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Ayah or Aayah (Arabic: آية āyah, plural: ayat or ayaat آيات āyāt) is the Arabic word for evidence or sign:

"These are the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, revelations, etc.) of Allah, which We recite to you (O Muhammad SAW) with truth. Then in which speech after Allah and His Ayat will they believe?" (Surat Al-Jathiya 45:6, Mohsin Khan translation of the Qur'an)^[1]

The word is usually used to refer to the smallest unit of the Qur'an, usually called 'verses' or 'signs' in English translations of the Qur'an. Muslims believe that each ayah of the Qur'an is a sign from God.

Chapters in the Qur'an, called suras in Arabic, are made up of several ayat, although suras vary greatly in length, ranging from 3 to 286 ayat. Within a long sura, ayat may be further divided into thematic sequences or passages.

A common myth persists that the number of ayat in the Qur'an is 6,666.^[2] In fact, the total number of ayat in all suras is 6,236; the number varies if the bismillahs are counted separately.

The verse number is written in a symbol at the end of each verse. This symbol is ۝, end of ayah. Its Unicode number is U+06DD.^[3]

The word ayah is also used to refer to the verses of the Bible by Arab Christians and Christians in countries where Arabic words are used for religious terms.^[4]

Types of ayah[link]

The ayat of the Qur'an are commonly separated into two groups:

1. Those that are Muhkam (محكم): with very clear and straightforward meanings.
2. Those that are Mutashabeh (متشابه): with multiple interpretations.^[5]

This distinction is stated within the Qur'an itself:

"He it is Who has sent down to thee the Book: In it are verses basic or fundamental (of established meaning) [Muhkam]; they are the foundation of the Book: others are allegorical [Mutashabeh]. But those in whose hearts is perversity follow the part thereof that is allegorical, seeking discord, and searching for its hidden meanings, but no one knows its hidden meanings except Allah. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: 'We believe in the Book; the whole of it is from our Lord:' and none will grasp the Message except men of understanding." (Ali-Imran 3:7, Yusuf Ali translation of the Qur'an)^[6]

References[link]

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This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (January 2009)

DJ Jazzy Jeff
Background information
Birth name	Jeffrey Allen Townes
Born	(1965-01-22) January 22, 1965 (age 47)
Origin	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Genres	Hip hop, R&B
Occupations	Record producer, DJ
Years active	1985–Present
Associated acts	DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
Website	www.djjazzyjeff.com

Jeffrey Allen Townes^[1] (born January 22, 1965, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania),^[2] also known as DJ Jazzy Jeff or simply Jazz, is an American hip hop, R&B record producer, turntablist and actor. He is best known for his early career with Will Smith as DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. DJ Jazzy Jeff attended John Bartram High School in Philadelphia, where he is enshrined in the school's "Wall of Fame."^{[citation needed]}

Career[link]

Once he grew up, he developed a reputation and a following as a school and block party DJ. Jazzy Jeff was the feature of the duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. He also won the world DJ championship in the 1986 New Music Seminar DJ Battle.

Acting[link]

When Smith branched out into television with the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Jazzy Jeff played a recurring character named Jazz, Smith's best friend on the show. In the early season the two characters always greeted each other with their signature handshake (swinging mid-five, point-back/snap with both characters saying "Pssh!"). His trademarks included being physically ejected from the house by Uncle Phil (James Avery).

Music[link]

As a duo, they had several gold and platinum-selling albums and singles in the late 1980s and early 1990s, earning them the first rap Grammy Award ever presented in 1989 for Parents Just Don't Understand. One of the first records Jazzy Jeff ever appeared on was with The Korner Boyz (Street Artz Records) "Bust The Move and The Soga of Roxanne) Which featured legendary Philly Rapper / MC Parry P and Grand Tone. The Instrumental was called "Jazzy Jeff Scratch" (1985)

After DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince broke up, Townes went on to become a prominent R&B, soul, and neo soul record producer, establishing the A Touch of Jazz production company in his native Philadelphia. Among the artists that Jazzy Jeff has helped develop are Jill Scott and Musiq. Even though he separated from Will Smith as a music partner, they are still friends,^{[citation needed]} and still occasionally work together. Some songs by Smith were produced by Townes (including "Here He Comes"), and he has performed on some songs by Smith such as "So Fresh" and "Potnas." In addition, he appeared in several of Smith's music videos such as "Will2K" and "Freakin' It". On some occasions, he made an appearances with Smith at live concerts, producing DJ scratches.

He, along with DJ Cash Money, is credited with making the transform scratch famous.^{[citation needed]}

On July 2, 2005, DJ Jazzy Jeff performed with Smith at the Live 8 concert in Philadelphia. Moreover, Smith acknowledges him in his music such as "Comin' To The Stage" from the album Lost & Found and "Potnas" in his album Willennium.

His 2007 release The Return of the Magnificent featured numerous collaborations with old school and new school artists including CL Smooth, Big Daddy Kane, Pos from De La Soul, Method Man, Peedi Peedi (a remake of Brand New Funk), Rhymefest, and Raheem DeVaughn.

In 2007, he appeared with Rhymefest in a video DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Fest directed by Konee Rok, in which he makes music in his home recording studio with Rhymefest.

In 2008, he performed with Smith at the premier of the latter's 2008 film Hancock.

In 2009, he made a mixtape titled He's the King...I'm the DJ in honor of the late entertainer Michael Jackson.

He was featured in the video game, DJ Hero, as a playable character. He also has some original mixes in the game.

He is currently making a mixtape with young rapper Mac Miller and is hosting it, titled "92 Til Infinity".

Discography[link]

Solo work as DJ Jazzy Jeff[link]

• Unreleased album from Sony Records (1998)
• One cut in Battle of DJs
• The Magnificent (2002)
• Soulheaven Presents Jazzy Jeff in the House (2004)
• The Soul Mixtape Groovin' Records USA (2005)
• Hip-Hop Forever II Rapster Records (2004)
• Hip-Hop Forever III BBE Records (2006)
• The Return of The Magnificent EP (2007)
• The Return of the Magnificent (2007) #55 US (Gold)
• The Return of Hip Hop EP (2007)

As DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince[link]

• Rock the House (1986) #83 US (Gold); #97 UK
• He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper (1988) #4 US (3x Platinum); #68 UK
• And in This Corner… (1989) #39 US (Gold)
• Homebase (1991) #12 US (Platinum); #69 UK
• Code Red (1993) #64 US (Gold); #50 UK
• Greatest Hits (1998) #144 US, #20 UK
• Before The Willennium (1999)
• The Very Best of D.J. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (2006)^[1]

Miscellaneous[link]

• 1991 - Deep, Deep, Trouble with Bart Simpson; and the remixes from The Simpsons Sing the Blues
• 1997 - Jazzy Jeff's Theme; from the album Nuyorican Soul
• 1998 - "When To Stand Up" featuring Eminem
• 1998 - I Don't Know by Slum Village (scratches); from the album Fantastic, Vol. 2
• 1999 - The Next Movement by The Roots (scratches); from the album Things Fall Apart
• 2004 - Mirrorball (DJ Jazzy Jeff Full Sole Remix) by Everything But The Girl; from Adapt or Die: 10 Years of Remixes
• 2005 - Papa Was A Rollin' Stone (DJ Jazzy Jeff & Pete Kuzma Solefull Mix) by the Temptations; from Motown Remixed.
• 2005 - Lost & Found by Will Smith; produced intro song Here He Comes and several DJ scratches on several tracks
• 2005 - Watch Me by Little Brother (scratches); from the album The Minstrel Show
• 2006 - Feel It (Jazzy Jeff Soulful Remix) by the Black Eyed Peas; from Renegotiations: The Remixes
• 2006 - Night in Tunisia (DJ Jazzy Jeff Remix) by Duke Jordan
• 2007 - NY Weather Report by Talib Kweli (scratches); from the album Eardrum
• 2007-Made a cameo appearance in Jill Scott's music video "A Long Walk"
• 2008 - Get Busy by The Roots (scratches); from the album Rising Down
• 2008 - Bring It Back by Rhymefest (producer); from the album El Che
• 2009 - Prince in Training by MaC Renegade Hosted by DJ Jazzy Jeff
• 2009 - Stay This Way (Jazzy Jeff Remix) by Peter Bjorn and John featuring Big Pooh, Chaundon, and Phil Nash from the mixtape Re-Living Thing with Mick Boogie

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: DJ Jazzy Jeff

• Official website
• DJ Jazzy Jeff at the Internet Movie Database
• DJ Jazzy Jeff Beatbuggy Profile
• YourSingapore - ZoukOut

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2012)

Yassin Alsalman, better known by his stage name The Narcicyst (or Narcy), is an Iraqi-Canadian journalist and Hip Hop MC. He currently resides in Montreal, Canada. In 2011 he taught a course at Concordia University, in conjunction with Marc Peters, titled: "Hip Hop: Past, Present, and Future." ^[1]

Biography[link]

Yassin's parents are originally from Basra, Iraq but emigrated to the United Arab Emirates in the 1970's. ^[2] Yassin was born in Dubai in 1982. At the age of five (1987) he and his family moved to Montreal, Canada. ^[3] Yassin spent much of his youth moving back and forth between Canada and the UAE, spending his high school years receiving an education in Dubai. In the year 2000 Yassin moved back to Montreal, Canada and started working on his music production in a local recording studio. ^[4] He simultaneously attended Concordia University, where he received his BA and an MA in the Media Studies Department.

Since moving to Canada for his undergraduate and master's studies, Yassin has been actively involved in giving talks, interviews, etc. across both Canada and the United States.

Discography[link]

Fear of an Arab Planet (album)[link]

Track List

1. The Arab Conspiracy
2. We Need Order
3. Al-Jazz Islam
4. Explain
5. Somebody Please
6. Spy Oud
7. The Guide (Quasi-Islamic)
8. Camouflage Life
9. The Bill Interlude
10. Tomorrow's Justice
11. Ghibreh
12. Last Days
13. The Exchange (Inanimate)
14. Hope (Dheisah)
15. Arab Jarab

The Narcicyst (album)[link]

Track List

1. Good Morning
2. Vietnam
3. Peace!!!
4. P.H.A.T.W.A.
5. Sumeria
6. The Narcicyst
7. Lie of the Century (Untrulude)
8. Iraqi Prime Time News
9. The Evident
10. No More Mr. Nice Guy
11. Brass
12. The Last Arabs (rap feat. Omar Offendum)
13. Sesame Snaps
14. Prince of Poets
15. Nothing's Fair in Love Or War
16. Stars
17. Hamdullilah (vocals feat. Shadia Mansour)
18. Bismilloutro
19. Good Night (Bonus Track)

Mr. Asthmatic (album)[link]

Track List

1. S.O.B. (Intro)
2. What's Up Doc!
3. Ventolin (Interlude)
4. The Asthmatic Lover
5. Float (snippet) with Meryem Saci
6. Health Care (Why)
7. Gone, Be There
8. Poison
9. All in War
10. Strep Throat
11. Street Runner
12. Paranoid ArabBoy
13. Mr. Arab
14. GoodBye

#Jan25 (single)[link]

• released February 2011 (produced by Sami Matar, this song features Syrian MC Omar Offendum, The Narcicyst, Freeway, Amir Sulaiman & Ayah)^[5]
• the hashtag is an ode to Twitter, which has been credited by many as playing an influential role in the Egyptian revolution

Fly Over Egypt (single)[link]

• released January 25, 2012^[6]

Acting[link]

In 2009 he appeared in the movie City of Life which revolves around life in Dubai.

Published Works[link]

2011

• Diatribes of a Dying Tribe ^[7][8]
• CNN Opinion Article: In Iraq, the troops leave, the pain doesn't

See also[link]

• Arabic hip hop

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• The Narcicyst at MySpace
• The Narcicyst at the Internet Movie Database
• Article by Rupert Bottenberg, Montreal Mirror
• Euphrates Keeps it Positive by Tara Henley
• Stereotypes Incorporated review
• For The Narcicyst, Iraq is the Bomb article by Mandy Van Deven in Bitch (magazine) published May 21, 2009

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (January 2011)

Ayah Bdeir (born 1982 in Montreal, Canada) is an interactive artist and engineer. With an upbringing between Lebanon and Canada, Bdeir uses experimental media and technology to look at deliberate and subconscious representations of Arab identity.^[1] She is the creator of littleBits, an open source kit of pre-assembled circuits made easy by tiny magnets ^[2]

She received her masters degree from the MIT Media Lab and undergraduate degrees in Computer Engineering and Sociology from the American University of Beirut. In 2008, she was awarded a fellowship at Eyebeam Art + Technology Center in New York City and remains an honorary fellow.^[3] In 2010, she was awarded a fellowship with Creative Commons for her work including spearheading the first Open Hardware Definition ^[4] that was adopted by CERN for their Open Hardware License ^[5] and co-chairing the inaugural Open Hardware Summit. She has taught graduate classes at NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) and Parsons The New School for Design.

In 2010, she served as a design mentor on the reality TV show, Stars of Science. In January 2011, in its second season, Stars of Science, initiated by Qatar Foundation, is the first Pan-Arab reality-TV program dedicated to innovation, aiming to shine a spotlight on the next generation of young Arab innovators.^[6]

In 2011, Ayah Bdeir received the highly prestigious TED Fellowship ^[7] which includes an invitation to give a talk at the TED event in Long Beach in 2012.

Major works[link]

• Ejet Ejet: Elusive Electricity (Ejet Ejet) is an interactive neon installation that embodies the immaterial persona of electricity in the Arab world. The piece shines a bright neon light intriguing the passer-by, but as one comes closer, the light flickers, dims, buzzes, and ultimately pops: power is out and the room is dipped into darkness.
• Teta Haniya's Secrets: A line of electronic lingerie inspired by a Syrian tradition of hacking electronic toys, integrating them into panties, and selling them in the most casual of fashions at popular ‘Damascan’ souks.
• Les Annees Lumiere: A bird’s eye view of 3 years of violence, strife, and very bright lights rocking Lebanon, remembered and replayed in 45 minutes of proportionally timed light display.
• Arabiia: Arabiia is a caricature of media stereotypes typically associated with Arab women. The convertible burka is equipped with two servo motors and a switch. It enables its wearer to voluntarily choose which of two extreme representations fits her mood and audience.
• Random Search: Random Search is a subtle, reactive undergarment. It records, shares, and analyses the experience of invasive airport searches on behalf of our silent, abiding, fearful bodies.

Shows and exhibitions[link]

• "Subtitled: Narratives From Lebanon", RCA (Royal College of Art) (London), 2011
• "Talk To Me", MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) (New York), 2011
• "Electronics as Materials", Eyebeam (New York), 2010
• "7 on 7", New Museum (New York), 2010^[8]
• "Identities in Motion", Peacock Visual Arts Gallery (Aberdeen, Scotland), 2009
• "Impetus", Ars Electronica (Linz, Austria), Works from the MIT Media Lab, curated by Hiroshi Ishii & Amanda Parkes, 2009
• "Open Stitch", Location One Gallery (New York), 2005

littleBits[link]

littleBits is an open source library of discrete electronic components pre-assembled in tiny circuit boards. littleBits makes prototyping with sophisticated electronics a matter of snapping small magnets together. All logic and circuitry is pre-engineered, so users can play with electronics without knowing electronics. littleBits aims to move electronics from the latter to the earlier part of design process, and from the hands of experts to those of makers and designers.^[9] In April 2009, littleBits was exhibited at MakerFaire Bay Area^[10] and received wide acclaim from the audience, in addition to winning an Editor's Pick Blue Ribbon Award in 2009 and 2011. In 2011, littleBits was acquired by the Museum of Modern Art for the permanent collection.

Articles[link]

External links[link]

• littleBits
• Hillary Batchelder and Sarah Lilleyman, "No Escaping the Memories", Time, 29 July 2006
• Regine, "littleBits, pre-engineered circuit boards connected by tiny magnets", We Make Money Not Art, 14 May 2009
• Stars of Science website