BELLY
Born in Palestine, Belly, aka Ahmad Balshe, moved to Canada with his family when he was seven and has been making music as long as he can remember. His 2007 debut album, The Revolution, was a huge hit in Canada, winning him a Juno Award for rap recording of the year and landing him in the studio with Snoop Dogg, Juicy J and more. But after a hiatus from releasing albums, it was his long-term friendship with The Weeknd that would eventually raise his status as a writer and performer in the U.S. Now, Belly’s latest project Up For Days — which features Travi$ Scott, French Montanaand Juelz Santana in addition to The Weeknd — is helping him step out from behind the scenes, not to mention a slot on his fellow XO member’s The Madness Tour.
As Belly releases the visuals for his single “No Option” and a new song called “Money Go,” he speaks to Billboard about his past success in Canada, his familial relationship with XO, signing with Roc Nation and what’s in store for the future.
