Adil Omar
Encyclopedia
Adil Omar is a rapper and singer-songwriter from Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...

, 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...

. He is one of the few hip-hop artists from Pakistan and musicians from the region to write and perform in English. He has also collaborated with mainstream artists such as Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Cypress Hill was the first Latino hip-hop group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide...

, Xzibit
Xzibit
Alvin Nathaniel Joiner , better known by his stage name Xzibit , is an American rapper, actor, and television host. He is known as the host of the MTV show Pimp My Ride, which brought him mainstream success...

, Everlast
Everlast (musician)
Erik Francis Schrody , better known by his stage name Everlast, is a Grammy Award-winning American rapper and songwriter, known for his solo hit "What It's Like" and as the front-man for rap group House of Pain. He is also part of the hip-hop supergroup La Coka Nostra, which consists of members of...

, Kool G Rap
Kool G Rap
Nathaniel Thomas Wilson , better known by his stage names Kool G Rap , Kool G. Rap, and Giancana , is an American rapper, from the Corona neighborhood of Queens, New York. He began his career in the mid-1980s as one half of the group Kool G Rap & DJ Polo and as a member of the Juice Crew...

, DJ Lethal
DJ Lethal
Leor Dimant , better known as DJ Lethal, is a turntablist and producer and member of the bands Limp Bizkit, House of Pain and La Coka Nostra.-Early life:Leor Dimant was born in Riga, Latvia, when this country was still part of the Soviet Union...

 of Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999...

 and Penn Jillette
Penn Jillette
Penn Fraser Jillette is an American magician, comedian, illusionist, juggler, bassist and a best-selling author known for his work with fellow illusionist Teller in the team Penn & Teller, and advocacy of atheism, libertarian philosophy, free-market economics, and scientific skepticism.-Early...

 of Penn & Teller
Penn & Teller
Penn & Teller are Las Vegas headliners whose act is an amalgam of illusion and comedy. Penn Jillette is a raconteur; Teller generally uses mime while performing, although his voice can occasionally be heard during their performance...

 among others. He is currently working on his debut album, The Mushroom Cloud Effect
The Mushroom Cloud Effect
The Mushroom Cloud Effect is the upcoming debut studio album by rapper Adil Omar. The album is due to be released in Spring 2012.-Background:Regarding the album title, Omar revealed on his website that it's "a metaphor for the aftermath of a catastrophe...

, for a 2012 release.

Early life

Omar was born on May 17, 1991 in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 but spent his entire childhood growing up in Islamabad. His mother is a writer and part time television host and his father was a businessman. His great grandfather, Zafar Omar is credited to be the first Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...

 detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...

 novelist for writing the book "Neeli Chathri".

Omar experienced the loss of his father to alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...

 at 10 and his mother had a near-death experience with encephalitis
Encephalitis
Encephalitis is an acute inflammation of the brain. Encephalitis with meningitis is known as meningoencephalitis. Symptoms include headache, fever, confusion, drowsiness, and fatigue...

 the same year, suffering from amnesia
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...

 in the early part of her recovery, leaving her with epilepsy
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...

.

Career beginnings

Omar had started writing lyrics at the age of 9 but recorded his first song at 14. Heavily relying on websites such as Soundclick
SoundClick
SoundClick is a music-based social community. It offers bands, artists, and music labels a platform for self-promotion. Songs can be streamed, downloaded in MP3 format, sold through the store, or licensed to others. SoundClick compiles daily charts for various genres, based on how many times a...

, Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....

, Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...

, YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....

 and iLike
ILike
iLike is an online service that allows users to download and share music. The website makes use of a sidebar that is used with Apple's iTunes or Microsoft's Windows Media Player. The program and sidebar are not required in order to use the site but allow for ease in discovering new artists....

 to promote his music, he eventually found himself gaining a fan-base by releasing songs as free mp3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...

 downloads. He has also mentioned that he experimented with horrorcore
Horrorcore
Horrorcore is a subgenre of hip hop music based in horror-themed lyrical content and imagery. While the style is rarely popular, some performers have sold well in the mainstream scene.-Origins:...

 and mafioso rap in his early stages but took a more honest approach with his lyrical content by the time he was 16. Though he dismissed it as being "silly", he also stated that it was a learning experience. Apart from gaining recognition on the internet, he had been getting national news coverage, local live performances and plays on the radio.

In 2008, Omar was invited by B-Real
B-Real
Louis Freese, better known by his stage name B-Real, is an American rapper of Cuban and Mexican heritage, and a film and TV actor...

 of Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Cypress Hill was the first Latino hip-hop group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide...

 to record a song in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

 for an album titled The Harvest
The Harvest (B-Real album)
The Harvest is a studio album and compilation by B-Real, lead rapper of Cypress Hill, which was released September 9th, 2010. Majority of the production wa handled by B-Real himself and his Audio Hustlaz production team. The Harvest was released on B-Real's record label, Audio Hustlaz Entertainment...

 which B-Real had been working on. They recorded a song called "Takeover" which featured Omar and B-Real on the verses, and B-Real's protege Young De
Young De
Demrick Shelton, better known by his stage name Young De, is a rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, currently residing in Los Angeles, California. He is known for his collaborations with high profile artists such as Xzibit, Kurupt, Snoop Dogg, Too $hort and B-Real of Cypress Hill...

 on the chorus. 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...

 was also present during the recording session but was not a part of the song. Omar and Fredwreck continue to stay in touch as friends. Fredwreck has done production work for his debut album.

Collaborations, rise in popularity

In mid 2009, Omar collaborated with magician, comedian and actor Penn Jillette
Penn Jillette
Penn Fraser Jillette is an American magician, comedian, illusionist, juggler, bassist and a best-selling author known for his work with fellow illusionist Teller in the team Penn & Teller, and advocacy of atheism, libertarian philosophy, free-market economics, and scientific skepticism.-Early...

 of the duo Penn & Teller
Penn & Teller
Penn & Teller are Las Vegas headliners whose act is an amalgam of illusion and comedy. Penn Jillette is a raconteur; Teller generally uses mime while performing, although his voice can occasionally be heard during their performance...

 and producer DJ Solo
DJ Solo
Dave Abrams, better known as DJ Solo, is an American DJ, producer, rapper and visual artist. He is a part of the Cypress Hill affiliated Soul Assassins collective. His production credits include La Coka Nostra, Everlast, Planet Asia, GZA, B-Real, Adil Omar , Mitchy Slick and others...

 of Soul Assassins
Soul Assassins
Soul Assassins are a loose collective of musicians and graphic artists affiliated to the hip hop group Cypress Hill, formed in the early 1990s. It is also the name of Cypress Hill's publishing company....

 on a protest song
Protest song
A protest song is a song which is associated with a movement for social change and hence part of the broader category of topical songs . It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre...

 called "Spookshow". The song was featured on a compilation album by Thick Syrup Records alongside music by Matt Cameron
Matt Cameron
Matthew David "Matt" Cameron is an American musician who serves as the drummer for the American rock bands Pearl Jam and Soundgarden...

, members of Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...

, Half Japanese
Half Japanese
Half Japanese is a punk rock band formed by brothers Jad and David Fair in their Coldwater, Michigan bedroom around 1975. Their original instrumentation included a small drum set, which they took turns playing; vocals; and an out of tune guitar...

, Teenage Fanclub
Teenage Fanclub
Teenage Fanclub are an alternative rock band from Bellshill, Scotland. The band is composed of Norman Blake , Raymond McGinley , Gerard Love and Francis MacDonald , with songwriting duties shared equally among Blake, McGinley and Love...

, Mudhoney
Mudhoney
Mudhoney is an American alternative rock band. Formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1988 following the demise of Green River, Mudhoney's members are vocalist and rhythm guitarist Mark Arm, lead guitarist Steve Turner, bassist Guy Maddison, and drummer Dan Peters. Original bassist Matt Lukin left the...

 and Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...

.

He has since appeared on songs with MC Lars
MC Lars
Andrew Robert MacFarlane Nielsen is an American rapper, known by his stage name MC Lars. He is the self-proclaimed originator of "post-punk laptop rap". He was one of the first underground rappers to sample and reference post-punk and emo bands...

, Prince Ea
Prince Ea
Richard Williams, better known by his stage name Prince Ea, is an African-American rapper and activist.-Early life:Prince Ea was born as Richard Williams on September 16, 1988 in St. Louis, Missouri, the youngest of three children, and has resided there his whole life...

 and Spragga Benz
Spragga Benz
-Career:He began his career around 1991. Once known to his friends as "Spaghetti" , but this was later shortened to Spragga. The Benz in his name comes from the sound system for which he used to work for, L.A. Benz, and it is through this that he found his way into the music industry at a Dubplate...

 and done album appearances alongside Canibus
Canibus
Germaine Williams , better known by his stage name Canibus, is a Jamaican-born American rapper. He is a part of supergroup The HRSMN. Canibus rose to fame in the mid-nineties...

 and Chino XL
Chino XL
Derek Keith Barbosa , better known by his stage name Chino XL, is an American hip hop lyricist, battle rapper, and actor of Puerto Rican and African American descent...

. He is also reported to be involved in the Sonic Peacemakers project with Lanny Cordola
Lanny Cordola
Lanny Cordola is an American guitarist, songwriter and producer. He has been a member of bands such as Giuffria, House Of Lords, and Magdallan ....

, Atif Aslam
Atif Aslam
Atif Aslam is a Pakistani pop singer. He is widely recognized in South Asia and has given several hit songs such as Aadat, Woh Lamhe, Tere Bin, Bakhuda Tumhi Ho, Pehli Nazar Mein, Tera Hone Laga Hoon, Tu Jaane Na, Tere Liye. He is one of the most popular South Asian celebrity on Facebook with...

, Shehzad Roy
Shehzad Roy
Shehzad Roy is a singer and humanitarian from Karachi, Pakistan. With five hit albums under his belt, including the 2008 Qismat Apney Haath Mein , he is also the president and founder of Zindagi Trust, a non-profit charitable organization, that seeks to educate the underprivileged children of...

, Arieb Azhar
Arieb Azhar
Arieb Azhar is a Pakistani pop singer. His most famous hit is Husn-e-Haqiqi. He has made appearances in Coke Studio's Season 2 and Season 3.He is listed in the artist section of Danka - Pakistan's Cultural Guide since 2010.- References :...

, Gilby Clarke
Gilby Clarke
Gilbert "Gilby" Clarke is an American guitarist and record producer best known for a 3-year tenure as the rhythm guitarist of Guns N' Roses, replacing Izzy Stradlin in 1991 during the Use Your Illusion Tour...

 and Matt Sorum
Matt Sorum
Matthew William Sorum is an American rock drummer and percussionist. Sorum is most famous for his 7-year stint in Guns N' Roses and supergroup Velvet Revolver , which is comprised in part of former Guns N' Roses members Duff McKagan and Slash .-Early career :Matt Sorum was born Matthew William...

 of Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...

, Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver is an American hard rock supergroup consisting of former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum, alongside Dave Kushner formerly of punk band Wasted Youth. Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland was Velvet Revolver's lead singer from their formation until...

 and more.

On August 8, 2010, Omar launched his official website with an online single and music video titled "Incredible". The free single was produced by DJ Solo and sampled Public Enemy's "Bring the Noise
Bring the Noise
"Bring the Noise" is a song by the hip hop group Public Enemy. It was included on the soundtrack of the 1987 film Less Than Zero and was also released as a single that year. It later became the first song on the group's 1988 album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back...

" as well as Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Tim Rice. The musical started off as a rock opera concept recording before its first staging on Broadway in 1971...

's "Heaven on Their Minds", with an interpolation of "The Roof Is on Fire
The Roof Is on Fire
"The Roof Is on Fire" is a single from Rock Master Scott & the Dynamic Three released in 1984 that reached number five on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart...

" by Rock Master Scott & the Dynamic Three
Rock Master Scott & the Dynamic Three
Rock Master Scott & the Dynamic Three was an old school rap group best known for the singles "The Roof Is on Fire" and "Request Line", both of which have been sampled by many other groups, from rap to R&B to rock...

 in the song's outro. The video was shot around Islamabad and Wah Cantonment, including scenes inside a customized Pakistani truck and also featured a cameo appearance by fashion and media icon Tariq Amin
Tariq Amin
Tariq Amin is a Pakistani hairdresser, celebrity wardrobe stylist, hair stylist and media personality. He has salons in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi....

.

Debut album, 2011 present

Omar announced his debut album, The Mushroom Cloud Effect
The Mushroom Cloud Effect
The Mushroom Cloud Effect is the upcoming debut studio album by rapper Adil Omar. The album is due to be released in Spring 2012.-Background:Regarding the album title, Omar revealed on his website that it's "a metaphor for the aftermath of a catastrophe...

, through his website for an early 2012 release. Producers include 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...

, DJ Lethal
DJ Lethal
Leor Dimant , better known as DJ Lethal, is a turntablist and producer and member of the bands Limp Bizkit, House of Pain and La Coka Nostra.-Early life:Leor Dimant was born in Riga, Latvia, when this country was still part of the Soviet Union...

, DJ Solo
DJ Solo
Dave Abrams, better known as DJ Solo, is an American DJ, producer, rapper and visual artist. He is a part of the Cypress Hill affiliated Soul Assassins collective. His production credits include La Coka Nostra, Everlast, Planet Asia, GZA, B-Real, Adil Omar , Mitchy Slick and others...

, Apathy
Apathy (rapper)
Chad Bromley , better known as Apathy is an underground rapper and producer from Willimantic, Connecticut. He attended high school at various schools in Connecticut. He is a re-founding member and unofficial leader of the Demigodz crew...

 and others, with guests including Xzibit
Xzibit
Alvin Nathaniel Joiner , better known by his stage name Xzibit , is an American rapper, actor, and television host. He is known as the host of the MTV show Pimp My Ride, which brought him mainstream success...

, B-Real
B-Real
Louis Freese, better known by his stage name B-Real, is an American rapper of Cuban and Mexican heritage, and a film and TV actor...

, Everlast
Everlast (musician)
Erik Francis Schrody , better known by his stage name Everlast, is a Grammy Award-winning American rapper and songwriter, known for his solo hit "What It's Like" and as the front-man for rap group House of Pain. He is also part of the hip-hop supergroup La Coka Nostra, which consists of members of...

, Kool G Rap
Kool G Rap
Nathaniel Thomas Wilson , better known by his stage names Kool G Rap , Kool G. Rap, and Giancana , is an American rapper, from the Corona neighborhood of Queens, New York. He began his career in the mid-1980s as one half of the group Kool G Rap & DJ Polo and as a member of the Juice Crew...

, Sick Jacken
Psycho Realm
Psycho Realm is an american hip hop supergroup started in 1989 by brothers Sick Jacken and Big Duke from the Downtown, Pico-Union area of Los Angeles. The first recorded Psycho Realm song, "Scandalous", was released on the soundtrack of the film Mi Vida Loca in 1994...

 and Greydon Square
Greydon Square
Greydon Square is an American rapper. He is an Iraq War veteran and an outspoken atheist who promotes discussion on philosophical issues, as well as having studied physics full time before moving on to study computer science.-Biography:Collins grew up in Compton, California, a historically...

. The first single, produced by Fredwreck and featuring Xzibit, is titled "Off The Handle" and was released on May 24, 2011 with a music video by Matt Alonzo
Matt Alonzo
Matt J. Alonzo , is an American music video director and editor. He was born and raised in Carpinteria, California. He has directed and edited music videos for chart-topping R&B, rap, and rock artists.- Early life :...

.

A second single, produced by DJ Solo
DJ Solo
Dave Abrams, better known as DJ Solo, is an American DJ, producer, rapper and visual artist. He is a part of the Cypress Hill affiliated Soul Assassins collective. His production credits include La Coka Nostra, Everlast, Planet Asia, GZA, B-Real, Adil Omar , Mitchy Slick and others...

, titled "Paki Rambo" was released on October 2, 2011 with a video directed by Shahbaz Shigri and Aisha Linnea. "Paki Rambo" is also the original soundtrack for Shigri and Linnea's feature film 'Gol Chakkar'. "Paki Rambo" was inspired by and sampled dialogue from the Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Chris Morris may refer to:* Chris Morris , gay rights activist* Chris Morris , American football player for the Detroit Lions...

 film Four Lions
Four Lions
Four Lions is a 2010 British satirical comedy film. It is the debut feature from director Chris Morris, written by Morris, Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong. The film is a jihad satire following a group of homegrown Islamist terrorist jihadis from Sheffield, England.-Plot:A group of young Muslim men...

, and was also promoted by Four Lions actor Riz Ahmed
Riz Ahmed
Rizwan Ahmed , also known as Riz Ahmed, the Rizmeister General, or Riz MC, is a British MC, musician and actor. He is noted for his lead performances in The Road to Guantanamo, Shifty, Britz, and Four Lions.-Ethnic background:Ahmed is a British Pakistani...

. Though it received positive reviews, it also generated controversy in Pakistan for objectionable content in its lyrics and music video, as well as its use of the word "Paki".

Film and television

Omar provided a cameo role, playing himself, for the independent film Slackistan
Slackistan
Slackistan is an independent film directed by London-based filmmaker, Hammad Khan. The film stars Shahbaz Hamid Shigri, Aisha Linnea Akthar, Ali Rehman Khan, Shahana Khan Khalil, Osman Khalid Butt, Khalid Saeed and Rafey Alam. The film is distributed by Big Upstairs Films...

, written and directed by BAFTA nominated filmmaker and screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...

 Hammad Khan. The film's original soundtrack featured bands like The Kominas
The Kominas
The Kominas are a Pakistani-American Desi punk rock band from New York City. The band currently includes Basim Usmani , Imran Ali Malik , Hassan Ali Malik and Abdullah Saeed .- History :...

 and Zerobridge
Zerobridge
Zerobridge is a New York-based indie alternative/rock band formed in 2001. The band’s name draws on the Kashmiri roots of lead singer Mubashir Mohi-ud-Din , and his brother, Mohsin . The band is named after an actual bridge in Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir. Greg Eckelman joined in on bass in 2003...

. The film also premiered at Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...

 2010 but was banned in Pakistan temporarily. The ban was lifted in 2011.

In 2011, Omar made guest appearances on Tariq Amin
Tariq Amin
Tariq Amin is a Pakistani hairdresser, celebrity wardrobe stylist, hair stylist and media personality. He has salons in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi....

's reality show T With T as well as an uncredited cameo in a short film titled The Wink. He is also on VBS.tv
VBS.tv
VBS.tv is an online television network owned by the Vice media conglomerate. The network produces original, short-form, documentary-style video content. Subject matter includes humanitarian issues, music, insider travel guides, and news. The creative director of the network is Spike...

's episode on Islamabad and has been interviewed briefly on Geo TV
Geo TV
Geo TV or Geo Television is a Pakistani television network, founded by Mr. Mir Shakil ur Rehman in May 2002 and owned by Independent Media Corporation. The channel began test transmission on 14 August 2002, with regular transmission beginning 1 October 2002...

, MTV Pakistan
MTV Pakistan
Music Television Pakistan is the Pakistani subsidiary of MTV, a cable television network owned by Viacom Inc. headquartered in New York. The Pakistan franchise has been set up in collaboration with Pakistan's first satellite channel media group known as Indus Media Group . Indus TV is Pakistan's...

 and other Pakistani channels.

Omar was offered a role in an upcoming independent film titled Gol Chakkar which he couldn't take due to scheduling conflicts, however he is contributing to the soundtrack of the film with the DJ Solo produced "Paki Rambo", also to be included his album, as well as the Shoaib Akhtar
Shoaib Akhtar
Shoaib Akhtar is a former Pakistani right arm fast bowler in cricket, who is regarded as the fastest bowler in the history of cricket. He set an official world record by achieving the fastest delivery, when he clocked in at 161.3 km/h in his bowling speed, twice at a cricket match against...

 tribute "Pindi Express".

Style and influences

Omar classifies himself as a hardcore hip-hop artist with concept driven subject matter. He often uses metaphors, multisyllabic rhymes
Multisyllabic rhymes
In rapping and poetry, multisyllabic rhymes are rhymes that contain two or more syllables In rapping and poetry, multisyllabic rhymes (also known as compound rhymes, polysyllable rhymes, and sometimes colloquially in hip-hop as multies) are rhymes that contain two or more syllables In rapping...

 and has a rugged voice. Some of his live performances differ from his recorded music as he tends to use a backing band to accompany him as he performs both his own work and sometimes even cover songs. Two covers he tends to do frequently are "Jump Around
Jump Around
"Jump Around" is the title of a song by the band House of Pain, produced by DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill. This song became a hit in 1992, reaching Number 3 in the USA. A 1993 re-release of the song in the UK, where the original had been a minor hit, peaked at Number 8. On VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of...

" by House of Pain
House of Pain
House of Pain is an American hip hop group who released three albums in the 1990s before lead rapper Everlast left to pursue his solo career again. The group's name is a reference to the H.G. Wells novel The Island of Dr...

 and "99 Problems
99 Problems
"99 Problems" is the third single released by American rapper Jay-Z in 2004 from The Black Album. Throughout the song Jay-Z tells a story about dealing with a racist cop who wants to illegally search his car, dealing with rap critics, and dealing with an aggressor...

" by Jay Z. Critics have pointed out his fusing of genres, the braggadocio
Braggadocio (rap)
Braggadocio is a type of rapping where the MC is "bragging and boasting" and can include subjects such as physicality, fighting ability, sexual prowess, or coolness...

 in his lyrical content, as well as themes of a more emotional nature.

Omar considers his main musical influences to be Trent Reznor
Trent Reznor
Michael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...

, Everlast
Everlast (musician)
Erik Francis Schrody , better known by his stage name Everlast, is a Grammy Award-winning American rapper and songwriter, known for his solo hit "What It's Like" and as the front-man for rap group House of Pain. He is also part of the hip-hop supergroup La Coka Nostra, which consists of members of...

, Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...

, House of Pain
House of Pain
House of Pain is an American hip hop group who released three albums in the 1990s before lead rapper Everlast left to pursue his solo career again. The group's name is a reference to the H.G. Wells novel The Island of Dr...

, Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...

, Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...

, Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Cypress Hill was the first Latino hip-hop group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide...

, N.W.A.
N.W.A.
N.W.A was an American hip hop group from Compton, California, widely considered one of the seminal acts of the gangsta rap sub-genre....

, Motörhead, Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...

, Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...

, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

, Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...

, The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...

, Big Pun
Big Pun
Christopher Lee Rios , better known by his stage name Big Pun , was an American rapper who emerged from the underground rap scene in The Bronx in the late 1990s...

, Kool G Rap
Kool G Rap
Nathaniel Thomas Wilson , better known by his stage names Kool G Rap , Kool G. Rap, and Giancana , is an American rapper, from the Corona neighborhood of Queens, New York. He began his career in the mid-1980s as one half of the group Kool G Rap & DJ Polo and as a member of the Juice Crew...

, early Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...

, RZA
RZA
Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA , is an American Grammy-winning music producer, multi-instrumentalist, author, emcee, and occasional actor, director, and screenwriter. A prominent figure in Hip Hop, RZA is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan. He has produced almost...

, Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...

, Public Enemy, Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...

, Xzibit
Xzibit
Alvin Nathaniel Joiner , better known by his stage name Xzibit , is an American rapper, actor, and television host. He is known as the host of the MTV show Pimp My Ride, which brought him mainstream success...

, Onyx, DJ Muggs
DJ Muggs
Lawrence Muggerud , better known as DJ Muggs, is Cypress Hill's DJ and producer. He also produced tracks for Funkdoobiest on the albums Which Doobie U B? and Brothas Doobie.-Cypress Hill :...

, Gang Starr
Gang Starr
Gang Starr was an influential East Coast hip hop duo that consisted of the late MC Guru and DJ/producer DJ Premier. Their style combined elements of New York jazz and hip hop.-Background:...

, Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...

, Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin
Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...

, Run DMC, Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson may refer to:* Marilyn Manson , an American rock musician* Marilyn Manson , the American rock band led by the singer of the same name...

, Rakim
Rakim
William Michael Griffin Jr. , known by his stage names Rakim , Rakim Allah, R.A.K.I.M., and The Master, is an American rapper. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and most skilled emcees of all time. Eric B...

, Kid Rock
Kid Rock
Robert James "Bob" Ritchie , known by his stage name Kid Rock, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and rapper with five Grammy Awards nominations...

, 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...

, Nate Dogg
Nate Dogg
Nathaniel Dwayne Hale , better known by his stage name Nate Dogg, was an American musician. He is noted for his membership of rap trio 213 and his solo career in which he collaborated with Dr. Dre, Warren G, Tupac and Snoop Dogg on many hit releases. Nate Dogg released three solo albums, G-Funk...

, Sticky Fingaz and his non-musical influences to be Bill Hicks
Bill Hicks
William Melvin "Bill" Hicks was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, satirist, and musician. His material largely consisted of general discussions about society, religion, politics, philosophy, and personal issues. Hicks' material was often controversial and steeped in dark comedy...

, George Carlin
George Carlin
George Denis Patrick Carlin was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author, who won five Grammy Awards for his comedy albums....

, Carl Sagan
Carl Sagan
Carl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, science popularizer and science communicator in astronomy and natural sciences. He published more than 600 scientific papers and articles and was author, co-author or editor of more than 20 books...

, Henry Rollins
Henry Rollins
Henry Rollins is an American singer-songwriter, spoken word artist, writer, comedian, publisher, actor, and radio DJ....

 and Mickey Rourke
Mickey Rourke
Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke, Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter and retired boxer, who has appeared primarily as a leading man in action, drama, and thriller films....

.

Personal life

Omar is a sound-color synesthete and the grandnephew of contract bridge
Contract bridge
Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard deck of 52 playing cards played by four players in two competing partnerships with partners sitting opposite each other around a small table...

 champion Zia Mahmood
Zia Mahmood
Zia Mahmood is a Pakistani professional bridge player. He is a World Bridge Federation and American Contract Bridge League Grand Life Master. He has a knack for bringing out the best in his partners and is regarded as one of the greatest players of the game...

.

He states that he has never used drugs or alcohol. He is also a high school drop out.

In April 2011, he got a tattoo by Mister Cartoon
Mister Cartoon
Mark Machado, better known as Mr. Cartoon or more commonly just Cartoon, is a Mexican American tattoo artist and graffiti artist based in Los Angeles, California....

 which was inspired by the Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...

 instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....

 "Just Like You Imagined
Just Like You Imagined
"Just Like You Imagined" is an instrumental by Nine Inch Nails from their 1999 album The Fragile.It features Mike Garson on piano, who is known for his work with David Bowie and The Smashing Pumpkins...

".

Controversy

Omar has been critical of MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...

 and The Express Tribune
The Express Tribune
The Express Tribune is the first internationally affiliated newspaper in Pakistan, in partnership with The International Herald Tribune, the global edition of The New York Times....

 for misrepresentation and lack of research in their articles about him. In December 2009, MSNBC's World Blog featured Omar and he felt that they had misquoted him, taken his thoughts out of context and focused little on his music. In February 2011 The Express Tribune published an article where they introduced him with lyrics from "Like A G6
Like a G6
"Like a G6" is a song from Far East Movement's 2010 album Free Wired. The track features female vocals by Dev and male vocals by Far East Movement. It was written and produced by The Cataracs. It was number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks ending November 6, 2010, and then again for...

" by Far East Movement
Far east movement
Far East Movement is an Asian American electro hop quartet based in Los Angeles. The group formed in 2003 and consists of Kev Nish , Prohgress , J-Splif , and DJ Virman...

 which Omar felt was irrelevant, irresponsible and contradicted him as an artist and a human being. He also stated that they got the title of his album wrong and did not listen to his music or conduct any research before interviewing him or publishing the article.

Filmography

  • 2010: Slackistan
    Slackistan
    Slackistan is an independent film directed by London-based filmmaker, Hammad Khan. The film stars Shahbaz Hamid Shigri, Aisha Linnea Akthar, Ali Rehman Khan, Shahana Khan Khalil, Osman Khalid Butt, Khalid Saeed and Rafey Alam. The film is distributed by Big Upstairs Films...

    , cameo
  • 2011: The Wink, cameo
  • 2011: T With T
    Tariq Amin
    Tariq Amin is a Pakistani hairdresser, celebrity wardrobe stylist, hair stylist and media personality. He has salons in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi....

    , himself

Selected guest appearances

  • 2009: "Under the Weather" also with Saeed Elahi, from American Scumbag by Hibernation
  • 2009: "Violentology", from The Zeitgeist Mixtape
    The Zeitgeist Movement
    The Zeitgeist Movement was founded in 2008 by Peter Joseph. The movement advocates the replacement of current civilization with a money-free and cybernated "resource-based economy". The Zeitgeist Movement and the Venus Project promote replacing human labour with automation, government will be...

    by Various Artists
  • 2009: "Hollow Cost" also with Prince Ea
    Prince Ea
    Richard Williams, better known by his stage name Prince Ea, is an African-American rapper and activist.-Early life:Prince Ea was born as Richard Williams on September 16, 1988 in St. Louis, Missouri, the youngest of three children, and has resided there his whole life...

    , from The Grand Deception by Conspiracy of Mind
  • 2009: "Spookshow" also with Penn Jillette
    Penn Jillette
    Penn Fraser Jillette is an American magician, comedian, illusionist, juggler, bassist and a best-selling author known for his work with fellow illusionist Teller in the team Penn & Teller, and advocacy of atheism, libertarian philosophy, free-market economics, and scientific skepticism.-Early...

    , from My MPC Is A Pipe Bomb by DJ Solo
    Soul Assassins
    Soul Assassins are a loose collective of musicians and graphic artists affiliated to the hip hop group Cypress Hill, formed in the early 1990s. It is also the name of Cypress Hill's publishing company....

  • 2010: "Takeover" also with Young De
    Young De
    Demrick Shelton, better known by his stage name Young De, is a rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, currently residing in Los Angeles, California. He is known for his collaborations with high profile artists such as Xzibit, Kurupt, Snoop Dogg, Too $hort and B-Real of Cypress Hill...

    , from The Harvest
    The Harvest (B-Real album)
    The Harvest is a studio album and compilation by B-Real, lead rapper of Cypress Hill, which was released September 9th, 2010. Majority of the production wa handled by B-Real himself and his Audio Hustlaz production team. The Harvest was released on B-Real's record label, Audio Hustlaz Entertainment...

    by B-Real
    B-Real
    Louis Freese, better known by his stage name B-Real, is an American rapper of Cuban and Mexican heritage, and a film and TV actor...

  • 2010: "Islamabad II", from Slackistan: The Soundtrack by Various Artists
  • 2010: "Whiplash", from The RapMusic Mixtape by Various Artists
  • 2010: "Burn Muthafucka (Incredible/Serbian Film Remix)", from DJ Solo's Nightmare Before Christmas by DJ Solo
    DJ Solo
    Dave Abrams, better known as DJ Solo, is an American DJ, producer, rapper and visual artist. He is a part of the Cypress Hill affiliated Soul Assassins collective. His production credits include La Coka Nostra, Everlast, Planet Asia, GZA, B-Real, Adil Omar , Mitchy Slick and others...

  • 2011: "No Matter the Stakes", from Mad Thrillz EP by Grey Matter
  • 2011: "Gone Crazy" also with Matt Maddox, from Weapons of Mass Awareness by RedPhone Records
  • 2011: "Spookshow" also with Penn Jillette
    Penn Jillette
    Penn Fraser Jillette is an American magician, comedian, illusionist, juggler, bassist and a best-selling author known for his work with fellow illusionist Teller in the team Penn & Teller, and advocacy of atheism, libertarian philosophy, free-market economics, and scientific skepticism.-Early...

     & DJ Solo
    DJ Solo
    Dave Abrams, better known as DJ Solo, is an American DJ, producer, rapper and visual artist. He is a part of the Cypress Hill affiliated Soul Assassins collective. His production credits include La Coka Nostra, Everlast, Planet Asia, GZA, B-Real, Adil Omar , Mitchy Slick and others...

    , from '78 LTD: Compilation CD by Thick Syrup Records
  • 2011: "Point of No Return" also with DZK, Cryptic Wisdom and Marpo, from Karma: The Mixtape by Hard Target
  • 2011: "SHINE" also with 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...

    , from SHINE (Single) by thekeenone
  • 2011: "Deadly Alliance" also with DJ Solo
    DJ Solo
    Dave Abrams, better known as DJ Solo, is an American DJ, producer, rapper and visual artist. He is a part of the Cypress Hill affiliated Soul Assassins collective. His production credits include La Coka Nostra, Everlast, Planet Asia, GZA, B-Real, Adil Omar , Mitchy Slick and others...

    , Diesel & Adlib, from The Blood of Eden by Danny Diablo
    Danny Diablo
    Danny Diablo a.k.a. Lord Ezec is an underground recording artist focusing mainly in the worlds of hardcore punk and hip hop. He has fronted the hardcore bands Crown of Thornz and Skarhead and is known for his heavily tattooed image and his Queens-bred thug lifestyle.-Early life:Dan Singer was born...

  • 2011: "Lollipop", from Lollipop (Single) by Mina Fedora
  • 2011: "Love I Feel" also with Marjan, from The Equator by Talal Qureshi
  • 2011: "First Strike" also with Block McCloud
    Army of the Pharaohs
    Army of the Pharaohs is a hip hop supergroup originating from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed by Jedi Mind Tricks MC, Vinnie Paz in 1998.-Recording history:...

    , from Apocalypse by SickSteen

External links

  • Official Website
  • Adil Omar at Facebook
    Facebook
    Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...

  • Adil Omar at Twitter
    Twitter
    Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...

  • Adil Omar at Myspace
    Myspace
    Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....

  • Adil Omar channel at YouTube
    YouTube
    YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....

  • Adil Omar at the Internet Movie Database
    Internet Movie Database
    Internet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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