Top 33 Quotes & Sayings by Ahmad Balshe

Explore popular quotes and sayings by a Palestinian rapper Ahmad Balshe.
Last updated on April 14, 2025.
Ahmad Balshe

Ahmad Balshe, known professionally as Belly, is a Palestinian-Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born in Jenin in the Palestinian West Bank, Balshe was raised in Ottawa. At twenty-one years old, he moved on to his main love hip-hop with the release of his debut mixtape, Death Before Dishonor: Vol. 1. He then released eight additional projects in a span of six years, including his debut studio album The Revolution (2007), as well as two collaborative mixtapes, The Lost Tapes and The Greatest Dream I Never Had, with Kurupt and DJ Drama, respectively.

I don't be bringing harm to people.
I feel like as much as there's a little pocket of people who do know me, there's a whole bigger pocket that doesn't and I want them to know me and understand who I am for real before making pre-judgments.
Every musician knows your studio is like - it's a bubble for you. It's a personal space. This is where I work, where I create. — © Ahmad Balshe
Every musician knows your studio is like - it's a bubble for you. It's a personal space. This is where I work, where I create.
Yeah, I'm a young immigrant and I came to Canada with nothing.
I reached all the accomplishments that I planned out to reach in Canada.
Rap is supposed to change. It's supposed to do new things.
For me, it just doesn't make sense that somebody could be out the same day or not have to serve a day in jail because they have better resources.
I guess I had passed out and fell on the floor. I was out cold for 16 hours. I woke up and one whole side of my face was bruised. I just knew that something like that could happen, and you may never wake up from it. Everything changed for me after that day.
We've had different genres within our genre for so long that people just fail to realize that it's going to keep repeating and we're watching the cycle repeat again.
A lot of people don't understand that refugees especially, are fleeing situations that are affecting their livelihood and their children's livelihood.
I think taking back the term 'mumble rap' was important to me because I appreciate and love every facet of hip-hop and everything that's going on right now in the game, so I felt it kind of disrespectful that people kept referring to that whole genre as 'mumble rap.'
Pressure' is the perfect first single, it just felt right. As an artist, you have to feel it out and let it happen naturally.
It's hard for me to be open with anybody else. I can say that I lost relationships over that.
I chose people who would complement the songs that I put them on.
I mean for me, I can't really say I differentiate 'cause when I go into the studio to make music, I just make music. Sometimes, it just ends up with me, and sometimes it doesn't.
I'm blessed to be around some of the same guys that I came into this business with and learning of off each other and watching each other's experiences as young immigrants and trying to thrive in this world.
I would hope the pages would be blank, and every time you flipped the page, a beautiful picture would form. The universe knows where I'm going, and I'm just gonna let it do what it does.
Me and DJ Mustard linked up, as we both respected each other's art and wanted to work together.
I live in that studio. I make music when they party. I make music when they go on romantic trips and on vacations. I'm working. That's what I do. This really has all my attention all the time.
I'll just write with no music, no nothing and then try to apply it to music and sometimes, a beat will speak to me.
A lot of times I don't really work with people based on a look. I work with people I know, and that I think would bring something to the music. Ultimately I think that's the best way to go about it.
I have a good life... I wouldn't jeopardize the good life that we worked so hard to get.
A lot of people are ashamed to talk about mental illness. To me, it's power to give people that.
I wanted to show, like, neighborhoods in Canada and Europe and stuff like that are integrated with all of us, you know what I mean? People live together harmoniously and they teach each other culture and they teach each other things that school can't teach you, only real life can teach.
My songwriting has brought so much to me as an artist and my ability that I have as an artist has brought so much to my songwriting that they live off each other. Without one, the other one dies.
When I approach my mixtapes I'm very calculated. — © Ahmad Balshe
When I approach my mixtapes I'm very calculated.
Good music is good music no matter what language you're singing in. I think my fans appreciate the fact that I'm not afraid to be myself. I'm proud to be an Arab.
I bring nothing but love and joy to everything I do when it comes to this music... I just want to see people smile more when they see me instead of reading my name and getting a preconception of what I am.
I'm really working towards perfecting my craft every single day.
Labeling it 'political' is not going to stop me from talking about it.
You know, just being recognized for anything musically for me has been, like incredible because this is all I do, this is all I got. So whenever people can recognize and acknowledge that I'm out here working and doing the best that I can and it's actually paying off and doing something for me, it's a blessing.
I wanted a new phase in my life I needed something new. I stepped back, started doing song writing and various business ventures down the line.
I take every chance I get to teach kids that you can get money fast, but legit' money lasts.
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