Walshy Fire | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Leighton Paul Walsh |
Born | Dade County, Florida, U.S. |
Occupation(s) | |
Labels | Mad Decent |
Leighton Paul Walsh, better known by his stage name Walshy Fire, is an American DJ, MC and record producer. He is part of the dancehall reggae-influenced group Major Lazer alongside fellow DJs Diplo and Ape Drums. [1] Walshy Fire toured with the Black Chiney sound system beginning in 2004. Black Chiney is cited as a significant influence on the evolution of Major Lazer with its mashups that blend hip hop or R&B rhythms with reggae & R&B artist vocal tracks and its representation of the Jamaican sound system. [2] The subsequent mix tapes that the Black Chiney collective of DJs, engineers and MCs would develop were the training ground for Walshy to become a remix producer.
Walsh was born in Dade County, Florida, and grew up in Carol City in a Jamaican family of partial Chinese descent. [3] [4] [5] He attended North Miami Beach High School. [4]
Walshy Fire has been influenced by reggae and dancehall traditions. In 2013, he said: "my sole purpose with this Major Lazer thing is to bring back some glory and international exposure [for] reggae and dancehall." [4] His favorite reggae riddim is "The Answer" by the iconic producer Coxsone Dodd. [6]
Since 2012, Walshy Fire has presided as master of ceremonies for Major Lazer. In 2013, he described his role as follows:
Basically, Diplo is the selector and I'm the MC. He's the one that picks the records and mixes the records and I'm the one that's out front and presents the records to people, makes speeches that makes the records make sense, and pulls up the records. I give the crowd humor when it's time to give them humor, emotion when it's time to give them emotion, and just keep the whole vibe intense throughout the whole set. [4]
He has contributed to production on the Major Lazer releases Apocalypse Soon and Peace is the Mission . [7] In the latter album, he cowrote the Chronixx song "Blaze Up The Fire" and lent his vocals to "Too Original". Walshy Fire contributed to production on the Know No Better EP with Major Lazer. Walshy Fire along with Diplo & Jillionaire host the Major Lazer Lazer Sound [8] program on Apple Music's Beats 1. With Major Lazer Walshy Fire has collaborated with artists from a variety of genres maintaining a commitment to cultural authenticity and in particular with regard to Caribbean music subgenres. [9]
On March 6, 2016, Major Lazer made the first appearance by a major American pop group in Cuba since the reinstatement of diplomatic relations. [10]
One year after the release of Peace is the Mission, Major Lazer announced the planned release of a new song with Justin Bieber and MØ entitled "Cold Water", which will be the lead track to the next Major Lazer album. This is a follow-up to "Lean On" which featured MØ and has been played 149 million times via Major Lazer's SoundCloud and its official music video which has received 1.4 billion YouTube views. [11]
Walshy Fire launched a label in 2015 with its roots in Jamaica's sound system culture, [12] and extending into other genres including hip-hop. Work with Caribbean artists and the presentation of the various subgenres of their music styles to wider audiences [13] through live sets, pre-recorded mixes and broadcast music programs has fueled the Walshy Fire Presents label concept. [14]
As a solo DJ, [15] Walshy Fire has held residencies in several Miami clubs over the years. He continues to tour globally performing sets with mashups from multiple genres including reggae dancehall, roots reggae, soca, house, bass, moombahton, Latin, Afrobeat, hip-hop and old school R&B presented by MC commentary that sets up the songs for the listener. [16] Walshy Fire performs sets as part of his signature Rum & Bass concept which mixes world-influenced dance grooves with carnival culture.
On June 7, 2019, Walshy Fire Presents: ABENG was released on Mad Decent Records. [17] Walshy curated a first-of-its-kind conversation between Africa and the Caribbean, pairing artists from both regions on tracks spanning afrobeats, dancehall, soca and EDM. As Walshy Fire explains, "The intention of ABENG is to make the Caribbean and Africa have a conversation that is louder, and in the same studio or the same stage, at the same time."
As a producer Walshy Fire has contributed to several dancehall, reggae, and EDM projects. He is a co-producer on two songs: "Toast" & "Throne" on the Grammy-winning EP in the Reggae category by Jamaican artist Koffee entitled Rapture . "Toast" has been featured in TV and film, including the Jordan Peele major motion picture Us . [18]
In July 2019, Walshy Fire signed a global publishing deal with Concord Music Publishing that covered all of his existing work. [19]
In 2021 he opened the Dante's Hifi vinyl bar in Miami, Florida. [20]
In Jamaican dancehall music, a riddim is the instrumental accompaniment to a song and is synonymous with the rhythm section. Jamaican music genres that use the term consist of the riddim plus the voicing sung by the deejay. A given riddim, if popular, may be used in dozens—or even hundreds—of songs, not only in recordings but also in live performances.
Thomas Wesley Pentz, known professionally as Diplo, is an American DJ and music producer. He is a co-creator and lead member of the electronic dancehall music project Major Lazer; a member of the supergroup LSD, with Sia and Labrinth; a member of electronic duo Jack Ü, with producer and DJ Skrillex; and a member of Silk City, with Mark Ronson. He founded the record company Mad Decent in 2006, as well as the non-profit organization Heaps Decent the following year. His 2013 extended play (EP), Revolution, debuted at number 68 on the US Billboard 200. The EP's title track was later featured in a commercial for Hyundai and is featured on the WWE 2K16 soundtrack.
Black Chiney is a Jamaican sound system based in Miami, Florida. It consists of four Chinese Jamaicans: Supa Dups, Bobby Chin, Willy Chin and Walshy Fire. The Caribbean slang "Black Chiney" refers to this racial mix.
Clifford Smith, better known as Mr. Vegas, is a Jamaican dancehall singjay.
Dwayne Chin-Quee, better known as Supa Dups, is a Jamaican record producer, a drummer, and selector based in Miami, Florida. He is a member of the Black Chiney sound system. His father is a second generation Chinese Jamaican, and his mother is of Hakka Chinese, German, and African descent.
Major Lazer is a Jamaican-American electronic dance music and DJ trio, which includes record producer Diplo, and DJs Walshy Fire and Ape Drums. They originate from Kingston, Jamaica, founded in 2008 by Diplo and Switch, with Switch leaving after three years in 2011. He was then replaced by both Jillionaire and Walshy Fire. In June 2019, Jillionaire left the group and was replaced by Ape Drums. Their music spans numerous genres, mixing reggae with dancehall, reggaeton, soca, house and moombahton.
Stephen McGregor, known professionally as Di Genius, is a Jamaican record producer, singer, and songwriter. Di Genius comes from a musical family—his father is legendary veteran reggae artist Freddie McGregor and his siblings, Daniel "Chino" McGregor and Yeshemabeth "Shema" McGregor, are also singers. While Di Genius was primarily known for producing riddims out of his "Big Ship" recording studio, he has gone on to produce and write songs for international artists such as Sean Paul, Drake, Nelly Furtado, Lianne La Havas, Shakira, John Legend among others. The New York Times named him a "Reggae Veteran At The Age of 18."
KickRaux is a Jamaican DJ, record producer, songwriter and music executive. He has collaborated with producers and vocalists such as Vybz Kartel, Major Lazer, Tyga, Wizkid, Machel Montano, Chronixx, Konshens, Busta Rhymes, Charly Black, Demarco and is known for his remixes of artists such as Migos, Jay Z, Mila J, Kranium & M.I.A. Major Lazer frontman Diplo referred to KickRaux as "one of (his) favorite new producers." In early 2014, KickRaux was credited with coining the term Future Dancehall, which refers to his style of music productions.
Jamar Rolando McNaughton, popularly known as Chronixx, is a Jamaican reggae artist. His stage name replaced the name "Little Chronicle" which he was given because of his father, the singer "Chronicle". Chronixx and his music has been branded as a "Reggae Revival", alongside other reggae musicians including Alborosie, Dre Island, Jah Bouks, Jah9, Protoje, Kelissa, Jesse Royal, Keznamdi and Kabaka Pyramid. His lyrical content revolves around themes of anti-war, romantic declarations and resiliency.
Christopher Leacock, better known by his stage name Jillionaire, is a Trinidadian DJ and music producer. He is best known for being a former member of the American electronic music group Major Lazer, along with Diplo and Walshy Fire. In 2014 he released then EP Fresh along with Salvatore Ganacci on the Universal Music label.
Jesse David Royal is a Jamaican reggae musician.
Eric Alberto-Lopez, known professionally as Ape Drums, is a Mexican-American DJ and record producer. Ape Drums is known for fusing electronic dance music with Caribbean sounds, described by Thump as "Modern Dancehall Music." He is also one third of the DJ/production trio Major Lazer, replacing Jillionaire in the summer of 2019.
Desire Sibanda is a Zimbabwean reggae singer and songwriter, better known by his stage name Dizzy Dee. He moved to Australia in 2007 and currently resides in Melbourne where he performs and works as a disk jockey on a regular basis.
Nordia Coco Witter, also known as Coco, is a Jamaican singer and songwriter. She is known for popular songs in the Reggae style of music including "Be Alone Tonight" and "I'm a Player in the Band." She has been featured in Rolling Stone.
Philip Meckseper, known professionally as Jr Blender, is a German record producer and songwriter from Hamburg.
"We Make It Bounce" is a song by American electronic music producer Dillon Francis and American EDM trio Major Lazer, featuring guest vocals from English-Jamaican reggae singer Stylo G. The song was written by Dillon Francis and Stylo G, with production handled by Dillon Francis and Major Lazer. The song was released as a digital download by Mad Decent and Columbia Records on 16 September 2014, and is the fourth single of Dillon Francis debut album Money Sucks, Friends Rule. The song is written by Dillon Francis and Stylo G, with production handled by Dillon Francis and Major Lazer.
Mikayla Victoria Simpson, better known as Koffee, is a Jamaican singer, songwriter, rapper, and guitarist from Spanish Town, Jamaica. She released her debut single "Burning" in 2017, and after releasing another single the following year, she signed with Columbia Records. Her 2019 debut EP Rapture -- a five-track release in which only two Reggae tracks were included -- won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, making Koffee the youngest person and only woman to be awarded in the Best Reggae Album category. Her most recent album Gifted was released on March 25, 2022.
Andrew Moon Bain is a visual artist, record producer, musician, songwriter, and designer. He grew up in Seattle, Washington, where he was very active in the arts as a youth. He was a young cellist in the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras from ages 8–12. He also formed a hip-hop group in high school and later an original rock band with his younger brother. He relocated to Providence, Rhode Island as a young adult and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in sculpture from the Rhode Island School of Design. Bain remained in New England after earning his degree, subsequently becoming an active and integral member of Providence's exploding art community. His visual art is represented in numerous private collections, museums and at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum. In the summer of 2019, Bain did a large-scale wall installation at the Brown University Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts entitled “We Are All Carbon Beings”.
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Kabaka Pyramid is a reggae artist from Kingston, Jamaica, who combines elements of roots reggae, dancehall and rap. His musical role models include hip-hop artists such as Raekwon of the Wu-Tang Clan as well as roots singers such as Peter Tosh.