Canadian rapper Belly (aka Rebellyus) was born Ahmad Balshe in the West Bank Palestinian city of Jenin. Hoping to escape violence and poverty, Belly's family immigrated to Ottawa when he was a boy. Belly was purportedly selling drugs on the street by age 13 and already distinctly aware of growing up poor and Muslim in a primarily non-Muslim country. Having long been interested in hip-hop, he began expressing anger over his situation by rapping, and soon garnered a reputation as a formidable MC. He even drew the attention of local record label entrepreneur 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.