Baz Raghib Presents ‘Full Beams’. What Is It?

by Alexandra Mansilla

Baz Raghib Presents ‘Full Beams’. What Is It?

5 May 2024

Do you know Baz Raghib? Of course, you do. In case you don't, here is a bit of information: he is a creative and a DJ who has shared the stage with artists such as Lil Uzi Vert, Migos, and others. He also was a part of a hip-hop collective called "High Beams," and his name frequently appears in anything connected with the music industry. Now, he is reaching a new level — Baz has opened his agency, "Full Beams," and we had a chat to explore it.

— Hi Baz! First off, let me ask you a bit about your life. You moved from Kuwait to New Zealand, right? In one interview, you spoke a lot about your mom. It seems to me that she plays a huge role in your life. Could you please tell us more about her?

— Yeah, my mum is the rock. She was exiled from a native hometown in Palestine and was forcibly displaced to Gaza. She has lived through three wars. My mother is definitely one of the most important people in my life.

I was born a little after the Gulf War in Kuwait. In 1996, we moved to New Zealand, which is again a testament to my mother's resilience, moving the five children literally across the world. And especially, you know, such a difference in cultures as well at the time. I don't believe my mom even spoke English… She just packed the bags and took all the kids and moved us over to New Zealand for a better life, and more opportunities. Our lives are purely from the sacrifices she gave to benefit us.

She really sacrificed a lot in her life for her children and her family. She comes from a very well-educated and well-accomplished family, and she essentially had to sacrifice a lot of those opportunities as well to raise us. So, my mother is a pinnacle in my life as well as my family's life.

She has lived through a lot of struggles, and yet she still had the courage to put us first. So, yes, my mother is absolutely a big, a big staple in my life. I even had a skincare brand for a while that was literally named after her...

Photo: Bashar Belal

— Wow, what?

— Yes! It was a natural skincare brand from New Zealand named and modelled after my mother. The main component in the products was manuka honey, a native honey to New Zealand that can only be found there.

The idea and purpose of the brand was that mom, like many Arab moms, used natural remedies to heal. So, like if I would break my arm, she would put olive oil on it, and the next day it was fine, you know? So, those teachings of natural remedies were the concept around the skincare brand. Naming it after her was a way of paying homage to her teachings and what she learned from her mother and her grandmother, passing down through generations. So, that is just an example of the role that my mother has played.

— Okay. And what does she do now?

— She is retired now. When she was in New Zealand, she worked really, really hard to support us. She worked long hours, early mornings, and late finishes, and she did that for a very long time. But now she is retired, so she gets to relax and enjoy herself and doesn't have to look after us anymore. It's now our turn to look after her.

She is back and forth between Dubai and New Zealand. We are trying to get her over into Dubai permanently with the rest of us, but she is growing quite attached to New Zealand, which is fair enough.

— You had a hip-hop collective called "High Beams," right? Where is it now?

— Yes, so that was a great part of my life. I was a DJ and a full-time producer, as well as working on the back end of the music industry at that time. There were two prominent artists, Melodownz and Raiza Biza, who are still my best friends, and we used to sit and make music in my little chateau. We just did it for fun a lot. So we ended up making a big portfolio of songs, and eventually, we sat down and listened back to them. We said, "Hey, look, this sounds like a record, something album-worthy." At that time, Red Bull had a studio in Auckland, and I was working quite closely with the Red Bull team. They offered to record, mix, and master the record in their studios. Eventually, we got a distribution deal through Sony Music's Distribution arm called The Orchard. So, we released that record, and it did its thing in 2018.

It was a great part of my life, and I reflect on it frequently because it was a really fun time. But it was a very spontaneous thing. It was very much like I was making music, they were making music, we were hanging out together, and we made this record. We didn't plan it. And funny enough, this is where the name “Full Beams” comes from, paying homage to that time of my career.

— You have shared the stage with many famous musicians. Can you recall the most impressive experience?

— I think the very first show I did with an international artist was with Lil Uzi Vert in Auckland. That was the first one, and it was super special because I was transitioning from being a local club DJ to starting to perform at bigger shows and getting booked for these big artists in the region. It was a great time, especially leading up to 2018, which seems like a lifetime ago now. So, that was me transitioning from just DJing at local clubs to starting to touch those bigger stages, particularly in Auckland.

The most memorable one, funny enough, wasn't an international act. It was a local act, a New Zealand band called SIX60. The show they did was the first time that a local artist was able to sell out the biggest stadium in the city, which had a 50,000-person capacity. I got booked for that and was opening for them. Because it was such a historic show, I made sure to bring out a lot of my peers with me. During my sets, I brought out many local artists to perform with me and give them that spotlight. Funny enough, the artists I brought out at that time are now doing those big shows and are the big names in the industry.

— Okay, so you were DJing, and now you are launching an agency. Once, a very famous DJ said that he didn't want to describe himself in one word. He doesn't want to be pigeonholed as just a DJ, a fashion person, or a producer. He wants to be diverse. How do you describe yourself now? Are you still a DJ, or who are you?

— Yeah, I kind of resonate with that. When that idea comes, I think within the creative spaces. And nowadays especially it is very rare that you find someone that has one avenue of creativity. I think that creativity manifests itself in many different forms.

You can meet a DJ, but if you dig a little bit further under the surface you find that a DJ is probably a fashion designer. Maybe he, I don't know, likes to code computers as well, you know, which is still a creative art form in its own sense. So I do resonate with that sort of idea because I do so many other things. I don't really introduce myself as a DJ. I think that is just one of the hats that I wear.

Honestly, for me, I wouldn't even know how to describe myself. I would just say that I'm someone who likes to work and I'm someone that likes to set goals and achieve things and it so happens to be in the creative space.

Source: full-beams.com

— So, now, about “Full Beams”, a new agency that you have just launched! First, congratulations on the launch. Second — I want to know everything.

— I have this weird connotation about the word "agency." I don't know why. Maybe it is because it is a bit saturated, but that is what it is. Yeah, so "Full Beams" is a music marketing agency. We scout talents in the region, and we already have four amazing, incredible talents on the roster.

In no particular order, we have Sonya, who is a staple in the region. She is an amazing producer, DJ, and artist who has done some really incredible work. We are very grateful to be able to work with her.

Then there is Mr. Shef Codes, who I know you guys are familiar with. We like to call him Mr. Nice Guy in the city because he is just the coolest guy, so talented in many different disciplines as well. He is hands down the best DJ I have ever seen in my life, no doubt. And that is not coming from a biased perspective. I remember the first time I saw him DJ. He invited me to one of his sets, and I didn't really know what to expect. I was texting him throughout the set, being like, "This is crazy!"

We are also working with EYJEY, who is an incredible producer pushing the boundaries of edits and mashups on SoundCloud. He is getting a lot of recognition from high-up artists, and we are really excited to be working with him.

And finally, we have Noor the DJ, who is making waves in the local scene as a DJ and has a really prosperous future. He is exploring other realms as he grows himself.

— And what are your plans for this year?

— So, plans for this year involve collaborating with some truly outstanding brands and collectives, particularly in Dubai. We are very lucky to have an official partnership with House of Yanos, which is really pushing the boundaries in terms of events and experiences in the city.

These are the main areas we are focusing on: strategic partnerships with brands, which could involve activations, brand management, technical aspects of advertising, and performance marketing. We are really excited about working with brands that share our core beliefs and helping our talent and artists reach new heights and achieve their goals.

From the talent perspective, our agency is all about them — it is not about us. It is about helping them achieve their goals and aspirations. This ethos extends to the brands we work with as well. We are here to support and showcase them, not to put ourselves in the spotlight. So, we have some exciting plans for the year ahead, and we hope they bring mutual benefits.

— There are whispers that you are preparing something special with Shef Codes.

— Yeah, there is a little something happening. We are working on something truly special. We are still pushing forward, and hopefully, it will come to fruition sooner rather than later.

by Alexandra Mansilla