Ahmad Balshe
Ahmad Balshe (Arabic: أحمد بلشي; born 7 April 1984), known professionally as Belly, is a Palestinian-Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born in Jenin, Balshe was raised in Ottawa. 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). He then began co-writing for fellow Canadian singer the Weeknd, signing 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 and Billboard Hot 100 which received double platinum and platinum certifications by Music Canada (MC) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), respectively. His second studio album, Immigrant (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.
In songwriting, Balshe has been credited on each of the Weeknd's studio albums. His first credit was on the mixtape Echoes of Silence (2011). He has also provided backing vocals and songwriting for American singer Beyoncé's 2016 song "6 Inch". He co-wrote tracks on the Weeknd's fourth studio album After Hours (2020), including its single "Blinding Lights", which became Billboard's Greatest Hot 100 Hit of All Time in 2021.
Balshe 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, Balshe has won a Juno Award, three MuchMusic Video Awards, and has twice attained a top chart position in the national Much Music Countdown. Balshe has collaborated frequently with fellow Palestinian DJ Khaled.
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