- Qusai (musician)
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Qusai 
QusaiBackground information Birth name Qusai Kheder Also known as Don Legend, The Kamelion Born May 21, 1978
Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaOrigin Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Orlando, Florida, United StatesGenres Arabic hip hop Occupations Rapper, singer/songwriter, record producer, television personality, DJ Years active 1993–present Labels Platinum Records Associated acts Urban Legacy, D-Light, Fredwreck Qusai Kheder (in Arabic: قصي خضر, born May 21, 1978), known by the stage names Qusai and Qusai aka Don Legend the Kamelion, is a Saudi Arabian rapper, singer/songwriter, record producer, television personality, and DJ. Signed to Dubai-based Platinum Records, Qusai is the first professional rapper from the nation of Saudia Arabia.[1][2]
In addition to his music career, Qusai has appeared on television as the co-host of Hip Hop Na on MTV Arabia with hip-hop producer Fredwreck,[3][4] and as a co-host, with Raya Abirached, on MBC4's Arabs Got Talent.[5]
Contents
Biography
Early years and early music career
Qusai Kheder was born in Riyadh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,[6] and raised in Jeddah.[7] A fan of hip-hop since childhood,.[7] Kheder began performing and DJing at the age of 15.[1]
At age 17 in 1996, Kheder moved to the United States to attend college, first to Vermont, and later to Orlando, Florida.[8] He received a Bachelor's degree in Management Information Systems in 2002 from the University of Central Florida and an MBA from Webster University in 2004. While attending the University of Central Florida, Kheder, as Don Legend, partnered with fellow MC/producer Eric Casey (aka E-Cleazy/Eva Clear) to start Eyesomnia Productions, a hip-hop/R&B production company.
With the introduction of new partners, Eyesomnia Productions evolved into Eyesomnia Enterprises by 2004. Under the Eyesomnia label, Don Legend released two solo albums, and also recorded two EPs and a full album as part of the duo Urban Legacy with fellow MC D-Light. The track "Jeddah (My Hometown City)" from his first independent album, The Life of a Lost Soul, began a buzz for the artist in his hometown back in Saudi Arabia.[7] Legend performed regularly at several performance venues and music events in the Orlando area during the early to mid-2000s.[1] He also performed in shows in Chicago, Atlanta, New York, and other major US cities.[1]
Return to Saudi Arabia
Don Legend returned to Saudi Arabia in 2005, changing his stage name to Qusai and signing with Platinum Records, based in Dubai. His first album for Platinum was 2008's Don Legend the Kamelion, which sold over 20,000 copies in the Middle East and remained the number one album on the KSA Music Master charts for three consecutive weeks.[6] His second album, Experimental Edutainment (2010), sold 30,000 copies and was the number one album on the Virgin top albums chart in the Gulf Region for four consecutive weeks. These sales were achieved without international distribution or online sales.[6]
Qusai records and performs in both Arabic and English, and is the first Arab hip-hop artist to do so.[2][9] Two of his singles, "The Wedding" (2008) and "The Job" (2010) have been number-one songs on Wanasah's Top 10 list and on 103 MBC FM. The video for Qusai's single "Mother" premiered on the MBC television network to coincide with Mother's Day (March 21) in 2009.[10] Qusai continues to perform throughout Europe and the Middle East.[4]
In addition to his music, Qusai began working in television as well. He and fellow Arabic hip hop artist Fredwreck hosted Hip Hop Na (Our Hip-Hop), a hip-hop talent search contest show, for MTV Arabia in 2007.[4]Hip Hop Na became the first Arabic hip-hop show and the flagship show for MTV Arabia.[3] In 2009, Qusai and Fredwreck began hosting Beit el Hip Hop (The House of Hip-Hop) on Wanasah TV. On January 14, 2011, Qusai began appearing as the co-host, with Raya Abi Rached, of Arab's Got Talent on MBC4.[5]
Discography
Qusai live in concert at the Jeddah Ghair Summer Carnival, June 2008.
Independent releases
- The Life of a Lost Soul (2002)
- The Rebirth of Kamelion: American-Made, Arabic Original (2005)
- Urban Legacy - A Musical Evolution (2005)
Major label releases
- Don Legend the Kamelion (2008)
- Experimental Edutainment (2010)
Singles and music videos
- 2008: "The Wedding"
- 2008: "Hayo Al-Saudi"
- 2009: "That's Life"
- 2009: "Mother"
- 2010: "The Job"
- 2010: "Any Given Day"
- 2010: "Father"
- 2011: "Everyone Can Play"
Television work
- 2007: Hip Hop Na, MTV Arabia
- 2009: Beit el Hip Hop, Wanasah TV
- 2011: Arab's Got Talent, MBC4
External links
References
- ^ a b c d Dahlawia, Faizal (May 2010). "Making Hip-Hop History". Arabian Man.
- ^ a b (April 8, 2010). "Top Arab hip hop artist to perform at AUD Idol on tonight" [Press release].
- ^ a b (October 22, 2007). "The Arab World Wants Its MTV". Bloomberg BusinessWeek.
- ^ a b c Alosaimi, Najah. (May 6, 2008). "Saudi Rapper Gives Hip-Hop a Hejazi Twist". ArabNews.com
- ^ a b (January 11, 2011). "And now, Arabia's got talent hits TV screens". Emirates 24/7
- ^ a b c (April 29, 2008). "Qusai and Jeddah Legends - The Wedding". 50 Ctotnhkn [Article in English, website in Bulgarian]
- ^ a b c Wilkinson, James (2008). "The boy with the Arab rap: Saudi hip hopper Qusai Khidr tells James Wilkinson about rap, politics, social issues and freedom of speech". Time Out Abu Dhabi.
- ^ "Qusai (Saudi Arabia/Florida)". Hip Hop Diplomacy
- ^ Selimi, Hamdan (March 25, 2010). "Qusai invades the Algerian rai...and hopes to duet with Cheb Khaled" [in Arabic]. Mbc.net.
- ^ Sharawi, Mohannad (2009). "Saudi rap song released to mark Mother’s Day". The Saudi Gazette.
Categories:- Living people
- 1978 births
- Hip hop record producers
- Saudi Arabian male singers
- University of Central Florida alumni
- Webster University alumni
- People from Jeddah
- Arab rappers
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