A chance encounter got Nooriyah into the world of radio hosting from which she began to DJ and curate music mixes. Her visually rich music compilations were unique, highlighting how some of the most iconic Western pop songs sampled Arabic melodies. When she started posting them on Instagram and Twitter, they quickly went viral. 

Growing up between Saudi Arabia, Japan and the UK, Nooriyah is now known for her vividly diverse music sets that blend music from around the globe. At the end of 2022, Nooriyah played a phenomenal Boiler Room set that cemented her role in the DJ hall of fame and gained international acclaim. In this episode, Nooriyah speaks to Dana Ballout about her journey into the world of DJing, how she founded ‘Middle of Nowhere’ to champion sounds of the diaspora as well as the importance of representation on the dancefloor. 

This episode is hosted by Dana Ballout, produced by Al Shaibani and edited by Heba El-Sherif. Fact checking was by Laura Wahied and sound design and mixing by Ahmed Mitry. Bella Ibrahim, Soumaya Bouabdellah, Malak Jarrar, Nadine El Shiaty, Tala Toukley, and Ahmed Salhab handle our marketing, and Batould Khalifeh is our operations manager. 

Al Empire is a production of Kerning Cultures Network.

Find a transcript for this episode at kerningcultures.com/al-empire.

Watch Season 3 of al empire on YouTube.

Danny Hajjar referenced in this episode: https://www.saalounielnas.com/ 

Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $2 a month.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There wasn’t a huge emphasis on music education when Majid Al Maskati was growing up in his home country of Bahrain. But an unlikely chain of events would somehow lead this young man with big dreams from a small Gulf island to co-create a hit single for Drake and get signed under his label. In this episode, Majid speaks to Hebah Fisher about his musical awakening that started with him and his producing partner Jordan Ullman making songs together from a dorm room and a basement. Eventually the pair would become the renowned R&B duo Majid Jordan. Hear Majid tell his story: his upbringing, the CD that brought him fame, a magical Coachella performance and hopes for the future. 

This episode is hosted by Hebah Fisher and Dana Ballout. It was produced by Ban Barkawi, Finbar Anderson, and Hager Eldaas and was edited by Heba El-Sherif. Fact checking was by Tamara Juburi and sound design and mixing by Youssef Douazou. Batoul Khalifeh is our operations manager. 

Al empire is a production of Kerning Cultures Network.

Find a transcript for this episode at kerningcultures.com/al-empire.

Watch Season 3 of al empire on YouTube.

Songs featured in this episode:

Hold Tight - Majid Jordan

Hold On, We’re Going Home - Drake ft Majid Jordan

Songs referenced in this episode:

Chill Pad Deluxe - Majid Jordan

After Hours Mixtape

Take Off Your Cool - Outkast

One More Time - Daft Punk

Buy U a Drank - T-Pain

Oceans - Majid Al Maskati

White Among the Blue - Majid Al Maskati

Waves of Blue - Majid Jordan

This episode is supported by Calo, an app that provides personalized meal plan subscriptions. Download Calo here https://bit.ly/41il08u to get 10% off using code KC10. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Young Maha Abouelenein was always full of confidence. It was a trait her dad instilled in her from a very young age and she carried it with her throughout her life. It helped her launch her career in Egypt in the late 90s, starting in the telecoms business and later navigating several industries to become the renowned communications superstar she is today. 

In this inspiring conversation, Maha speaks to Dana Ballout about how a little Egyptian girl raised in a small Minnesota town goes on to build an empire that straddles the US and the Middle East. She opens up about her journey to bridge the cultural differences in communication styles between the two regions and her experience in managing the personal brands of celebrity clients including Gary Vaynerchuk, Karen Wazen and others. 

This episode was produced by Ban Barkawi, edited by Heba El-Sherif and hosted by Dana Ballout. Fact checking was by Deena Sabry and sound design and mixing by Monzer El-Hachem. Batoul Khalifeh is our operations manager.

al empire is a production of Kerning Cultures Network. 

Find a transcript for this episode at kerningcultures.com/al-empire.

Watch Season 3 of al empire on YouTube.

This episode is supported by Calo, an app that provides personalized meal plan subscriptions. Download Calo here https://bit.ly/41il08u to get 10% off using code KC10. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hassan Hajjaj is known as the “Andy Warhol of Marrakech” - but his style transcends that comparison. His work lives in the intersection of fashion, pop culture, Moroccan heritage, Afro influence, orientalist critique, and many other disciplines, truly placing it in a league of its own. In this episode of al empire, the British-Moroccan photographer and artist sits down with Dana Ballout to talk about what it was like moving from Morocco to the UK in the 1970s, his journey to calling himself an artist, and why his art isn’t for intellectuals.

This episode is hosted by Dana Ballout. Produced by Finbar Anderson and Ahmed Ashour. Edited by Dana Ballout and Alex Atack. Research and fact checking by Deena Sabry, with sound design and mixing by Youssef Douazou. Batoul Khalifeh is our operations manager. Special thanks to Sole DXB. 

al empire is a production of Kerning Cultures Network. 

Find a transcript for this episode at kerningcultures.com/al-empire.

Watch Season 3 of al empire on YouTube.

This episode is supported by Calo, an app that provides personalized meal plan subscriptions. Download Calo here https://bit.ly/41il08u to get 10% off using code KC10. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2008, Hassan Ahmad Dennaoui, a Jeddawi with a larger-than-life personality, came upon a mixtape with music from Arab hip hop artists like Narcy, Lowkey, Shadia Mansour, and Omar Offendum. What he heard changed his life.

Hassan - better known by his radio host and MC name Big Hass - is an authority when it comes to hip hop music in the region. From launching an Arab hip hop culture blog, to hosting the very first radio show playing hip hop music in Saudi Arabia, to even becoming a music executive producer, Hass has proven himself a pioneer and legend in the regional hip hop scene. In this episode, Hass sits down with Hebah Fisher to discuss his upbringing in Saudi Arabia, how he educated himself and others on hip hop culture, and his dreams for the regional hip hop scene. 

This episode is hosted by Dana Ballout and Hebah Fisher. Produced by Hager Eldaas with additional support from Ahmed Ashour, and edited by Dana Ballout. Research and fact checking by Deena Sabry, with sound design and mixing by Ahmed Mitry. Our marketing team includes Bella Ibrahim, Soumaya Bouabdellah, Ahmed Salhab, Nadine El Shiaty and Malak Jarrar. Batoul Khalifeh is our operations manager.

al empire is a production of Kerning Cultures Network.

Find a transcript for this episode at kerningcultures.com/al-empire.

Watch Season 3 of al empire on YouTube.

Artists referenced in this episode:

• Narcy
• Shadia Mansour
• Lowkey
• Omar Offendum
• DJ Kool Herc
• Chuck D
• Public Enemy
• LL Cool J
• Jeddah F.A.M
• Dhad Graffiti
• DJ Lethal Skillz
• Big Moe
• Nora Zeid
• Oddisee

Songs referenced in this episode:

• Omar Offendum - Finjan
• Shadia Mansour ft. M1 (Dead Prez) - Al Kufiyyeh 3arabeyyeh
• Jeddah F.A.M - Jeddah Love
• Iraq Cypher
• Al9ine & Blvxb ft. DJ Lethal Skillz (Prod. by Big Moe) - Harib 

This episode is supported by Calo, an app that provides personalized meal plan subscriptions. Download Calo here https://bit.ly/41il08u to get 10% off using code KC10. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Khaled Kteily told his colleagues he was quitting his job to get into the sperm business, he raised a few eyebrows. But in his words, the idea to launch a digital male fertility clinic was his “one hit wonder” and he never looked back ever since. 

In this episode of al empire, Khaled chats with Dana Ballout about the misconception of fertility being exclusively a woman’s responsibility and why every man should consider investing a small price to freeze their sperm. They get into it all: the epiphany that drove him to start Legacy, the ethos of building his business, and of course countless sperm puns. 

This episode was produced by Finbar Anderson and Alex Atack with additional support from Ban Barkawi. Editing was by Dana Ballout and fact checking was by Deena Sabry. Sound design and mixing was by Youssef Douazou. Our marketing team is Bella Ibrahim, Soumaya Bouabdellah, Ahmed Salhab, Nadine El Shiaty and Malak Jarrar. Batoul Khalifeh is our operations manager. A Big thanks to Mazen Hashem at Solo Films for the studio in Beirut. 

al empire is a production of Kerning Cultures Network.

Find a transcript for this episode at kerningcultures.com/al-empire.

Watch Season 3 of al empire on YouTube.

This episode is supported by Calo, an app that provides personalized meal plan subscriptions. Download Calo here https://bit.ly/41il08u to get 10% off using code KC10. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In ninth grade, Palestinian-American stand-up comedian and actor Mo Amer struck a deal. If he recited a monologue from Shakespeare’s Hamlet in front of class, his English teacher would let him do a stand-up set and help him pass. Mo killed it.

Mo always knew he wanted to be a comedian, and he has turned that life-long passion into an incredible career in stand-up, TV, film, and many other mediums. The star of Mo, Ramy, DC’s Black Adam, and many Netflix specials like The Vagabond sits down with Dana Ballout to kick off Season 3 of al empire. They discuss his early years as a Palestinian refugee in Houston, TX, touring comedy clubs in post-9/11 America, and how he hopes to “influence the culture” with his art.

This episode is hosted by Dana Ballout. Produced by Finbar Anderson and Alex Atack with additional support from Ahmed Ashour. Edited by Alex Atack and Ahmed Ashour. Research and fact checking by Deena Sabry. Sound design by Monzer El-Hachem. 

Special thanks to Majd Bani Odeh, and Quincy at Sacred Stone Media in Houston, Texas.

Find a transcript for this episode at kerningcultures.com/al-empire.

Watch Season 3 of al empire on YouTube.

This episode is supported by Calo, an app that provides personalized meal plan subscriptions. Download Calo here https://bit.ly/41il08u to get 10% off using code KC10. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

al empire returns for Season 3 with more stories of exceptional Arabs from around the world and their journey to the top, from comedians and entrepreneurs to musicians and media mavericks. This season of al empire, we’re also releasing the full uncut video episodes online. 

Subscribe on Youtube through this link to learn more.

al empire is hosted by Dana Ballout and Hebah Fisher. Produced by Alex Atack, Ahmed Ashour, Al Shaibani, Ban Barkawi, Finbar Anderson, and Hager Eldaas. Edited by Dana Ballout, Alex Atack, and Heba El-Sherif. Research and fact-checking by Deena Sabry. Sound design by Mohamad Khreizat, Ahmed Mitry, Monzer El-Hachem, and Youssef Douazou.

Find a transcript for this episode at kerningcultures.com/al-empire.

Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $2 a month.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.