RAP RECORDING OF THE YEAR | Belly | | The JUNO Awards

Long before the Academy Award and Grammy Award nominations, platinum status and radio success, Belly can recall pivotal lessons from his childhood in the Middle East that would forever shape his outlook. Those same themes of family and loyalty inspire him to this day.

After attending high school in Canada, he released a string of underground mixtapes, culminating on his 2007 full-length debut The Revolution. The album went Gold in Canada, scored a JUNO Award and Much Music Video Award, and solidified him as a national phenomenon. He kept releasing mixtapes, while carving out a niche as an in-demand songwriter.