#ASHEKMAN 's #OperationSalam || A gigantic Arabic calligraffiti of the word "سلام" (peace in Arabic)

Pic by Ashekman

#ASHEKMAN 's #OperationSalam will cover 85 rooftops, 385,000 square meters by a gigantic Arabic calligraffiti of the word "سلام" (peace in Arabic) in Kuffi calligraphy that can only be seen from space. 

"We will need 12 days to finish this huge project. We worked for more than 4 years on this idea and we finally found the right spot, in the North of Lebanon, precisely in the infamous ex-war zone Beib el Tebbeneh  and Jabal Mehsen , an area that was almost destroyed by internal conflicts and guerrilla war." ASHEKMAN 

Salute to Ashekman for always being pioneers. Keep updated by following their Instagram below 

Day 2: #ASHEKMAN 's #OperationSalam initiative is on the move! Can you spot the green rooftop? That's 1/85 rooftops! 385000 square meters to be covered by a gigantic Arabic calligraffiti of the word "سلام" (peace in Arabic) in Kuffi #calligraphy that can be seen from space 🚀! #Lebanon #MiddleEast #TheStreetIsOurs

A post shared by ASHEKMAN - أشكمان (@ashekman) on Sep 19, 2017 at 5:41am PDT

Trak - Rabbit Hole

ABRI & FUNK RADIUS RELEASE VIDEO FOR "SUNNY DAZE" | Directed by FREEK TV

Emirati singer/songwriter "Abri" alongside his group Funk Radius just released a video for their track "Sunny Daze". I had the honor to interview Abri and also catch this track performed on my show.

I fell in love with it and the vibe. Abri is considered a legend in the UAE scene not to mention that hes mad talented. I am so happy to see him release videos/songs. 

This video is so cool, given that it's also directed by "Freek" who is one of the best at this in the city. When I asked Freek how was it working with Abri, he said " Humble man, been seeing him on TV since I was a teen.. and now I am collaborating with him to direct a video for him. It's an honor.." 

And this is what Abri had to say "I am excited about releasing Abri & Funk Radius 'Sunny Daze (Ankabūt)', our new single and video exclusively on Anghami. The song and video were done a while back so i was itching to get it out there so that people could hear it and watch the amazing video (shoot and edited by Freek T.V) at the same time, that way they get the whole experience. The song and video go hand in hand.'"

& When I asked him about the spider, Abri said " The Spider is symbolic. It represents the female and fate. The choices that we make construct our lives. SO if you do good things then good things happen but if you make bad choices, then..." 

The video was released EXCLUSIVELY on Music Streaming Service "Anghami" - Check it out below. Dope Song. Dope Visuals.

Abri is BACK!

Hamza Hawsawi X Shébani Event in Boom Room Dubai

SHÉBANI,BIG HASS, HAMZA HAWSAWI, RAYAN & DJ LIUTIK - PHOTO BY: WALEED SHAH

9th Sept,2017 will be a night to remember not only because it featured two of the best singes/songwriters we got in Arabia but because it proved that the crowd will vibe/rock with original music performed by local/regional artists. 

I got so much to say but I will leave this blogpost to share with you few pictures from that incredible night. Saudi sensation "Hamza Hawsawi" proved once again he's a force to reckon with not only in the Middle-East but in the world. Shébani's hard passion & dedication are admirable and something that should be respected. I am also very proud of producer/performer/genius "RAYAN" who really set up a great and entertaining show. 100% of the music performed that night was his production! Dj Liutik who opened up the night was also incredible in setting up the mood for the night and putting everyone in the right vibe in between sets. 

It was an honor to put together and host this event. Thank you to everyone that showed up & supported. There were so many artists hanging out together & showed love. It felt amazing seeing all these artists chatting/talking after the show. At the end of the day we ONE movement...One Unit striving to showcase talent do exists in the Middle-East and it's in everyone of us. We just need platforms to showcase and that's hopefully what I tried to do that night...

Here are some pix from that night... THE BEAT is officially LIVE in Dubai..On to the next one.

All Pix below are by the incredible Waleed Shah

Big salute to Boom Room Dubai (In Stereo Arcade) for having us. What an incredible venue it is!

Shout Out to G-Shock Middle-East for providing the artists new watches

We also gotta shout out Careem UAE for supporting us!!

Dj Liutik 

Shébani & RAYAN

Shébani rocked that stage..

It Was an honor hostin/putting together this event. Proud.

Hamza Hawsawi rockin with the crowd

Passion

RAYAN = GENIUS 

You can not make that VIBE UP... Incredible Night @ The Boom Room Dubai

CunninLynguists release new single "Violet (The Upper Room)" from new album "Rose Azura Njano"

Album is set to be released on 6th October, 2017 !!! MAD MAD EXCITED
LOVE THIS!!

American Muslim Rapper HASEEB hits hard with "Droppin"

Haseeb has always been one of my fav MC's in the game now! I love the fact that he's current yet still can manage to talk about issues that are impacting the world!

He just released his new track entitled "Droppin". I reached out to him to get a quote about the song & this is what he said "This record is really emotional for me, as it's essentially a diatribe against the current power structure, from the perspective of a first-generation Muslim American." Haseeb

Q&A with Amal Murad | A Pioneer in the UAE Parkour Scene

On August 11th,2017, I was honored to host TEDx Fujairah. I was truly inspired by the speakers I met that day and also by the amazing team efforts from he organizers. There was some inspiring speakers and some incredible entertainment that took place. One of those speakers was "Amal Murad". My first impression of Amal was that shes very energetic, passionate. Amal is a pioneer as she is the first Emirati female parkour instructor. 

Below is a quick Q&A with Amal about how she started and what does parkour mean to her. Check it out & also at the end of the interview, check out the link of her TEDx Talk..


Q: How did you get into Parkour. Was it a specific video you saw, a friend? tell us. 
Amal Murad: Since childhood, I used to play video games like 'tomb raider' where the woman lead character would be doing all kinds of cool stunts. Being the daredevil myself as a child who had climbed over to the neighbors' houses and found a path to avoid getting caught by the dogs, I've always felt that I had that side of me. However, I didn't understand what "that side" really was until I could give it a name almost 20 years later. It was when Xdubai started sponsoring two parkour athletes. That is when I was introduced to the sport and had finally started appreciating what possibilities there were. 

Q. You've always said that parkour somehow "Liberated you" - Can you expand more on that? What were liberated from? 
AM: I've always considered sports as a way to release pent up negative energy. Not only is it scientifically proven that exercise gives out endorphins, but to me its more about the way you feel after a dedicated workout. Parkour especially allows you to express yourself through movement. It isn't about jumping over buildings but more about what you find yourself capable of doing when you set your mind on something. 

Bar, we finally meet again! 😭 I'll be announcing something exciting soon so keep an eye out these couple of days ❤️ @gravitydxb

A post shared by Amal (@leap.of.hope) on Aug 14, 2017 at 8:03am PDT

Q. Parkour for you is a way of life. What is/are the main misconceptions if any about this sport? 
AM: I have heard that parkour isn't considered a "real" sport and that it doesn't do much for the body. People tend to underestimate just how much endurance, cardio, strength and explosiveness is required in parkour. We use legs for jumping and balancing, arms for climbing and hanging; truth be told, its a full body workout but the best part is that you don't feel it is. 

Q. You were part of an incredible campaign by "Nike". Tell us about that opportunity. How did it happen? & what is the message that they were trying to convey? 
AM: It was such an exciting opportunity because Nike approached us and wanted to know the struggles we faced as Muslim Arab women in sports. When we initially spoke to them, it was on a very superficial level where we discussed attire and that we had to wear more layers but the dialogue got much more personal. We then went to discuss the reason why we were afraid to even practicing a sport. Almost all of us said that we were afraid of what people would say about us. That is the mental wall we all have and continue to face on daily basis and only we are the ones who are capable of overcoming that wall. 

Q.  How important is the support you been getting from your family? 
AM: I can't stress enough on how important it is to get support from the people you love especially your family. It truly makes all the difference. I am never an advocate to go against your family to do something but more of trying to prove to them over time that you truly are passionate about something.

Q: At any point during your journey. Did you feel like giving up & if so, what did you do to overcome this? 
AM: Yes, when I broke both bones in my forearm. It truly broke my spirit because I felt like that was the end of the road for me. However, that is when your true strength is tested. I feel like it was a good time to reflect on what I have accomplished and whether or not I had the faith to continue. It's about remembering that everything happens for a reason and you have to trust the process. 

Q. What's your dream with Parkour? 
AM: My dream is to encourage more women to try new things in life and to not be afraid of diving into something they love.

Q. You were one of the speakers at TEDX Fujairah. Tell us about the experience of being on a Tedx Stage? & how did the crowd react to your talk?
AM:The experience was overwhelming in the best kind of way. I never expected the crowd to cheer as much as they did. It truly showed me that there are so many people out there going through the same things I am and that we're all in this together in trying to figure out what our purposes are. 

Q. Any last messages/shout outs.. go ahead. 
AM: Shoutout to Big Hass who was the MC during tedxfujairah. He truly is one of the most uplifting people I have come across in a long time. I remember how he hyped me up before my speech when I was nervous and I couldn't be more grateful.


**Watch Amal Murad's Tedx Fujairah HERE