Few contemporary artists better embody the spirit of Russell Crowes’ Maximus screaming “Are you not entertained?!” better than Palestinian-Canadian rapper, songwriter and producer Belly.
Hailing from Canada’s capital, Ottawa, with a discography dating back to 2003, he’s broken many barriers over the past two decades — not just as an MC. With writing credits, for example, that span The Weeknd’s discography from 2011 onward (including hits like “The Hills,” “Earned It,” and “Blinding Lights“), Belly has more than proven his pen game.
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That’s a Cole Notes version, of course. There are also his roughly 13 releases, which have seen him consistently evolve, working with legends, and — as of 2015 (after a five-year hiatus) — officially aligning with XO and Roc Nation, under the mentorship of the iconic JAY-Z.
Whether or not you’ve been giving him flowers, his track record and wall of plaques speak for themselves.
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Now, Belly is prepping the grand finale of his music career—from the vantage point of an MC. His new project, Mumble Rap 2, is the beginning of the end of an era he plans to close out with three final releases. “I think the joy now is just being able to put a final chapter together for myself and just to be able to bow out gracefully,” he tells DX.
The plan for the final projects isn’t entirely clear, though Belly does note that he and Boi-1da may have something in the works. In fact, he and the Toronto producer had been in talks for MR2 before Hit-Boy was ultimately brought on board.
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“[Boi-1da] had a lot going on at the time that I was trying to do this, and I felt the urge to knock the project out,” he explains. “We spoke about it, and we’re definitely going to come back around and do it.”
Beyond that, he alludes to a large stash of music already in the bag.
“I have a lot of songs to sift through,” he proclaims. “Just over time, songs that I’ve had that I felt like were great, just not at the time for me. So I’m going to sift through a lot of stuff and try to just map this thing out … that’s really what I want to do. There’s a bunch of ways I could approach it, like three projects to come out in different pieces. You never know, man.”
The question now is; what is Belly planning to do next? The answer isn’t something he’s willing to divulge, however, having achieved the specific goals he had in place in this game, he now wants to challenge himself in new ways.
“It gets to a point where my creative brain still wants to create and make things, but I feel like I could pivot and go to something else within entertainment or art or…anywhere,” he explains. “My brain can be a little more free, right, than having to wake up and think ‘I’m Belly the music’ guy every day.”
The opportunities are endless, but his desire to wear different hats will always coexist with his desire to make music.
“I’m going to do that for life. Not to say I’m going to put out albums, but I’m going to do it for me, for life. But, yeah, I’m taking a new direction. I want to wake up and be able to make things and create things; that’s what the next phase of my life will be.”
With Belly 2.0 out now, we asked whether he feels he’s gotten the credit he deserves over the years. Humbly, he admits that, at a point, he did feel slighted. But his outlook changed when he embraced the power that comes along with being wholeheartedly grateful.
“No matter what it is that I felt like I should have got, those are expectations and expectations aren’t realistic,” he says.
“A lot of times you got to be grateful for what you’re able to do. I’m able to wake up and do what I love. I don’t feel like I even work sometimes I feel guilty.”
Viewing his career through a broader lens, Belly has had a profound impact on other Arabs globally–an impact more fulfilling than he could have imagined.
“I did this for a much bigger purpose than myself, and I know it serves that purpose. I see a lot of young guys coming up, especially young Arab artists coming up, that show love,” he notes.
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“They tell me the impact that just watching an Arab navigate his way through the industry [has had]. It’s something that many people, from where I come from, find power in. And that to me, is one of my greatest accomplishments; I’ve been able to at least show people that come from where I come from, that look like what I look like, that anything’s possible, even when it looks impossible.”
Belly’s legacy to date is two decades of understated success, and as he begins planning his eventual curtain call, you can’t help but hear the excitement in his voice.
“I’m super grateful that I’ve been able to do what I did and I’m still here, man, doing what I love, so I can’t be nothing but grateful.”
Belly’s Mumble Rap 2 is available now via XO/Roc Nation.
