A Letter Love Story (SEE Magazine, January 6. 2011)

Welcome to the Beat Laboratory: A.O.K.’s Q Without U (The Edmontonian, December 2, 2010)

Do it for love: AOK couples music with a children's book (Vue Weekly, December 1, 2010)

Nursery Rhymes (Edmonton Sun, November 26, 2010)

A.O.K. shares kids' story, rap CD at Edmonton's leva café (Edmonton Journal, November 26, 2010) [text]

A.O.K. releases children's book with rap album (Edmonton Examiner, November 24, 2010)

CBC Radio 1 interview (June 1, 2010)

AOK: Two hearts (Vue Weekly, April 28, 2010)

UGS Q&A (UGSmag.com, June 2009)

The Book, The Film, The CD: Recommended by... AOK (J Magazine, Inflight magazine of Jazeera Airways in Kuwait; Feb./Mar. 2009) Read text.

Winning a Sexy Gives Local Article on Muslim Sexuality National Audience (Canadian Arab News & Sex-Positive Journalism Awards; October 16, 2008)

AOK's album is a-okay (Intercamp, Grant MacEwan college; September 25, 2008 ) Read text.

Local Rapper is Making a Name for Himself (My Slave Lake; September 17, 2008)

The Great White North's lone voice of bling-free Lebanese rap (feature & review) (The Daily Star - Lebanon; September 8, 2008)

New Artist Spotlight: A.O.K. (Wake Your Daughter Up; August 30, 2008 )

Hustling  Cats: Omar Mouallem financed his first rap  album by writing a book about Amazing cats. Seriously. (SEE Magazine; July 31, 2008) Read text.

High Prairie influences rapper (South Peace News; July 16, 2008)

The Purr-fect album: Rapper AOK mixes cats and hip-hop (Edmonton Sun; June 27, 2008)

Reviews

Q Without U (2010)

Writer and rapper Assault Of Knowledge follows  up his album If You Don't Buy This CD, The Terrorists Win and  non-fiction book Amazing Cats with an odd combo pack that brings  together his two interests. Q Without U is a children's book,  illustrated by Josh Holinaty, about two letters that break up “to see  other letters,” and at the back of the book is a link and code to  download the 8-song album of the same name.

Separately, they're both  quite good. The book uses an interesting writing style that removes “u”  from all of the words containing “q” after the two letters break up,  which could be a good way for young ones to expand their knowledge of  words beginning with the letter Q but I would venture it might also  cause confusion for the young ones old enough to read the book and see  these misspelled words, and the gimmick will likely go without notice to  those it's being read to. The album, on the other hand, is a collection  of music about love, relationships and sex – subjects that the book's  target market aren't even old enough to be grossed out about yet.  Perhaps it's the perfect package for the hip hop-loving parents who get a  new book for their kids and some new tunes for themselves. Or maybe  potheads will find the odd spellings in the book funny while they listen  to the music.

And speaking of music, it's predominantly mellow as  befits the subject matter. A.O.K.'s raps are fairly smooth and relaxed,  too, as he explores ground he spent only a little time on during his  previous album. The only exceptions to this vibe are “Hanky Panky,” a  sex rap sampling the 60s song of the same name (as recorded by Tommy  James and the Shondells) with A.O.K.'s Jamaican patois in the final  verse being a nice switch, and the upbeat, rock-sampling opening track  “Shot on Sight.” While it's not a new concept, the book and music  package adds more value to the product which should help with sales over  illegal downloads, but it's just too bad A.O.K. couldn't have come up  with a better integrated book and music combo. By Thomas Quinlan, Urbnet (March 2011)

out of 5

If You Don't Buy This CD, the Terrorists Win (2008)

BEIRUT: Are you tired of hip-hop stars bling blingin' about their cars and commodities, grabbing their crotch as they rap about the 'hood and referring to women in a less than chivalrous manner? Then the sound of A.O.K., Assault of Knowledge, may well come as a breath of fresh Bel Air.

A.O.K., otherwise known as Omar Mouallem, looks and sounds more "boy next door" than "big bad rapper." His songs are often thought-provoking and perceptive, with a sweeter, more digestible disposition than many other of his gun brandishing, gangsta-wannabe contemporaries.

What more could be expected, really, from someone who financed his recently released debut album - the ironically titled "If you don't buy this CD the terrorists win" - by writing a book? About cats, as it were. He has also written an article about mut'ah (temporary marriages), which earned him a gong at the New York Sex-Positive Journalism Awards. How many other rappers can you think of that double as award-winning journalists? At only 22 years old, A.O.K. is indeed a man of many talents, influences and interests, and they often shine through in his music. CONTINUE READING >> By Dalila Mahdawi, The Daily Star (September 8, 2008)