Irish I profile picture

Irish I

Old School Bay Sh!t

About Me

WHO: Irish I - Short for Irish Intellect, a name that came to me in a freestyle I once spit: "This'll get funky as you can see because the Irish intellect runs deep within me."WHAT: Elements of hip-hop, funk, dub reggae, and acoustic blended into a 21st century manifestation called HyphyDub.WHEN: I started playing guitar as a pre-teen after being shown some basic chords, circa 1995. Around the same time one of my older brothers and his friend would hang out and make funny songs with me on a tape cassette recorder. It was all in good fun, but it left an everlasting impression on me. I never took things seriously (still don't, LOL), but I intermittently learned more guitar techniques by ear and through good friends who are great guitarists, circa 1996-2004. I took one guitar class in college (I got an A!), circa 2001. I learned how to create drum samples and song patterns while attending the University of Hawaii, Manoa, circa 2005. Using a digital interface to rig up mics, guitar, bass and drums I began recording songs on Cool Edit Pro, which I learned how to manipulate while DJing at 90.1 KZFR - Chico's community radio station, circa 2006.WHY: As a writer at heart I kept a notebook of songs and poems that I wrote since I was in high school. I always wanted to take those words - some of which had accompanying guitar rhythms - and put music to them. It is a creative outlet that never seems to stop. You know how some people say they always have a song stuck in their head? Well I get my own sounds, patterns and songs stuck in my head after various situations. Example: I'll catch some sort of vibe during a crackin' party, and when I get home I'll transfer that vibe into some sort of sound: guitar, bass, drum or lyrics.WHERE: My home/traveling studio. I record on a laptop and all my equipment is pretty lightweight and compact. Basically I have a "rolling studio" (it's on wheels!), so if you're having a party or want to collaborate on a song I can bring the good just about anywhere!HOW: One take per track. That's my theory. Ya know ... measure twice, cut once type of thing.I practice how I want a track to sound, whether it be vocals, guitar, bass, or drums, and then I lay it down.Each track of every song on this page was done in one take. I don't have time to sit around doing two, three, four takes for a guitar track. I just practice my rhythm, visualize how it will manifest, and then I let my creativity and confidence get me through the cut.Some people might call this lazy or unprofessional, but I call it tight and efficient.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 3/7/2006
Influences: 20+ plus years in the East Bay, Jeff Nesmith, Eric & Friends : Songs About Jah, Sanjay Dev, SKA, DUB, Sly Stone, The Ziggens, The Mac named Dre, Dubee aka SugaWolf Pimp, the American Military, Freedom of Speech, the Founding Fathers
Sounds Like: I'm getting HYPHY and going DUB. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$ HYPHY (pronounced HI-fee) is a style of music and dance primarily associated with the Bay Area hip hop culture. Although the Hyphy movement started in the early '90s, it began to emerge in the early 2000s as a response from Bay Area rappers against commercial hip hop for not acknowledging the Bay for setting trends in the hip hop industry. Although the hyphy movement has just recently seen light in mainstream America, it has been a long standing and evolving culture in the Bay Area. Bay Area rapper Keak Da Sneak takes credit for coining the term when, as a young boy, his mother would often tell him he was hyperactive. He would repeat the word "hyper" as "hyphy". $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$ Hyphy music is distinguished by gritty, pounding rhythms and in this sense can be associated with the Bay Area as crunk music is to the South; however, contrary to popular belief, the musical aspect of the Hyphy movement has very few similarities to crunk music as it is dictated by more up-tempo beats. An individual is said to "get hyphy" when they act or dance in an overstated, fast paced, and ridiculous manner. Those who consider themselves part of the Hyphy movement would describe this behavior as "getting stupid" or "going dumb." In contrast to much of popular American culture where these phrases would be considered negative or even insulting, Hyphy is distinguished by taking this kind of behavior as a form of pride. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$ DUB is a form of Jamaican music, which evolved out of Reggae in 1960's Jamaica. The dub sound consists predominantly of instrumental re-mixes of existing recordings and is achieved by significantly manipulating and reshaping the recordings, usually by removing the vocals from an existing music piece, emphasizing the drum and bass frequencies or 'Riddim', adding extensive echo and reverb effects, and re-incorporating occasional snippets of lyrics from the original version. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$ It is widely accepted that Jamaican musicians Osbourne Ruddock (more commonly known by the pseudonym King Tubby), and Lee "Scratch" Perry pioneered the style in the 1960's and early 1970's. Ruddock and Perry each called upon the mixing desk as an instrument, with the Deejay or "Selector" playing the role of the artist or performer. These early 'Dub' examples can be looked upon as the prelude to many dance and pop music genres. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$ Today, the word 'dub' is used widely to describe the re-formatting of music of various genres into typically instrumental, rhythm-centric adaptations.
Record Label: Bellrock's (Coming Soon)
Type of Label: None