Leading the Revolution: An Interview with Belly

By Melanie Chung

Banned and booted from all sorts of varying outlets hasn't slowed down the double Juno nominated rapper Belly. His video for History of Violence was banned from US broadcast for its "anti-American" sentiment and Facebook has shut down his fan group. But Belly's not complaining. It comes with the territory. "Hi Haters" as Belly says. Any artist who tries to instill change - politically, socially or just anyone out in the public eye is faced with an onslaught of haters. But to top it off, Belly, born Ahmad Balshe in Jenine, Palestine has first hand seen the war on both sides of the world and has faced an obstacle that the majority of us pretend doesn't exist: race.

He's managed to take it all in stride and all the while maintaining his gratitude to those who see past colour. "Being Palestinian has been a daily obstacle. I've had people back down from working with me when they've found out where I've come from and my origin. But ignorance is everywhere, but there are also good people everywhere. And thankfully it is those people and me being myself that has helped me get where I am."

And the facelessness and anonymity that the Internet possesses is one of those breeding grounds for ignorance and Belly is in no way out of the line of fire. "He will never make it anywhere in U.S hip-hop nor will any other Canadian. Why would kids from the U.S want to hear what a Canadian Palestinian rapper has to say when they can listen to African Americans from Compton or Texas or Atlanta rap about the streets?" writes a 16 year old Canadian on youtube.com in response to Belly's appearance on Geraldo at Large. But Belly doesn't shy away from these Internet trolls. He coolly responds with "I understand where he's coming from and he's one of those people that I talk about. They're very typical in the way they think, and that's what it is, he's going to be one of those people that believe that I won't do something based on where I'm from or what I speak about. And when I prove them wrong, he's just going to have another excuse, or have another way to say something negative. And negativity breeds negativity."

Despite the stack of roadblocks laid out in front of him, Belly has a calm confidence about him that has undoubtedly pushed him forward. His voice is always level and though he knows exactly what to say, he knows exactly what he wants. Living his formative teen years in Ottawa he knew that breaking through the Toronto music scene would be difficult enough as is, but to navigate his way through the evidently smaller music scene of Ottawa was going to be "an uphill battle."

"I knew it wasn t going to be easy and I prepared myself mentally. And as an artist I tried to go national and international and I made it possible for myself to be everywhere."

It seems like it's a part of his personality to get his hands on a bit of everything, and to be everywhere. As socially conscious as he is, he knows how to have fun, and dare I say romantic? He chuckles at the thought of it. "Wow, romance is a big word. But I've got all those sides, trust me." His videos are a testament to this. As hard hitting as his video for History of Violence is, he also has the more MTV friendly Pressure and Don't Be Shy filled with the hot cars, girls, and gold. "That's me, the two different sides of my life for one. Some people are afraid to be themselves to the fullest. Being human, I like to have, but I'm also not blind to a lot of the things that are going on out there. And its not that [the videos] aren't typical - of course it's typical, but it's what you have to do to get through the door. I knocked before I came into the house."

Strangely, his bravdo isn't off-putting. He isn't fazed by the ban or any of the other obstacles he's had to face. "It never makes me stand back and say 'maybe I shouldn't say that.' If I said it, I meant it. If it puts me in the line of fire, so be it. Just because mainstream media wants to shut down [History of Violence] it doesn't mean the people can't get it. At the end of the day it was on Fox News and CNN and by banning the video they actually gave me more power."

Maybe his ego isn't shattered by the ban because he's faced and seen worse. Much worse. Belly has grown up in the war-torn Middle East, and now living in North America where the USA has had a hand in that violence, that geographic proximity has added to shaping his music. "The music I create is the person I am and the experiences I've lived. Growing up in that environment has empowered me and has made me want to do something about it."

For a 23-year-old Belly has experienced much more than what many of us can understand. While our biggest battles of the day is bearing the snow or letting that snide remark slide off our back, Belly carries a maturity with him that sees well beyond that. There is no regret in his voice and he only looks forward. But his experiences haven't been a hindrance, instead just another piece of the puzzle, another part of the picture. "At the end of the day, I'm me."