Jamaican Musician

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complete peace be with you, Jamaica man. When my next guests come out you know why I'm talking like that man Muslim below our former superstar rapper aiming for all what people are aiming for want to be like those people who get the Grammys who win the Emmys want to be a mad rapper? He's gonna be here with us this week telling us his story and the D show bareback. This is

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please be with us. salaam aleikum, Muslim balau How are you?

Assalamu alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu Alhamdulillah. I'm fine today. My name is Muslim, Bella, Muslim Bella from the UK, United Kingdom, London.

Thank you for being with us here on the dean show.

at hand, it is a pleasure. It's a pleasure to be here.

I'm happy to be here had a lot of good things and about the show. And

yeah, praise is due to Allah giving me this platform to speak. Maybe convey a message My message to the youth etc. hamdulillah. It's pleasure to be here. The viewers are excited that we have you on the show. And let's start off with the first question I want to ask you is your name always Muslim bow because obviously a Muslim is one by definition who has submitted him or herself to God to the one create tour. So were you always submitting to God was your name always Muslim bow.

I wasn't always called Muslim Bella. This isn't the name that when I was born, I didn't come into hospital my mom and my dad or anyone said yet. Let's call him Muslim Bella. I was raised up with Jamaican parents as a Christian. My name that I was given at birth was Ashley chin. I was named after my grandfather. My grandfather was half Chinese. And yeah, they named me after him. He had passed away. So they named me Ashley chin

is my birth name.

Muslim Ilana tell us before you came to this way of life, this way of life is I always say the way of life of all the righteous messengers of God, the ones who brought the message from God from the Creator, just to name a few. Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus Christ, and the last and fundamental problem having peace be upon they all live this way of life, of complete submission to the will of God. In Arabic, this is Islam. This is how you get peace. How was your life before you accepted Islam?

Yeah, I come from I come from a Christian background. Like I said, My parents are from Jamaica and

Jamaica is what say like, no very religious, very religious in the fact that everyone believes in the Creator. Everyone believes they come from God. So when you're in Jamaica, you'll find everything when they say hello, how you doing? They say when you're leaving the site, God bless or, etc. So it's a very

as I believe in God, there were my parents both being from Jamaica, in store disbelief in God in me from when I was young. And where I practice it was guided to the church, the church near me, my mom was sent me dad to Church of England, in Crystal Palace in London, South London. And I used to go there on a Wednesday to Pathfinders on a Tuesday to Crusaders. On a Friday. I used to go Bible studies. On a Sunday I'll go Sunday school, and even in the holidays because my parents my mom didn't have much money. My mom and dad split. My mom couldn't afford to take us on holidays. So it was cheaper to go on holiday with the church likes to go on holidays with the church in the summer.

And in the end, we'll go on a small camping holiday with the church. This was my holidays, as I grew up all the way to the age of about 12.

So now you're living your life like the average person or beyond.

Cuz most people, they wouldn't have achieved some of the things that you have achieved. You haven't material wealth, having material things,

chasing things as you know, the average person is chasing, I want this. I want that getting this getting that, to finally come into a slump. How did you come across a slump? How did this happen?

So when I was 18 years old, this is when Islam came into my life.

I wasn't in prison. I wasn't under stress. I wasn't living a life where it was horrible. And no one loved me and I was looking for a family, I was looking for love. Everything was going fine. Everything I wanted everything I was dreaming of as a young star was coming into place. Everything was falling right into place, just how I wanted it. The name was getting bigger. The music was going well. Now we was at record labels at Sony BMG. paulito, Virgin all these record labels, I was on first name basis with the with the right people, they could just go ring the buzzer and say it's me and they'll let me in. I didn't have to send in demo tapes. I was at the right level where I wanted

to be at, they was interested in me.

Everything was gone. Well with making money on the streets, we was respected on the streets because people saying we were the truth. We spoke the truth. So we had started to get the name and the status. And this is what a youngster wants. And then

I saw

my business partner, the person who I run this crew with this, this, this this risk group.

His older brother was someone like who we used to look up to. And he had what we had what we wanted when we were younger,

the money the girls etc. He had a lot of a big name and a lot of stairs. I hadn't seen him for about three years. So I didn't know where it was, etc. One day we was in the studio, a lot of us youngsters, everything's going on in there. You can picture the moment. It's like about 20 guys in a studio, there's computer games over there, there's food eating, there's a guy mixing a beat some of us writing lyrics, there's weed smoking, everything's happening. And he comes into the room.

Now you don't look the same as he used to look, he's got no jewelry. He hasn't shaved in about a year and he's wearing a dress. I'm thinking why are you wearing this dress?

It's different. It looked like his life was not as good as it used to be like it kind of gone a bit mad.

I remember he came in the room and he started speaking to us. And he just introduced us to Islam. But in in one otherwise in a in a very wise way. Like this was a it's very important how we get down because he didn't come in here to say, look, we all need to become Muslims, etc. He just came in there and started us making us think about the things we're doing like, what are we preparing ourselves for? We know we could die anytime death is the only guarantee in life. This is one thing he said. So why are you preparing yourself for later on this year or next year when death is the only guarantee you may not see later on this year or next year? Why would you not prepare yourself

for the grave for what could happen after death? You know, even concerned? Like what could happen? That's the possibility. And it made us start thinking he started talking about Judgment Day.

I remember he said three things that Where'd you come from? Why are you here? And where are you going? Like you come from a creator. Like I said, I grew up in a Christian background. So I believed in the Creator, I believe we come from a Korea, the way he broke it down is you are here to impress that creator, we know is worship our purpose, but it's like to impress that creator. So when he's saying impressed, he said because you're going to leave when you leave here, you return to that creator, no, you don't go blank canasa is over, you return to that creator, your soul is taken up and you return to that creator. And you'll be judged. Something can okay. And he said you'll be

judged on how you lived your life while he was here. How did you spend your time? How did you make your money? What did you do? What sort of things did you do everything you're doing now know that it's being written down by angels and angels or going to a school going into a book, everything and I'm saying that everything we're questioning is what everything you said everything things, you reveal the things you conceal the things you do in secret. Everything is written down in that book. And that's all going to come to light on your judgement day on Judgement Day. Everyone will see and you'll be judged depending on what is in your book will be how will you were you end up heaven or

hell. So this just made me think about the life I'm living. And this makes you God conscious on a daily basis. Now, before you do an action, think about the action. Is it an action that is going to impress God either you'll be pleased with? Or is it not an action that will impress God. And it was upon thinking like this that was bringing me narrative Islam. I started realizing Hold on. We're a bunch of people that live a life that just impresses the people that impresses the people around us. So before I do action, I wanted to go on stage and wrap and do things that would impress the people, the ones listening,

but I don't ever think about when to impress the Creator is he happy with that? So I might have an ego I might be that think be boastful. And the people might like this confidence I've got by that's God like a boastful person or

person with an ego does is this what was impressing the Creator, I might like to go and treat women and take her on holiday and buy a nice things and drive all the way from South London to North London to go see her. And she might be happy with that law. Look, he traveled so far to come and see me and take me to a nice restaurant. But is the creator happy with these things that I'm doing? That made me more God conscious and think about the things that is what is expected from me for my career. And I ended up asking this guy, you know what, next time you go to a bookshop, I want to come with you, I want to read some of the books you're reading, because he seemed like he had this

contentment I was looking for. And I did I went to the bookshop with him. And this is wasn't really my introduction to Islam. Going into the bookshop with him, it made me realize that this is my first introduction, I got a book called The true for the life for this world by Heron yahia. They didn't give me the quote, and they didn't recommend it. They said they recommend I read this book First, the truth of the life of this world. And from the title. I remember thinking this is exactly the sort of book I need to read, because that's what I wanted to know, what is the truth of the life of this world? Why are we here? And this is a question that's on a lot of people's minds. And I don't

feel like anyone

really could answer this question.

Until I came across this, this this thing this religion

will find that good reads,

clear out your mind in your heart of hatred,

and preconceived notions, racism and nationalism. Because you cannot have anything inside of you that like that against people and still be successful, we

must tell us we know that any sincere person if they really take a time out from their life to ponder what the purpose of life is, and if they ask the Creator, only the Creator, the God who created everything in his universe, the God of Jesus, the God of Mohammed, the God of Moses, the God of Noah, the God, who created this whole universe who's taking care of the bird in the air, the fishing is see the one who gives life who give death that one crate if you asked him earnestly to guide you, He will guide you. So refer before you came to this firm conviction, that Islam submission to the One God was the truth, based on logical, rational evidence that Islam provides?

Did you investigate some of the other world religions?

I investigate other religions to a certain degree. It was like it was more like their meaning and what do they stand for? etc?

And what is their form of worship? So basic like this. And I remember, at the age of 18, just turning 18 no turning 19

I remember thinking to myself, hold on.

Everything I do, I just do it because my parents done it. And why did they do it? Like celebrating Christmas? believing in Jesus and God and all these different things? Because my parents instilled in me from a young star, the school that I went to instilled in me, and where did they learn it from? Obviously, their parents instilled in them, etc, etc, etc. So I thought to myself,

where do we wait? Who do we just follow with the summation of the following following following? How do I know my parents got a right or their parents got a right, who actually went out and look for the truth? I said, this is why I'm going to teach this to my son, because this is the truth. Because I went out and looked for it. When an eyeful, I'm going to break the cycle. Why am I celebrating Christmas, Easter, I don't even know what these things mean. So

I thought, let me break the cycle. Instead of having children one day and teaching them what I was taught. Let me actually go out and try and find the truth. And we were investigating all religions, what they stood for, and what they kind of meant their meaning and their form of worship.

I felt like, wow, I remember guiding the English dictionary, Oxford dictionary is what you call it. And I sort of looked at what does a Muslim mean? Because upon finding out this meaning of a Muslim, I felt cheated. Like us holding this back from me. No one ever told me this religion was so simple, because when I left the church, I was in a position where I was thinking, I don't I remember feeling like, why would a prayer before eating food? I remember saying, look, we said like, Thank You, Jesus for this food or something we're about to receive. And I remember we take it in turns to do the prayer. And if I wanted to say, Thank you, God, for this food, it was a problem. And no major

problem was that problem. I said, Why? Why is this a problem? Why do you have to say Thank You, Jesus? Why not? Thank you, God. And what why would this be a problem? God is the Creator of all things. Why would it be a problem? And I remember having this little slight problem and this is so I remember being in an area where I didn't know what I believed. All I knew is that there definitely was a god a creator. And I'm just gonna pray to that God the Creator, I can't go wrong.

With that, and this is where I was in this, this gray area. Now, upon investigating all the religions, I remember finding out the meaning of what Islam is what a Muslim is. Those who surrender themselves to God is a Muslim. Those who surrender submit to God, God's will, that is it. And I checked out the meaning of other religions, etc. Now, when I went into dictionary, the Christian is the followers of Christ.

I'm thinking to myself, every religion that kind of looked into the elevated to me, it seemed like they elevated someone's status or something status, other than God, oven got to such a high level where they almost like worshipping that person, or that thing, if it's not Hail Mary, or Jesus, or Moses or

Haile Selassie, etc, they were elevated someone else's status.

A cow, this that. And I felt like Islam was pure, it was just, you just pray to God, your Creator. And I almost felt like Hold on a second.

If all of us was not influenced by our country that we was born in or raised in, or by our parents, and at the age of, let's say, 21, when you leave school, they say, oh, by the way, everyone has to choose their religion, and they put all these religions in front of you, and you had no influence. He was not biased at all. This would be the one with all belief. 99% of mankind would believe this, because it's the most believable, everyone could agree that there was created by God, because the fact is, the evidence is yourself. So you know, there's a God, because you look at your own human buddy, you look at nature. And then if you if this one religion, saying all you do is you submit to

that God, Mo say, well, that's the clearest, easiest, simplest, straightforward, black and white. God created me, I should submit to Him. How do I know that I should submit Jesus, I might get to judgment. Then God says, Why was you praying to Him when He didn't make you? And to Jesus? Did you tell these people to worship you? He said, No, I didn't tell him to worship me. So this is this is like taking a risk. And all of them was similar. And obviously, I take this life, I started taking this life very serious. I'm not here to take any risk. I just wanted to go with what was the most true semen in my heart. And this was Islam. This is why I ended up with Islam.

Muslim, Bella, tell us for some of the people out there sincere truth seekers who want to know the truth. But now they've been caught up misled by some of the false fallacies that are out there about Islam, for instance, oppression of women violence that has been associated with now it's one thing we know as Muslims, that Islam caused everything good, everything good, because God is good. And you only accept good. So tell us what do you have to say about that when you come across a person that has Islam associated with some of these bad things?

For the people who

put Islam with violence and crime and saying people oppressed, oppressed are women, etc.

Do you know all I can say is

Islam def is the opposite. It taught it teaches you manners and perfect your character is taught me manners and how to perfect my character and everything can the way you treat your women is like I said, in everything you do now, your God conscious. It was gonna be good to write down in my book. It's not good for the angels to write down in my book, while I'm here. He was someone who is aggressive and angry towards his wife. And he said treat her badly. This is not what I want. So I'm going to try and treat softly have understanding and try and please try and make her happy while she's here because I know the angels write that down is going to be good for me. I want her to I

want to be someone who had good character was good with my neighbor. retreat is not just about praying and fosston it said the woman the good character, good to your neighbor, and that doesn't just mean Muslims. The person the role model, we follow Mohammed Salah Salem, it was good to not just the Muslims, he had a beautiful character to most of the people who came across. So it's definitely teaches you good manners and not and with regards to fighting even with regards to fighting, we know that revenge is bad is better than forgive. You want to give Dawa you want to introduce people to this beautiful village carrot site teaches us to have a beautiful character and

to treat people in a beautiful way which you're going to get rewarded for and you know, blood spill and all these sort of things is very, very, very delicate situation. You know, in our religion, it says if you kill one, one person, without adjust reason, it's like you killed the whole of mankind. So this is shot this this alone shows we're not promoting this

I am not afraid.

I'm not afraid of

the Muslim allow tell us for those people who are still stuck chasing that lifestyle that you left behind the lifestyle of just fulfilling one's desires, a life of debauchery, a life that is not a life of goodness, but a life of confusion, chaos, no peace, just anxiety, a lot of anxiety, going to the clubs

chasing the opposite gender outside of marriage, alcohol, drugs, gambling,

the person that is living that lifestyle,

taking, for example, Jay Z, 50 cents, and Kanye West and all the other pop stars, movie stars, they're taking them as examples.

and wanting to lead a life that you live, but you left it, what advice do you give for them?

And some advice I have to these young men The advice I have for these young men who take these rap stars as their idols as their role models, these people who are

showing off their jewelry, their money on cars, etc. and their houses and their lifestyles. I understand why you want to be like them, I want you to be like them too. It's normal. We're raised. And we're in a world where we're exposed to this. And it looks like we want that happiness and it looks like they've gotten to happiness. But what I would say to you is know that it's an illusion is definitely an illusion. And we've got people that come from that life that spoke to us and explained that it's an illusion, explained look at the likes of

Junaid loon and matar bill Napoleon, they come from these lads and they've explained it's an illusion. We've got even the artists who are in their Britney Spears, pink, all these artists is they always complaining about their lives and going crazy, we know that it's an illusion. We've got role models, we've got role models. And my advice to the older Muslims is to we have to become role models, we have to become role models for these youngsters so that they can see an alternative of who they want to be like, when they go to the masjid they have to see like, I want to see all the Muslims dressed nice look like their life's amazing, show me that your life is good. So I want to be

like you don't come in and have beautiful voices when you're reciting the Quran. Do things that inspire the youngsters to want to be like you don't when we come there, you've got a bad attitude. And and we don't want to be that you and your close this little unit very messy and like a life business a job, like do things in Swain inspire these youngsters because they're going to take the others as role models, they're gonna look at them and say what their life looks much better than my Uncle, uncle G or uncle,

Khan or whatever, wherever these slides look much better, more fun to be role models for them. And another advice for youngsters is look at the sahabas. And look at the messengers of Allah. These are superstars. And these are role models. Definitely. And when you read about them, and you learn about them, you 100% would want to be like these people, when you see their mannerism. And these people we know that they're in, they're in paradise. So what do you not want to follow their footsteps? Because that's where we all want to get, we will want paradise. So definitely, it's better to follow their footsteps. Don't get caught up in shade, tons illusion, I was heading that way. And believe

me, there's nothing dead. That is better than this. So do not run towards a life that I'm running away from? Is it the advice I give to those youth, brother Muslim Bella, what about for the woman, the woman out there who are also needing some advice.

They've gotten caught up in this game, this game. And it's not healthy. Boy toys, being boys toys, and just getting caught up into the attention, seeking the intention from the boys from the men, and really getting used and abused. And you know what, we want the best for all of our women out there, that not yet Muslims and the Muslims, those who have submitted to the Word of God. So we want to give them advice because we want the best for everybody talk to us. advice to the women is

let's just be straightforward before a slump. My respect for women like you feel like exposing more skin, you're gonna get more attention, that attention is not good attention. That's bad attention. You're just creating false sense of desires going through that man's mind of things he wants to do. And that's it. He's not thinking about marrying you having children with you settling down with you. Those faults will only come after he spends a lot of time with you. And he finds out what's in your mind and that you're actually a good person. So

in Islam, what I've realized is that

What what you will have is your jewel, they will look off the you know, they'll respect you more, the women are treated looking at well, looking at music videos, the women are treated like trash, they just like post that goes that is there to look good to surround the men to make the men look better. That's it, you're not, you're not going to get like, you're not going to get respected. And you're not going to get looked at in a good way. Men we just we just if it wasn't for Islam before Islamic men, it was just you just come and go, you come into our life you go out of our life is nothing you get heartbroken, you get hurt. Now come into this, respect yourself, like a Jew, respect

yourself, dress in a in an appropriate manner, and get the respect that you deserve and get treated. Like the the

the beautiful woman you're supposed to get treated like this is this is. This is definitely I just want to say one thing I remember I was on Facebook, and one guy was asking questions, we're doing a question and answer thing. And I go said, but what if I want to pull up my eyebrows and do this and do that, because men won't be attracted to me if I don't do these things. So I have to I'm more attractive when I pluck them. We are attracted to what our Creator is attracted to. So I'm attracted to a woman, the more I see that she she sacrifices for the sake of a creator, the more I see that she's attached to a creator and she loves the line His Messenger is the more we're going to be

attracted to you. We're not going to be attracted to the things that you do which is displeasing to him, we're going to be attracted to the things that you do which are more pleasing to Him. So don't feel like you have to do these things. In order to seek attention from men. The things you have to do to get the right attention. The correct attention from a good man is do the things that pleases your Creator. Because we love what our create a lot and we hate what our Creator hates. This is what the good men and you want a good man to do these things. This is the advice to the women. Brother Muslim blog, can you go ahead and

sing us

or share with us one of those songs, the songs of inspiration towards good the songs that make a person think to really reflect that really captivate an individual who has kind of been hypnotized? tantalized mesmerized by the delights of this world. And sometimes when they hear some of the things of positivity that you come across in your poetry,

you know what, it has a really a great effect, can you go ahead and share some of it with us, please my brother.

Okay, I'm going to give a sample of one of my pieces, like,

I got into this poetry. Some people like to call it in a sheet or whatever, for me, I don't know what category it falls into. I prefer to say I'm just a speaker. And I speak in a way which do you understand and they can in the language which they understand and unnatural in a way which kind of entity in which grips them so because what two things I noticed is that when when we was leaving the masjid, and someone stand up and say there's a talk going on after this prayer about such and such by imams such and such a lot of the youth we don't want to stay for this talk, we want to leave, we want to get out our phones are ringing, we've got the world out there we want to go to this is the

natural stuff and natural distractions that are dunya. So what I had is, if he will say the upcoming Muslim Bala is going to be there during this poetry, the youth will be like oh, we want to go and listen to me is our app is this. So this was a way to attract the youth to come to these talks. And make sure it's not just entertainment. It's not just entertainment. At these talks, there will always be another person have more knowledge and a man or a shake, giving a talk. So we're trapping them we're attracting them. So I'm using it as a tool. Number one, this is one of the reasons for what I was doing. And the second thing is even in my own message, I don't just do it for

entertainment I don't look for entertainment is in order. Just like if you say to do a talk about how you came to Islam, I will do a talk on how I came to Islam in order to inspire people. I'm doing that but I just beautify my voice when I'm doing it. And I and it rhymes.

And it's a way where because you know when you do a talk sometimes people lose concentration after 10 minutes in this way I noticed that the youth they'll stay listening to it. And it was also an alternative, a replacement for music. A lot of people said they stopped listening to music, they started listening to this, etc or something else they can listen to in their car. So I like to talk about my concerns in Islam, my views, some advice for Muslim youth and my journey and hope to inspire them to like I said before, not to go towards a life which I'm running away from

a black slave. I came a long way from my old days. And now I live life in the slow lane. Making my way to my destination. I'm living like a black slave. I came along way

From my old days and now I live life in the slow lane may come my way to my destiny. Yeah, I was on the outside looking in a ghetto child lingo ring. Thinking Should I take it now? The fourth What does wave of rain when they made my daddy proud woman gonna say to him? Can I go back to my house Mommy, I'm a Muslim. How she gonna take it down? How are they going to take it in?

will end up kicked out? Will I get a kick in? I don't know what to do. I've got a plan my next move I want to take Shahada Sumo really got a finger fruit. Now what's right for me I have to do live for me and not for you. I don't believe that is true. The things I've read in the news is my choice. I'm a choose ain't got nothing to lose is a religion a truth, read the books found the proof. Ismail came to me sit me down and say to me, what's your purpose in life because it just was like a game to me. And I would think occasionally a smile was right. I need to fix up my life tonight could be my last night. So just before the summer year 2002 My mind's already had the one that now it's time to

make a move. I made my way down to my students who have been caught with my crew. I'm sitting on a single chair by my fingers through my hair. I said Joe is your Phil is your older brother here. Thankfully, he says yes, Maria was downstairs and there'll be up in a minute is up in a word with his mother. He comes up I tell him I want to take my Shahada. He looks at me and smiles and stand up Missy bahagi said, I see you as a friend of mine looking like a breath. Now I could feel the love. No longer feeling lost. He said, Take off your cross. It's a good drive to new cross. I met my uncle yoshua and his brothers from all over. And they said it's time to leave to go live way over your

shoulder. So I said Laila Illallah Muhammad Rasulullah there's no true God except Allah Muhammad is His Messenger. I didn't go in church no more ongoing Juma Friday straight Muslims on the hook but I wanted to get the front row I had to get the early he read the premier Arabic I understood it barely ready gotta learn it quick. got myself a teacher.

And then I went to Egypt so I can learn the language better. A feeling or an emotional aroma mamilla in Egypt feeling lonely wanting to find myself a lover. I tried to get married but I suffered a bit of racism. I remember he said she couldn't be me because my parents were Jamaican. I said hey, but I still pray and fast in Ramadan. And he said no Daughter of mine is mommy and a black man. I said, Okay, I made that up for you. And you know what, brother? This made the off for me too. I was just happy I'm a Muslim that came from the streets to Islam. They get Oh, now when I see my brother give a palm embrace with our hug and greet in with Salaam salaam

aleikum Amma Muslim that came from the streets to Islam they get Oh when I see my brother give upon embrace without hug angry and with Salaam Salaam mwah Aleikum to get in contact with me most of my work is

is we've we've got a website in the UK called roadside to Islam. So roadside number two Islam code.uk. And you can see a lot of my work on there. If you want to get in contact with me. I don't have my own personal website. But I have an email address specifically for people who want to book me or to just ask me anything. And the web, the email address is booking, B double o k i n g, Muslim, Bella Muslim, Mrs. Li, m l r b e. l [email protected]. So booking Muslim [email protected] So any questions or any bookings or invitations that anyone would like to have for me, they can contact me on this email address. I'm on Facebook as M balau. Chin, my surname, or I have another

Facebook which I use for people I've worked with a school called Ashley chin, my birth name and I'm on Twitter which is Ashley balau chin Mashallah thank you very much for being with us and sharing that with us, Muslim bow, and may God Almighty, the One God the Creator of all that exists, the one who gave us life who give us death, the one who wants nothing but good for us. So to do His will is the best of good to obey Him and all the wonderful things that he's told us to do and to stay away from all the things he's told us to stay away from. That's how we can be successful that create tour. That

is the one that I asked to reward you. So we started with peace we end with peace. Thank you very much Muslim Bala. Salaam Alaikum. I mean they made a Peace and blessings and mercy of Allah the Creator, be upon you to widecombe salam Rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh