007, the label released Belly’s debut album Revolution to widespread critical acclaim. The album quickly went gold, topping the Canadian charts. It also won him a Juno award, the Canadian equivalent of a Grammy.
Belly’s first high profile collaboration came in 2009 when he released the single Hot Girl with Snoop Dogg. Since then he has collaborated with the likes of Lil Wayne and Ashanti, and written for Beyonce and Ariana Grande. 2015 saw his career soar into higher planes with his signing to Jay-Z’s label Roc Nation. In 2018 he released his second album Immigrant, featuring Zack, French Montana, and longtime collaborator the Weeknd.
Ahmad “Belly” Balshe: immigrant rapper
Belly, real name Ahmad Balshe, was born amid violence and poverty in Jein on the Palestinian West Bank. At the age of 7, his family moved to Ottawa, Ontario, fleeing by way of Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Jordan.
Much like Eminem’s self-based character in 8 Mile, Belly honed his craft early on in the rap battle scene. He took his inspiration from the East-Coast greats: Jay-Z and Nas, whom he can now call his friends and collaborators. Leaving home at the age of 15, he credits his mother for supporting his independence and allowing him to grow into his greatness: “The biggest role my mother played was just letting me be myself,” he says. He continues: “She was always there when I needed her. . . she fought for all of us. She inspires a lot of what I write.”
Belly is candid about his personal struggles with mental health. “Music is my therapy. It’s gotten me through a lot of hard times and it’s very therapeutic to me.” he remarks. He says the same about cooking, another one of his passions:
“I really zone in when I cook, and I think whenever you can find something that takes you away from the world, it’s really important for your mental health.” His latest album sees him reflecting upon his own mental strength, exploring themes of conflict, emotion and growth.
Ahmad “Belly” Balshe: “See You Next Wednesday”
Belly’s new album is out now and features the Weeknd, Nas, Young Thug and Lil Uzi Vert. Its name is a nod to one of his biggest inspirations, film and music-video director John Landis. Landis is famous for directing The Blues Brothers, Coming to America and the video for Michael Jackson’s Thriller. “See You Next Wednesday” is an easter-egg often used in his works, a phrase he heard in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Belly enlisted the help of Jay-Z for advice on finishing the album, sending him a collection of recordings. Jay responded. “Everything you need is there. Now, make this a movie. It can’t just sound like great records, it has to sound like an intentional thing.” Belly took inspiration from this advice to get the most out of his recordings and make a great album.
After a few years of mental struggles, See You Next Wednesday represents a return to fighting form and mental strength for Belly. He likens the album to his favorite revenge movie The Count of Monte Cristo, where the villain is his past-self: “I’m showing him how it’s supposed to be done,” he says.
Stream the album now on Spotify, Youtube and Apple Music.
