Music playing part in unifying societies Group takes risks to pursue own path 
Soul, Rap and Hip Hop music genres are not what the Arab region considers music that that expresses the Arab world, as music language of every culture around the world is considered as unique as its speaking language.
However, that did not stop Kuwait’s Hip Hop group Army of One, a band that has introduced the region to the American-based genres by mixing them with authentic Arabian beats.
As the pioneers in overcoming boundaries and obstacles that hinder musical expression in the Arab world, the Army of One have strived to show the region that all is possible provided that risks are taken and dreams are pursued. Now, their music is played on our very own FM stations and bloggers are raving about their work.
Formed in 2002, the group has released two official albums to date and currently they are working on a third project. The Army of One has four members from Kuwaiti, Palestinian and Sudanese backgrounds - Daffy, QB, Dub G and Arab Face. Each member has brought their own heritages into the music.
One of the group’s members is Hadi Khamis, known as QB. Hadi spoke with the Arab Times about the risks the group has taken in pursuing their talents in the conservative region and the obstacles they have had to face.
QB says that the Army of One has always found support among their friends and family in Kuwait, even if the Kuwaiti government was not very cooperative at the start.
“We’ve had many canceled shows here and shows that have been stopped because a number of people were discovered dancing. It was very depressing…Sometimes we are ready to perform and all the props have been set up but then security officers arrive and stop the show, even if we have a license to perform. In Kuwait, even if you have a license, a whole show can be stopped if a person is caught dancing,” he revealed.
However, QB believes that talented individuals are choosing to remain silent about their creativity because they are either scared of any backlash from the more conservative members of society or they are afraid to put themselves out there and be scrutinized and face criticism for their work. It all about determination, he stated.
“It is just a matter of putting one’s self out there and taking risks. There are plenty of individuals who have talent in Kuwait but they are not taking risks and becoming bold enough to go out there and take a chance with their music,” he said.
Read on to learn more about the Army of One….
Question: How did the Army of One begin?
Answer: Before the Army of One I used to participate in talent shows at the Universal American School (UAS). I liked the idea of performing and singing and I used to play different songs and sing to them. My friends and family encouraged me to perform and so I participated in the talent shows. People loved it and came up to me and requested me to keep doing it.
That is how I began performing and I got noticed by people from other schools. When I graduated, one of the guys in our group and my friend ‘Dub G’ invited me to a studio which belongs to one of his producer friends, Nawaf Ghrebah. We sang for him and he loved it and from there Dub G and I started singing together.
After a while, ‘Face’, who is Dub’s cousin heard about what we are doing from Canada and wanted to join with his friend ‘Spirol’ (who is not a member anymore) and so did my DJ friend ‘Daffy’ and Kuwaiti Rapper ‘Felony’ (who is not a member anymore). Felony was already a well known Rapper in Kuwait and he and Spirol remain very supportive of the group.
We made an underground album called ‘Alien Nation’ and began selling it in 2003. We got a good feedback and our names started to get recognized. We were just doing it for fun at that time and didn’t think about pursuing a record deal. However, our producer, NG, said why don’t we come up with 16 songs and take them to Dubai and see what we can do with it.
We didn’t take it seriously; we just went along with it. He took the songs and went to Dubai and came back with a signed record deal with Megastar, which is the biggest record label in the Middle East. He said that we have one month to finish the album and then we can begin a tour. We were shocked because it was such a big step for us to getting somewhere. So we finished 11 songs and we came up with our first official album called ‘Representin’, which was promoted in the Gulf region and was sold in Virgin Megastore. From there, the Army of One took off.
Our music is of the Hip Hop and Rap genre but with an Arabic feel to it. Every single person of our group has a different style. I sing the high notes, ‘Face’ sings the middle noted, ‘Daffy’ sings the deep notes. ‘Dub G’ is the hardcore rapper and ‘Felony’ is the funny rapper. Everyone has their style in music.
We have performed in Kuwait, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain. Our best show was when we did an opening for a Canadian artist called Massari in Dubai in 2006. Around 7000 people attended the show. It was well organized and the crowd was very open and interactive with us. From my perspective, the crowd is what makes a show successful. If they are too quite and reserved then it will not be a good show for you no matter how much you try.
Q: Is music currently the top priority of the group as a whole?
A: We have always been interested in music but you have to separate it from your official work life and set your priorities straight. Our third album is supposed to finish in two months and it requires dedication because there are steps you have to take such as editing, advertising and touring. Our second official album ‘Hush’ came out in 2004 since 2004 we haven’t released another album because we had people that wanted to finish their studying and people who are working.
Q: How do you believe your music is received in the region and what is the message you want to send to the Arab world?
A: Our number one message is: if we did it, then you can do it as well. Constantly people believe that they can’t achieve what Tupac achieved or get to where Beyonce is at. They think that Hip Hop only lives in the USA. But you can do what you want to do if you motivate yourself and believe that everything is possible.
When we first decided to drop our first album ‘Representing’ in Kuwait, the government actually stopped it from being released. They actually told us that they don’t want Kuwaiti people singing in English. When we went to the Ministry of Information to release the album, they started to make excuses to stop the album from being released. But they allowed us to have a temporary release to assess whether the Kuwaiti market will be open to it.
The album sold around 14,000 copies in the first two weeks and it was sold out under-the- table as well. When the ministry saw that people are buying the album the second album was released as well.
It was so risky. We were the first group to release an English language album sung by Arabs in the Gulf. You couldn’t predict how people will react to such a move, if they are going to love it or hate it. We just gave it a shot and I’m glad to say that everyone was receptive to it. The only thing we wish we could have had is competition, because then the group will be motivated to prove itself and become even better.
Q: Have you receive any negative feedback from Kuwaiti society and were there any restrictions to your music by the government?
A: We haven’t got a really negative backlash only constructive criticism. Our family and friends were very encouraging and supportive to us from the beginning. However, it is easier to do concerts in other Gulf countries such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Bahrain but not in Kuwait. We’ve had many canceled shows here and shows that have been stopped because a number of people were discovered dancing. It was very depressing.
The only shows that have not been stopped were the ones sponsored by the National Bank of Kuwait (NBK). Sometimes we are ready to perform and all the props have been set up but then security officers arrive and stop the show, even if we have a license to perform. In Kuwait, even if you have a license, a whole show can be stopped if a person is caught dancing.
We were requested once to perform in Marina Waves. They said that they would set up the stage up for us and all we had to do is do a sound test and show up at the date to perform. When the day arrived, the whole hall was packed with people and we were really excited to do the show. All of a sudden security officers showed up and said that we cannot perform. Our sponsor was Red Bull and even they couldn’t do anything about it.
Q: How do you think music affects the lives of people in the Arab region?
A: Music is a great stress reliever but it is also a method of self expression. Since the beginning of mankind, music has always been a part of every culture around the world. It is a necessary aspect of every society.
If you look at the recent revolutions in the Middle East, music has played a large part in unifying the societies and has pumped them up enough to stand up for themselves. When there is a crisis, the first thing a people turn to is music to express their emotions and stress. For example, DJ Outlaw did a song for Bahrain called ‘Ana Bahraini’. It got 3000 hits on YouTube and a huge number of supportive comments during the first day alone. All cultures and societies around the world identify with the universal language of music.
Q: What advice would you like to give young individuals who want to pursue a dream of performing and English language music?
A: People in the region have really good taste in music in both English and in Arabic. The number of people who like to listen to English music has been increasing for the past four to five years. Even the ones who are conservative in nature are listening to Rap and Hip Hop.
There are plenty of individuals who have talent in Kuwait but they are not taking risks and becoming bold enough to go out there and take a chance with their music. They believe that they are oppressed or not allowed to do this or do that, but actually their sense of captivity is only in their minds. It is true that Kuwait is limiting individuals’ creativity and talent, but we can’t blame everything on the society’s rules.
I believe that talented individuals are choosing to remain silent about their creativity because they are either scared from any backlashes from the more conservative members of society or they are afraid to put themselves out there and be scrutinized and face criticism for their work. The Army of One has faced many obstacles, but we have overcome them because we were determined to realize our dreams. It all about determination.
biography
QB – Hadi Kamis
School: Universal American School (UAS)
University: Limkokwing University - Interior Architecture
Worked in Blue Grey Advertising, Brainstorm, and Al-Anbaa Newspaper
Currently freelancing as an interior architect
Army of One by Alien Records - Arab Face, Daffy, Dub G and QB
Album 1: ‘Reprezentin’’ was released 2004
Album 2: ‘Hush’ was released 2006
By: Nihal Sharaf