PARIS, Aug. 9 (UPI) -- Rapping to Parisian customers about tasty kebabs led to an EMI recording contract for a Turkish merchant whose song earned him a huge Internet following.
Yilmaz Karaman, also known as Lil' Maaz, and his rap "Mange du Kebab" ("Eat Kebab") is the latest sign of the Web's increased influence on the music industry. Released this week, the track is a hit in France, and the video has had 600,000 hits online since June, Britain's Telegraph reported Thursday.
Lil' Maaz moved to France four years ago and began working at fast-food outlet, Restaurant Diyar. He composed the song to tempt potential customers to "come and eat kebabs, my friend!" Employees from a nearby recording studio recorded Lil' Maaz, while a friend shot an amateur film showing him rapping while slicing kebabs from a spit.
Lil' Maaz, 27, had made a Turkish version, but said he wants to continue part time at his restaurant.
"I love my kebabs," he told the British newspaper. "My goal was to make people laugh."
