Outlandish
Encyclopedia
Outlandish is a multi-award–winning hip-hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...

 group based in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

. Formed in 1997, it consists of Isam Bachiri
Isam Bachiri
Isam Bachiri is a Danish vocalist, rapper and songwriter for the multi-award winning hip hop group Outlandish. His family hails from Nador in the north-eastern part of Morocco.-Early life:...

 (born in Denmark and of Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...

 background), Waqas Ali Qadri
Waqas Ali Qadri
Waqas Ali Qadri is a Danish singer with Pakistani roots. He is a singer in the vocal group Outlandish, along with Isam Bachiri and Lenny Martinez.- Early life :...

 (born in Denmark and of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

i background), and Lenny Martinez (born in Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...

  and is of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...

n and Honduran
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...

 descent). All three members are religious, with Isam and Waqas being Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...

s and Lenny being Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

. The band members live in Brøndby Strand
Brøndby Strand
Brøndby Strand is a suburb in Brøndby Municipality, approximately 13 km south-west of central Copenhagen, Denmark-Overview:...

.

History (Bread & Barrels Of Water)

Outlandish's hip-hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...

/R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...

/soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...

 sound takes influences from their various backgrounds (Moroccan
Music of Morocco
The music of Morocco ranges and differs according to the various areas of the country.-Berber folk music:There are three varieties of Berber folk music: village and ritual music, and the music performed by professional musicians....

/Arab/Amazigh
Berber music
The Berber people is the indigenous and major ethnic group inhabiting North Africa and part of West Africa . Berbers call themselves "imazighen"...

, Pakistani
Music of Pakistan
The music of Pakistan includes diverse elements ranging from music from various parts of South Asia as well as Central Asian, Persian, Turkish, Arabic and modern day Western popular music influences...

/Punjabi and Latin American), and although their songs are primarily in English, they usually feature lyrics in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

, Urdu/Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...

, Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...

, and Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...

. Outlandish often include themes about Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and .   : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

 and contemporary issues facing young Muslims in the west in their music, and sometimes their songs define a unique nasheed-like urban genre.

Their first single "Pacific to Pacific" was used in connection with an Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...

 charity event. Next came the single "Saturday Night", a song that was later included on the soundtrack for the Danish film Pizza King. These singles were followed by their debut album, Outland's Official
Outland's Official
-Tracklisting:#"Intro"#"Walou"1#"Mano A Mano" #"Wherever"#"The Bond Between Us"#"Come On"#"Fatima's Hand"¹ #"CPH Moro" #"Love Joint"#"Stick 'Em Up" #"Ill Kebab"...

in 2000, which was only released in Denmark. The lead single, "Walou", was later included on their second album Bread & Barrels of Water
Bread & Barrels of Water
Bread & Barrels of Water is the second album by Outlandish. It was released in 2002. This album considered the real start of Outlandish. The international version of Bread & Barrels Of Water released at 2004 and it led Outlandish to the world popularity....

.

The singles from their second album made bigger impact on the international music charts, including their cover version of Khaled's
Khaled (musician)
Khaled Hadj Ibrahim , better known as Khaled, is a raï singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist born in Sidi El Houari in Oran Province of Algeria...

 "Aïcha
Aïcha
In 2003, the Danish hip hop band, Outlandish, recorded and released an English version of the song "Aicha" which was included in their album Bread & Barrels of Water and was produced & and musically performed by Mintman aka Carsten Mortensen . The song peaked at #2 in the Mega Single Top 100 for 2...

", which was a #1 hit in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 and received a lot of airplay across Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...

, especially in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

. "Guantanamo" also made a strong impression on the European charts. An old Hindi chorus interpolated it "Peelo" made it a hit amongst Indians living in the West.

For their third album, Closer than Veins
Closer Than Veins
Closer Than Veins is the third album by the Danish hip-hop group Outlandish, released in 2005.-Track listing:#Introspective#Any Given Time#Look Into My Eyes #Just Me#Kom Igen #Nothing Left To Do...

, the group recorded an English-language cover of León Gieco's
León Gieco
Raúl Alberto Antonio Gieco, better known as León Gieco is a pop-folk music composer and interpreter. He is known for mixing popular folkloric genres with Argentine rock, and for lyrics with social and political connotations...

's "Sólo le pido a Dios" ("I Only Ask of God").

Closer Than Veins

Closer Than Veins
Closer Than Veins
Closer Than Veins is the third album by the Danish hip-hop group Outlandish, released in 2005.-Track listing:#Introspective#Any Given Time#Look Into My Eyes #Just Me#Kom Igen #Nothing Left To Do...

(2005) is Outlandish's third album. The first single was "Look Into My Eyes". The song's lyrics are based on a poem by Gihad Ali, a Palestinian who wrote the piece when she was a teenager; the poem expresses the plight of those suffering from America’s foreign policy with regards to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

 and Palestine
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...

. The video is based around the fairy-tale Little Red Riding Hood
Little Red Riding Hood
Little Red Riding Hood, also known as Little Red Cap, is a French fairy tale about a young girl and a Big Bad Wolf. The story has been changed considerably in its history and subject to numerous modern adaptations and readings....

. It portrays an Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

i soldier as the Wolf and the Palestinian girl, wearing a Kaffiyeh, as Little Red Riding Hood.

This album showcased the group's more mature outlook compared to their previous works. Tracks such as "Just Me" and "Una Palabra" give a rare insight into the life in Europe today as seen through the eyes of ethnic minorities, whereas "Nothing Left To Do" perhaps the most daring and compelling track on the album boldly tackles the still taboo ridden issue of a young Muslim man catching HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...

:

Outlandish performed a live percussion version of "Look Into My Eyes" at the "Islamophobia
Islamophobia
Islamophobia describes prejudice against, hatred or irrational fear of Islam or MuslimsThe term dates back to the late 1980s or early 1990s, but came into common usage after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States....

" conference held in Copenhagen, Denmark in May 2006 which was hosted by the Islam Channel and included many theological and political speakers and community leaders. Their club thumping single "Kom Igen" is featured on EA's FIFA 07
FIFA 07
FIFA 07 is the 2007 edition of EA Sports' series of football simulator video games. Developed by EA Canada, it is published by Electronic Arts....

.

Outlandish included two new (bonus) tracks "In Good Hands" and "Angels Lower Their Wings" on the deluxe version of Closer Than Veins. They were the only Danish act performing at the European MTV Awards 2006
MTV Europe Music Awards 2006
The MTV Europe Music Awards hit Copenhagen at the Bella Center/Rådhuspladsen in 2006. The venue was made to feel like a VIP club with exclusive, intimate performances...

, where they also won the prize for Best Danish Act.

Closer than veins is Outlandish's second internally released album after their album Bread & Barrels of Water. With this album Outlandish has become a major band in Europe and has made great inroads in Eastern Europe.

The singles from this album ("Callin' U" ( Produced and played by Mintman  ), "Look Into My Eyes" & "I Only Ask of GOD") reached the European charts. In 2006 Outlandish won MTV European music award for their album Closer Than Veins and their single "Look Into My Eyes". BBC featured the band prominently describing it as a unique hip-hop R&B band. In 2007 the deluxe edition of Closer Than Veins released in UK for the first time. The album sold 2.3 million copies worldwide.

Recent Appearances and Activities

The band supported Sami Yusuf
Sami Yusuf
Sami Yusuf is a British singer-songwriter, composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist musician of Azeri origin.In 2003 Yusuf released his first album "Al-Mu`allim" at the age of 23, selling over two million copies...

 along with other nasheed artists at the "Concert for peace in Darfur
Darfur
Darfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...

" held at Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...

 in order to raise money for the families of genocide victims in the region.

The trio has participated in the Evening of Inspiration concerts (in aid of Islamic Relief
Islamic Relief
Islamic Relief Worldwide is a Muslim international relief and development organization consisting of a family of 15 aid agencies that aims to alleviate the suffering of the world’s poorest people...

 charity) since 2006 and most recently participated in the 2008 concert which also featured Seven8Six, Raihan
Raihan
Raihan is a Malaysian nasheed group originally composing of five members that took Malaysia by storm with the release of their debut album Puji-Pujian in October 1996. The group's original lineup comprised Nazrey Johani, Che Amran Idris, Abu Bakar Md Yatim, Amran Ibrahim, and Azhari Ahmad as the...

 and Kareem Salama
Kareem Salama
Kareem Salama is an Egyptian American musician. He is known as the first American Muslim country music singer. His music is a hybrid of country, pop and rock music...

 amongst fellow performers.". On 13 July 2008 Outlandish also performed at a concert for IslamExpo in London’s Olympia
Olympia, London
Olympia is an exhibition centre and conference centre in West Kensington, on the boundary between The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham, London, W14 8UX, England. It opened in the 19th century and was originally known as the National Agricultural Hall.Opened in 1886,...

, Europe’s largest Muslim cultural event.

They also performed at the 2008 Global Peace and Unity
Global Peace and Unity
The Global Peace and Unity event is an annual two-day conference held at the ExCeL Exhibition Centre in Royal Victoria Dock, London and organized by the Islam Channel. It is the largest Muslim, interfaith and multicultural event of its kind in Europe, having attracted over 55,000 visitors from...

 event where they performed many of their singles, including Aicha.

Isam Bachiri features on the single "Still Strong" on Native Deen
Native Deen
Native Deen is an Islamic musical group from the Washington, D.C. area. Native Deen's music combines a hip-hop style with lyrical themes grounded in Islam.The group uses percussion instruments and synthetic sounds...

's recent album "Not Afraid To Stand Alone."

Sound of a Rebel

Sound of a Rebel
Sound of a Rebel
Sound of a Rebel is the fourth studio album by the Danish hip-hop group Outlandish. It was released in Denmark on May 11, 2009. This was Outlandish’s come back album after 4 years of the band members working on solo projects...

, Outlandish's fourth major production, was released on May 11, 2009. The first single released from Sound of a Rebel
Sound of a Rebel
Sound of a Rebel is the fourth studio album by the Danish hip-hop group Outlandish. It was released in Denmark on May 11, 2009. This was Outlandish’s come back album after 4 years of the band members working on solo projects...

 was Rock All Day. The album is a departure from earlier work in many respects. The religious and social content has been toned down and the album features two collaborations with female vocalists, a first for the group.

Music With Meaning

The band has recently helped to form an umbrella organization, Music With Meaning, which aims to bring together like-minded artists in order to promote and produce inspirational and meaningful music. Its motto is: "If you stand for nothing, you will fall for anything."

Albums

  • 2000: Outland's Official
    Outland's Official
    -Tracklisting:#"Intro"#"Walou"1#"Mano A Mano" #"Wherever"#"The Bond Between Us"#"Come On"#"Fatima's Hand"¹ #"CPH Moro" #"Love Joint"#"Stick 'Em Up" #"Ill Kebab"...

  • 2002: Bread & Barrels of Water
    Bread & Barrels of Water
    Bread & Barrels of Water is the second album by Outlandish. It was released in 2002. This album considered the real start of Outlandish. The international version of Bread & Barrels Of Water released at 2004 and it led Outlandish to the world popularity....

  • 2004: Beats, Rhymes & Life
    Beats, Rhymes & Life
    Outlandish Presents... Beats, Rhymes & Life is a collaborative album released in 2004 by Outlandish and featuring collaborations with artists including The Fugees, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Junoon.-Tracklisting:#"Walou"...

  • 2005: Closer Than Veins
    Closer Than Veins
    Closer Than Veins is the third album by the Danish hip-hop group Outlandish, released in 2005.-Track listing:#Introspective#Any Given Time#Look Into My Eyes #Just Me#Kom Igen #Nothing Left To Do...

  • 2009: Sound of a Rebel
    Sound of a Rebel
    Sound of a Rebel is the fourth studio album by the Danish hip-hop group Outlandish. It was released in Denmark on May 11, 2009. This was Outlandish’s come back album after 4 years of the band members working on solo projects...


Solo Efforts

  • 1999: Ajooba (Waqas Qadri's Debut Solo album)
  • 2007: Institution (Isam Bashiri's Debut Solo album)
  • 2008: Øko Logik (Waqas Qadri's Second Solo album)
  • 2009: 2200 Carmen (Isam Bashiri's Second Solo album)
  • 2011: Basement Biriyani Vol. 1 (Waqas Qadri's Third Solo album)

Non-Album Singles

  • "Belly Dance" (feat. Caroline) (Later included in Bread & Barrels of Water)
  • "Man binder os på mund og hånd"
  • "Pacific to Pacific" (in connection with an Amnesty International
    Amnesty International
    Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...

     -- also included in Pizza King" OST)
  • "Saturday Night" (from "Pizza King" OST)
  • "Kun Min" (Only Mine)
  • "angels lower their wings"
  • "Keep it Halal" (feat. Scorzayzee
    Scorzayzee
    Dean Palinczuk, better known as Scorzayzee or a slew of aliases including Scorz and Scorzilla The Gorilla, is an English rapper.-Biography:...

    )
  • "Strange Are the Times" (Exclusive SonyEricsson W902 and W595 mobile phone packs, called Outlandish Pack)
  • ""After Every Rainfall" (Charity song for Pakistan)

Collaborations and Appearances on Other Artists' Albums

  • 1999: "The Eternal Q" - Acorn (Album: "Limitless Prospects" Tack: 5/9)
  • 1999: "Det Går Ned" (Feat. Waqas Ali) - Cas (Album: Funkalation Track: 17/18)

  • 2000: "Derfor Er Jeg" (Feat. Waqas Ali & Burhan G) - Cas (Album: Reflexion Track: 4/15)
  • 2000: "Guld & Platin" (Feat. Isam B) - Karen (Album: "En Til En" Track: 3/13)

  • 2001: "Jealousy (Feat. Outlandmoro)" - Funk Flush (Album: Barfly Legends Track: 3/13) [Outlanmoro - refers to Outlandish & Majid]
  • 2001: "El Campo" - Majid (Album: "Life, Knowledge and Poetry" Track: 15/16)

  • 2002: "The Game" - Acorn (Album: "The Sicknature" Tack: 5/9)
  • 2002: "Till The Last Day" (Feat. Warlocks, Eye 'N' I, Curse, Samir, Outlandish, YOR123, Ezkimo) - Rockin Da North (Album: RDN Allstars Track: 8/18)

  • 2005: "Try Not To Cry" - Sami Yusuf (Album: My Ummah Track: 5/20)
  • 2005: "Meditate" (feat. Waqas Ali) - Seven 8 Six (Album: Straight Path Track: 6/13)

  • 2006: "Hlash" (Feat. Eslam Jawaad, Isam Bachiri, Freeman, and Cilvaringz) - Salah Edin (Album:"The Official Mixtape" Track: 15/19)

  • 2007: "Still Strong" (feat. Isam B) - Native Deen (Album: "Not Afraid To Stand Alone" Track: 6/21)
  • 2007: "Tu Me Illenas" (feat. Waqas Ali) - Yadam (Album: Confesión Track: 11/12)
  • 2007: "Where Ur Heart's At" (feat. Waqas Ali) - The Gypsies (Album: One Hand Up Track: 13/13)

  • 2010: "I Swear (El Moro Remix)" - Shizzio (Album: I Swear (Single) Track: 1/2)
  • 2010: "Desert Walk" - Kato (Album: Discolized Track:3/15)

  • "Tied To The Chain" (Feat. Waqas Ali) - Sofia Hayat (Album: Dishonour)

Videography

  • "Aicha"
  • "Walou"
  • "Guantanamo"
  • "Look Into My Eyes"
  • "Kom Igen"
  • "I Only Ask of God"
  • "Callin' U"
  • "Kun Min" (Be Mine)
  • "Rock All Day"
  • "Feels Like Saving The World"
  • "Keep The Record On Play"
  • "Let Off Some Steam" (Sound Of A Rebel - 2010)
  • "TriumF" feat. Providers
    Providers
    Providers is a Danish hip hop, R&B and pop song production team made up of Jeppe Federspiel and Rasmus Stabell.Jeppe Federspiel and Rasmus Stabell started as musicians playing drums. Years later, they joined forces to form Providers, an urban production team...

    (2011 single)

External links

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