Belly

Canadian rapper Belly (aka Rebellyus) was born Ahmad Balshe in Jenin, Palestine. Hoping to escape the violence and poverty of their country, Belly's family emigrating to Ottawa, Canada when he was a boy. Ironically, Belly was purportedly selling drugs on the street by age 13 and already distinctly aware of growing up a poor Muslim in a primarily non-Muslim country. Having long been interested in hip-hop, Belly began expressing his anger over his situation by rapping and soon garnered a reputation as a formidable MC. He even drew the attention of local record label entrepenuer Tony Sal who signed Belly to his fledgling CP Records . By 2003, the still teenaged Belly had developed a strong local following and released various singles as well as several mixtapes featuring collaborations with DJs Kay Slay and Big Mike. Often focusing on religion and the turmoil in the Middle East, Belly released his debut full-length album The Revolution in 2007.