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 21 August 1982) is an English actor, writer, and rapper. He is also known by his stage name Muslim Belal. Ashley Chin has Jamaican family roots.

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

He is perhaps most famous for playing Tyson in the film Victim (2011). He also played Michael in the short film The Boxer. Chin was also the bad guy, G-Money, in The Intent (2016). He played this role again in the follow-up film The Intent 2: The Come Up (2018).

As a musician and poet, Ashley Chin uses the name "Muslim Belal". He released his first album, Pray Hard, in 2009. His second album, The Transition, came out in 2010. His third album, My Sumaya, was released in 2015. Chin's poetry mixes spiritual ideas with real-world problems and his own life story. He also works as a life coach, giving talks to young people and at events.

Growing Up and Learning

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

Chin was good at poetry from age 12. He left school at 15 after getting a good grade in drama. In 1999, his family moved to Thornton Heath, Croydon. In 2001, he and a friend started a music studio. They had a band called SMS 'South Man Syndicate', later known as South Muslim Soldiers. At that time, he was known as Smalls.

Career Highlights

Starting Out (1999–2006)

In 1999, Ashley Chin began his acting career. He was in the BBC film Storm Damage. Then he acted in a play called Lift Off at the Royal Court Theatre. In 2002, Chin became a Muslim. He took a break from acting to focus on his faith. After becoming a Muslim, he started using the name Muslim Belal. In 2005, he performed at a big event called the Global Peace and Unity Event.

Returning to Acting and Music (2007–2009)

Chin started acting again in 2007. He played Razer in the play Gone Too Far!. He also acted in other plays and TV shows like The Bill, HolbyBlue, and Law & Order: UK.

In 2009, he released a CD called From the Streets to Islam. On this CD, he answered questions by rapping. This was a preview for his first album. He also worked with other artists on a charity song called "Feed the World, Feed the Fasting". Ashley Chin released his first album, Pray Hard, in August 2009. His music talks about his journey to Islam and giving good advice.

More Films and Albums (2010–2014)

In October 2010, he released his second album, The Transition. In 2011, Ashley Chin traveled to the United States to perform. This helped him reach a wider audience.

In 2011, Chin helped write and starred in the film Victim. The film is about a young man trying to leave a life of crime. Chin also had roles in TV shows like Waking the Dead and Silent Witness. He was also in films such as Cherry Tree Lane and Anuvahood.

In 2012, Chin starred in The Boxer, a short film. It was about a young man and his grandfather. From 2012 to 2013, he acted in plays at the Royal National Theatre. He even played Mercutio in a version of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet for young audiences. In 2013, he released a "best of" album called Black Slave. He also appeared in films like Fedz and Starred Up.

Recent Work (2015–Present)

Chin released his third album, My Sumaya, in May 2015. This was a charity album, and the money went to help children in Eastern Sudan. He named the album after his daughter.

He starred in the 2016 film The Intent and its follow-up, The Intent 2: The Come Up, in 2018. Chin also had a small role in the TV show EastEnders. In 2019, he released a new song called Life.

Chin worked with rapper Giggs on a short film called The Essence. It was released in 2019 and was inspired by Giggs' music. Chin also played a main role in this film.

Ashley Chin wrote a book about his life called Faith, released in October 2019. He said the book is about his journey from street life to Islam. In November 2019, Chin announced he is directing and writing a movie based on the book. The film is about a young boy from South London who finds faith in Islam to escape gang life. It is based on Ashley Chin's true story. The film is expected to be released in 2022.

Personal Life

In 2002, when he was 19, Ashley Chin became a Muslim. In 2004, he went to Egypt and lived there for a year to learn more about Islam. His mother and older sister have also become Muslims. He is a big fan of Manchester United Football Club.

In 2010, Chin performed Umrah, which is an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. From 2011 to 2012, he lived in Kuwait City, Kuwait. In 2014, Chin started a charity called ABC Life. He also visited Pakistan to give talks.

Filmography

Films

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2010	Cherry Tree Lane	Asad	Supporting role
2011	Sket	Titch
	Anuvahood	Mo
	Victim	Tyson	Lead role, writer and associate producer
2012	The Boxer	Michael	Lead role
2013	Fedz	Tyson	Supporting role
	Starred Up	Ryan
	Gone Too Far	Mark
	Plastic	Dion
	Snow in Paradise	Amjad
2014	Money and Grime	Valentine
2016	The Intent	G Money
2017	Refu G's – Minorities Not Welcome	Belal	Main role
2018	The Intent 2: The Come Up	G Money	Main role
2019	The Essence	Isaac	Lead role, also writer. Short YouTube film released by Giggs in promotion for his album.
	Run, Shaykh, Run!	Belal	Lead role. Short YouTube film for charity.
2022	Faith		Director, writer and producer.

Television Shows

Stage Plays

Radio Shows

Music Albums

Songs (Non-Album)

See Also

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