Ahmad Balshe

“When I approach my mixtapes I'm very calculated.”

“My songwriting has brought so much to me as an artist and my ability that I have as an artist has brought so much to my songwriting that they live off each other. Without one, the other one dies.”

“I'll just write with no music, no nothing and then try to apply it to music and sometimes, a beat will speak to me.”

“I have a good life... I wouldn't jeopardize the good life that we worked so hard to get.”

“I reached all the accomplishments that I planned out to reach in Canada.”

“I wanted to show, like, neighborhoods in Canada and Europe and stuff like that are integrated with all of us, you know what I mean? People live together harmoniously and they teach each other culture and they teach each other things that school can't teach you, only real life can teach.”

“I don't be bringing harm to people.”

“I think taking back the term 'mumble rap' was important to me because I appreciate and love every facet of hip-hop and everything that's going on right now in the game, so I felt it kind of disrespectful that people kept referring to that whole genre as 'mumble rap.'”

“I bring nothing but love and joy to everything I do when it comes to this music... I just want to see people smile more when they see me instead of reading my name and getting a preconception of what I am.”

“Yeah, I'm a young immigrant and I came to Canada with nothing.”

“A lot of people are ashamed to talk about mental illness. To me, it's power to give people that.”

“I live in that studio. I make music when they party. I make music when they go on romantic trips and on vacations. I'm working. That's what I do. This really has all my attention all the time.”

“You know, just being recognized for anything musically for me has been, like incredible because this is all I do, this is all I got. So whenever people can recognize and acknowledge that I'm out here working and doing the best that I can and it's actually paying off and doing something for me, it's a blessing.”

“I'm really working towards perfecting my craft every single day.”

“A lot of people don't understand that refugees especially, are fleeing situations that are affecting their livelihood and their children's livelihood.”

“Me and DJ Mustard linked up, as we both respected each other's art and wanted to work together.”

“It's hard for me to be open with anybody else. I can say that I lost relationships over that.”

“Labeling it 'political' is not going to stop me from talking about it.”

“I feel like as much as there's a little pocket of people who do know me, there's a whole bigger pocket that doesn't and I want them to know me and understand who I am for real before making pre-judgments.”

“A lot of times I don't really work with people based on a look. I work with people I know, and that I think would bring something to the music. Ultimately I think that's the best way to go about it.”