Ashley Chin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ashley Chin
Ashley Chin (right) with Hope Ikpoku at the launch of his book Faith in October 2019.
Born	Ashley Anthony Chin (1982-08-21) 21 August 1982 (age 42) London, England
Nationality	British
Other names	Muslim Belal Smalls
Occupation	Actor Screenwriter Rapper Spoken word Performance poet
Years active	1999–present
Musical career
Genres	Islamic Hip-hop Spoken word Nasheed
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2005–present
Labels	Halal Dawa Records
Associated acts	Mecca2Medina Poetic Pilgrimage Suli Breaks Lowkey

Ashley Anthony Chin (born August 21, 1982) is a talented English actor, writer, and rapper. He is also known by his stage name, Muslim Belal. Ashley has Jamaican roots.

He started acting in 1999 with the BBC film Storm Damage. His music career began in 2005. Ashley has appeared in many plays, including Gone Too Far! in 2007. He became well-known for his roles in films like Sket (2011) and Anuvahood (2011).

Ashley is perhaps best known for playing Tyson in Victim (2011). He also played Michael in the award-winning short film The Boxer. He took on the role of G-Money in The Intent (2016) and its prequel The Intent 2: The Come Up (2018). In 2019, he played Isaac in the short film series The Essence.

In October 2019, Ashley released a book called Faith. The book shares his personal journey from a difficult past to finding his faith in Islam. A film based on this book was released in 2022. Ashley wrote and directed this film himself.

As a musician and poet, Ashley performs as "Muslim Belal." His first album, Pray Hard, came out in 2009. He followed this with The Transition in 2010 and My Sumaya in 2015. His poetry often mixes spiritual ideas with social issues and stories from his own life. He also works as a life coach, giving talks and workshops to young people.

Early Life and Learning

Ashley Chin was born in Gypsy Hill, London, England. His parents came from Jamaica. He was named after his Chinese grandfather. Ashley grew up in South London with his mother, Andrea Ellis, and older sister, Kareena Chin. He was raised as a Christian.

Ashley was good at drama and left school at 15. He earned an A grade in GCSE drama. In 1999, his family moved to Thornton Heath, Croydon.

He started developing his talent for poetry at age 12. In 2001, he and a friend created a music studio for their band. The group was first called SMS 'South Man Syndicate'. Later, it became South Muslim Soldiers. Ashley was known as Smalls back then.

Career Highlights

Starting Out: 1999–2006

Ashley Chin began his acting journey in 1999. He appeared in the BBC film Storm Damage, directed by Lennie James. He then made his first stage appearance in Roy Williams' play Lift Off. This play was shown at the Royal Court Theatre.

In 2002, Ashley converted to Islam. He took a break from his career to focus on his new faith. After his conversion, he started using the name Muslim Belal. In December 2005, he performed as Muslim Belal at the first Global Peace and Unity Event. This event was held at the ExCeL London and organized by Islam Channel.

Returning to Acting and Music: 2007–2009

Ashley returned to acting in 2007. He played Razer in Bola Agbaje's play Gone Too Far!. His performance was so good that he reprised the role in 2008. He also played Carl Wilkins in Roy Williams' There's Only One Wayne Matthews.

In August 2007, he was in a radio play for BBC Radio 4. It was an adaptation of the novel To Sir, With Love. Ashley also had supporting roles in TV shows like The Bill (2007), HolbyBlue, The Fixer, and Law & Order: UK.

In July 2008, Ashley performed at the Islam Expo in London. In early 2009, he toured with other artists like Mecca2Medina and Poetic Pilgrimage. This tour was called "I am Malcolm X Tour". In 2009, he released a CD called From the Streets to Islam. On this CD, he answered questions by rapping.

A charity song called "Feed the World, Feed the Fasting" was released in 2009. It featured Ashley Chin and other artists. In October and November 2009, he supported Shaam on their UK tour. Ashley released his first album, Pray Hard, on August 15, 2009. He released it under his stage name, Muslim Belal. The album talks about his journey to Islam and giving advice.

More Films and Albums: 2010–2014

In October 2010, Ashley performed at the Global Peace and Unity Event again. He also launched his second album, The Transition, there. This album was released on October 23, 2010, and featured Lowkey. In February 2011, Ashley performed in the United States. This helped him gain an international audience.

In 2011, Ashley co-wrote and starred in the film Victim. The film was released in UK cinemas on June 22, 2012. It tells the story of a young man trying to escape a life of crime. Ashley also had supporting roles in TV shows like Waking the Dead, Silent Witness, and Casualty.

He appeared in the 2011 films Cherry Tree Lane and Anuvahood. He also had a small role in Sket. In 2010, he was recognized as a "Trailblazer" at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. In April 2012, Ashley starred in The Boxer, a short film. This film won an award and is about a young man and his grandfather.

From October to December 2012, he performed in the play Damned By Despair. This was at the Royal National Theatre. He also filmed for Destiny Ekaragha's movie Gone Too Far. From May to August 2013, he played Mercutio in a National Theatre production of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

In November 2013, he performed at the Global Peace and Unity Event again. He also released a "best of" album called Black Slave. Ashley had supporting roles in the films Fedz and Starred Up. In 2014, he starred in and wrote a short film called Pressure.

Recent Work: 2015–Present

Ashley released his third album, My Sumaya, on May 19, 2015. This was a charity album, and all the money went to help children in Eastern Sudan. The album was named after his daughter.

He starred in the 2016 film The Intent. He returned for the prequel, The Intent 2: The Come Up, in 2018. Ashley also had a supporting role in the TV show EastEnders. After a break from music, he released the single Life in January 2019.

Ashley worked with rapper Giggs on a short film called The Essence. It was released in April 2019 and was inspired by Giggs' album. Ashley played a main role and helped write the film.

In October 2019, Ashley Chin released his autobiography, Faith. He shared that he learned a lot from traveling the world. He wrote the book so people would remember his journey. In November 2019, Ashley announced he was directing and writing a movie based on the book. The film tells the true story of a young South London boy named Ash. It shows his journey to finding meaning in life and discovering Islam. The film was released in 2022.

Personal Life and Beliefs

In 2002, when he was 19, Ashley converted to Islam. In 2004, he traveled to Egypt and lived there for a year to study Islam. His mother and older sister have also converted to Islam. Ashley is a big fan of Manchester United Football Club.

In June 2010, Ashley performed Umrah. This is an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. From July 2011 to May 2012, Ashley lived in Kuwait City, Kuwait.

In July 2013, he appeared on Channel 4's Ramadan Reflections. In February 2014, Ashley started a charity called ABC Life. In June 2014, he visited Pakistan to give a lecture and do TV interviews.

Film and Television Roles

Films

Television Shows

Stage Plays

Radio Shows

Music Albums

Other Songs

See also

• British hip hop
• Islamic music
• List of converts to Islam
• List of performance poets