Qusai (musician)
Encyclopedia
Qusai Kheder known by the stage names Qusai and Qusai aka Don Legend the Kamelion, is a Saudi Arabia
n 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.
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
, and as a co-host, with Raya Abirached
, on MBC4's Arabs Got Talent.
in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and raised in Jeddah
. A fan of hip-hop since childhood,. Kheder began performing and DJing at the age of 15.
At age 17 in 1996, Kheder moved to the United States to attend college, first to Vermont
, and later to Orlando, Florida
. 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. Legend performed regularly at several performance venues and music events in the Orlando area during the early to mid-2000s. He also performed in shows in Chicago, Atlanta, New York, and other major US cities.
Qusai records and performs in both Arabic and English, and is the first Arab hip-hop artist to do so. 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. Qusai continues to perform throughout Europe and the Middle East.
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.Hip Hop Na became the first Arabic hip-hop show and the flagship show for MTV Arabia. 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.
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
n rapper, singer/songwriter, record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, television personality, and DJ
Deejay
A deejay is a reggae or dancehall musician who sings and toasts to an instrumental riddim .Deejays are not to be confused with disc jockeys from other music genres like hip-hop, where they select and play music. Dancehall/reggae DJs who select riddims to play are called selectors...
. Signed to Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
-based Platinum Records, Qusai is the first professional rapper from the nation of Saudia Arabia.
In addition to his music career, Qusai has appeared on television as the co-host of Hip Hop Na
Hip Hop Na
Hip Hop Na, literally meaning "Our Hip Hop" in Arabic, is a popular hip hop talent-huting programme that aired on MTV Arabia in 2007. It was hosted by ‘Fredwreck’ Nassar & Qusai Kheder. The show,held auditions in various countries in the Middle East with the grand finale held in Dubai.MTV Hip HopNa...
on MTV Arabia
MTV Arabia
MTV Middle East, formerly MTV Arabia, is a free-to-air music television channel, and the Middle Eastern incarnation of MTV. As an addition to the MTV network, it is a joint venture between MTV Networks International and Arabian Television Network, a subsidiary of Arabian Broadcasting Network, and...
with hip-hop producer Fredwreck
Fredwreck
Farid Karam Nassar, better known as Fredwreck is a record producer from Los Angeles, California. He got his big break when he became a producer for Dr. Dre's newly founded Aftermath Records label, and went on to work with Snoop Dogg's record label Dogghouse Records and became a known producer on...
, and as a co-host, with Raya Abirached
Raya Abirached
Raya Abirached is a Lebanese British TV presenter and producer based in London.She is well known in the Middle East as the host of hit show Arabs Got Talent, the Arab version of America's Got Talent, and for being the first Arabic journalist to...
, on MBC4's Arabs Got Talent.
Early years and early music career
Qusai Kheder was born in RiyadhRiyadh
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and raised in Jeddah
Jeddah
Jeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The...
. A fan of hip-hop since childhood,. Kheder began performing and DJing at the age of 15.
At age 17 in 1996, Kheder moved to the United States to attend college, first to Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, and later to Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
. He received a Bachelor's degree in Management Information Systems in 2002 from the University of Central Florida
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
and an MBA from Webster University
Webster University
Webster University is an American non-profit private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Webster University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools...
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. Legend performed regularly at several performance venues and music events in the Orlando area during the early to mid-2000s. He also performed in shows in Chicago, Atlanta, New York, and other major US cities.
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. 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.Qusai records and performs in both Arabic and English, and is the first Arab hip-hop artist to do so. 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
Middle East Broadcasting Center
The Middle East Broadcasting Center Group is the first private free-to-air satellite broadcasting company in the Arab World which was launched in London in 1991 and later moved to its headquarters in Dubai in 2002. MBC Group provides multiple channels of information, interaction and entertainment...
television network to coincide with Mother's Day (March 21) in 2009. Qusai continues to perform throughout Europe and the Middle East.
In addition to his music, Qusai began working in television as well. He and fellow Arabic hip hop artist Fredwreck
Fredwreck
Farid Karam Nassar, better known as Fredwreck is a record producer from Los Angeles, California. He got his big break when he became a producer for Dr. Dre's newly founded Aftermath Records label, and went on to work with Snoop Dogg's record label Dogghouse Records and became a known producer on...
hosted Hip Hop Na
Hip Hop Na
Hip Hop Na, literally meaning "Our Hip Hop" in Arabic, is a popular hip hop talent-huting programme that aired on MTV Arabia in 2007. It was hosted by ‘Fredwreck’ Nassar & Qusai Kheder. The show,held auditions in various countries in the Middle East with the grand finale held in Dubai.MTV Hip HopNa...
(Our Hip-Hop), a hip-hop talent search contest show, for MTV Arabia
MTV Arabia
MTV Middle East, formerly MTV Arabia, is a free-to-air music television channel, and the Middle Eastern incarnation of MTV. As an addition to the MTV network, it is a joint venture between MTV Networks International and Arabian Television Network, a subsidiary of Arabian Broadcasting Network, and...
in 2007.Hip Hop Na became the first Arabic hip-hop show and the flagship show for MTV Arabia. 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.
Discography
Independent releases
- The Life of a Lost Soul (2002)
- The Rebirth of Kamelion: American-Made, Arabic Original (2005)
- Urban Legacy - A Musical Evolution (2005)
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 NaHip Hop NaHip Hop Na, literally meaning "Our Hip Hop" in Arabic, is a popular hip hop talent-huting programme that aired on MTV Arabia in 2007. It was hosted by ‘Fredwreck’ Nassar & Qusai Kheder. The show,held auditions in various countries in the Middle East with the grand finale held in Dubai.MTV Hip HopNa...
, MTV ArabiaMTV ArabiaMTV Middle East, formerly MTV Arabia, is a free-to-air music television channel, and the Middle Eastern incarnation of MTV. As an addition to the MTV network, it is a joint venture between MTV Networks International and Arabian Television Network, a subsidiary of Arabian Broadcasting Network, and... - 2009: Beit el Hip Hop, Wanasah TV
- 2011: Arab's Got Talent, MBC4