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Ciaran Mather, 25 May
Hip-hop music might not be the first thing you would normally associate
with Kildare.
However, three men hailing from a group called Base Life want to change
that.
The hip hop / rap collective consists of C.O.B. The Dude (Ciarán
O’Brien), Stuie.With.The.Bag (Stuart / 'Stuie' McGrath) and TommySee?
(Thomas Clare).
Stuie and C.o.B The Dude have been friends since childhood, and Stuie
later met TommySee? through C.O.B The Dude, back when the latter rapper
was shooting a video in Newbridge.
Taking a break from their hectic schedule, Base Life agreed to speak
with the Leinster Leader in order to discuss their inspirations, their
music-making process, wildest concert moments, and who they would love
to perform with, alive or dead.
Read on to discover the ins-and-outs of the rising stars that make up
Base Life, and who give the group its unapologetic and relatable charm!
Tell me a bit about yourselves (Real names and musical
aliases/ages/where you’re all from etc)
C.O.B. The Dude: My name is Ciarán, otherwise known as C.o.B The Dude.
I’m 25 years of age and I was reared in Newbridge.
Stuie.With.The.Bag: Hello, beautiful people! I’m Stuart, also known as
Stuie.With.The.Bag. I’m 25 years old, born and raised in the beautiful
town of Newbridge.
TommySee?: My name is Thomas Clare, also known as TommySee? I’m 24.
How did the idea for Base Life come about?
Stuie.With.The.Bag: Base Life is more of an idea and something to
value; it’s always from the base up. Like our manager, Joe Power, says:
"It’s always from the base up, you never build a house without plans or
foundation."
C.O.B.The Dude: The idea of Base Life formed in 2017. The term base (in
the context of the group) was coined by our manager, Joe. Base means
the foundation, the root… because without either of those, it’s
impossible to build or grow.
Tommy See?: What 'base' means to me is, basically. to be your truest
self; like, who you are behind all the layers. In Japan, I believe they
say you have three layers: the one in public, one in front of family
and friends and one when no one is looking, and to me, 'base' is for
the one when no one is looking, but that’s a hard thing to be, and to
find.
Who are some of your main musical inspirations?
C.O.B. The Dude: Some of my favourite artists and greatest inspirations
would be Mos Def, Black Thought and Rakim. They’re not only known for
their great style and rhymes, but it’s their poetic use of words that
paint a picture so vividly to tell stories of their lives that
gravitate me towards them!
Stuie.With.The.Bag: Of course, C.O.B and Tommy! Locally, I’m a fan of
Kojaque, Strange Bou, Grahamo and Curtisy. Outside of Ireland, Loyal
Carner and Kendrick… I’d put Flatbush Zombies there too.
Tommy See?: From when I was younger, it would’ve been Tupac, Biggie,
Eminem, 50 Cent, but as time went on, now it’s the likes of: Kendrick
Lamar, J. Cole… some others are: Luke Kelly, Nirvana, Ghetts, Dave, and
Oasis, but there really are so many!
Furthermore, how did you come up with your rap names?
C.O.B. The Dude: My rap name has always been my nickname growing up
because it’s the initials of my name, 'C-O-B'. And 'The Dude' was
actually more of a joke which I used for my Instagram name when I was
younger, and it just so happened to stick.
Stuie.With.Da.Bag: I could say I got my rap name from my grandad
('Gaga'), I’d always visit and stay with my grandparents growing up and
I’d never not have a bag with me! Not only that, but it’s a metaphor
for how I rap too, as in, a bag full of tricks and word play.
TommySee?: My rap name was originally Tommy C, but I wanted to change
it, so Joe suggested that TommySee is a vibe, so I took that and
changed it to TommySee? because the 'see' means to be aware, conscious…
and the question mark stands for questioning everything and also our
own ignorance, the see is the ying and the '?' is the yang… It’s like:
"Be aware of your own ignorance, bro."
[Deepest_Breath-1716550245182.png--kildare_director_wins_emmy_for_doc_o
n_free_diving.png?1716550245295]
Kildare director wins Emmy for Netflix doc on free diving
Congratulations to Newbridge native
C.O.B. The Dude, real name Ciarán O'Brien. Photograph supplied by Base
Life.
What is the songwriting process like; do you all sit down together, do
you free-style…is it a mix of both? And what about making beats?
C.O.B. The Dude: My song writing process has always been different… It
mostly starts with isolation and analysis of my own thoughts, that’s
where I feel I write my purest words. Generally, it’s the instrumental
that would inspire me to write though. Once I hear something that I
feel is on the current wavelength of how I feel, I usually go from
there.
Stuie.With.The.Bag: I like a mix of all; music is a feeling and you
have to constantly change to fit the mould. Bouncing ideas off other
people, I find, excels the process. In terms of beats, I leave it to
the pros; shout out to DoK beats, the best in the game!
TommySee?: I usually find a beat by putting headphones on or blasting
it through speakers, then I listen to it a couple of times to
understand its layout, thenI just express myself on it. I usually come
up with the concept by the end of the first verse… I have to see where
it’s going first.
Have you set your sights on performing at any well-known festivals or
venues?
C.o.B. The Dude: Since day one, we’ve all had our sights high for big
festivals and shows. None lined up yet, but I’m certain that the plan
we have in place for this year will definitely get us there!
Stuie.With.The.Bag: All of them! Electric picnic is the big one; my
parents love it and always end up at it, so it’d be cool if they could
see me there this year.
TommySee?: I would love to perform at Electric Picnic and longitude,
but particularly Electric Picnic.
TommySee?, real name Thomas Clare, performing at a concert in the Judge
Roy Beans music venue in Newbridge. Photograph supplied by Base Life.
Do you feel like living and growing up in Kildare (especially in
the context of being a rapper) has shaped you into who you are
today? Why/why not?
C.O.B. The Dude: I feel like no matter where you’re from, it’s always
going to shape you, in any walk of life! The first time I was inspired
to write (music), it was because of some people in my area who were
bullying me; I used music to vent and express how that made me feel, so
maybe if it wasn’t for living in the same place as these people, it
never would have happened!
Stuie.With.The.Bag: Of course, your environment shapes you, and I’m
grateful to be from this part of the world. Since I’m younger, I’ve
seen more and more nationalities come here to make a home and expand
their cultures as one, and I’m thankful for the exposure (to other
cultures) and to be a part of it here.
TommySee?: Yeah, definitely. My family and I are from Dublin, so I have
that core of a Dub, but I grew up in Athy, so the majority of people I
met as a teenager / young adult were Kildare people, and that vibe is
definitely a part of me (as well).
Among certain people, rap music has a bad reputation among those who
may not fully understand the medium, and see it as promoting violence,
misogyny etc. Do you feel like rap music can be used in a positive
and/or inspirational manner? If so, can you give an example of one of
your own songs with a positive / inspirational message?
For this question, the group felt so passionate that they decided to
come together with a joint answer: "We think any art form could be seen
as negative if used in the wrong way.
"Although hip-hop originally came about as an escape or route away from
gangs and violence, it’s an art form, and nobody is exempt from
expressing themselves within it, whether it’s positive or negative.
"Big industry labels and (negative) media (depictions) are to blame for
the promotion violence and negativity; they’re the ones who put it in
your face."
What is the 'wildest' or most unusual thing that has happened to you at
a Base Life concert? Additionally, any memorable fan interactions?
C.O.B. The Dude: I think the wildest thing I witnessed on stage was one
of our fist shows in Dublin. The place was going crazy and by the end
of it, a lot of the crowd was on the stage jumping around with us!
Another time in Waterford, the place was packed out, we lit the stage
up and people from the crowd were reaching out to grab us as if we were
famous. Crazy!
TommySee?: I don’t know what the wildest thing from my performances
was, but I definitely won’t forget the energy I received from the
people who turned up to my album launch gig! That feeling will forever
be with me. I know it sounds cheesy and like I’m trying to appeal, but
that really is what I remember the most.
[GN4_DAT_8436858.jpg--esb_warning_about_swimming_in_reservoirs_across_k
ildare_and_wicklow.jpg]
ESB warning about swimming in reservoirs across Kildare and Wicklow
Alert ahead of bathing season
[RELAY-FOR-LIFE-971.jpg--relay_for_life_cancer_fundraiser_taking_place_
at_curragh_racecourse_on_july_6_and_7.jpg]
Relay For Life cancer fundraiser taking place at Curragh Racecourse on
July 6 and 7
It seems like the Irish rap / hip hop scene is experiencing a
slow-but-steady rise in popularity. Do you agree that it is gaining
traction? Why/why not?
C.O.B. The Dude: The Irish hip hop scene has been growing since the
90s, maybe earlier. But in comparison from then to now, there certainly
are more media outlets, more magazines, write-ups and radio play than
before. There is also a lot of crazy-good talent coming from every
corner of the islands these days; it’s great to see, but everybody
knows we need more in order for it to become mainstream!
Stuie.With.The.Bag: Absolutely! I think the younger generation, they
want it, it’s what they have an interest in, and when it’s at your
doorstep, you feel involved in the experience. You can see it from the
scene (present) in Dublin, and we want to do the same for Kildare.
TommySee?: I think the Irish hip hop scene is definitely gaining
traction and becoming wider. We have our legends, our current artists
and our future generations, so I think it’s well and truly thriving
progressively!
Stuie.With.The.Bag, real name Stuart 'Stuie' McGrath. Photograph
supplied by Base Life.
How do you guys 'get in the zone' for recording or performing in
concert?
C.O.B. The Dude: Not to sound cocky, but I think I was born in the
zone. I feel more anxiety and sadness when I’m not creating (music)
than when I am. Music is how I fully express myself, and when I’m not
doing something to actively push myself towards my goals, life seems a
lot darker than usual. In other words, I generally always feel ready to
record and perform.
Stuie.With.The.Bag: I think for me personally I’m always ‘in the zone’.
I’m quite an emotional person, so once the instrumental hits, it’s
go-time.
TommySee?: I just need to make sure I know my lyrics weeks before, so I
have a high level of confidence to let go and be free on stage. Other
than that, I just like to walk around the venue during sound check and
visualise the performance.
Sampling other songs is a big part of rap / hip hop. If you could
sample any song, what would it be and why?
C.O.B. The Dude: There’s been quite a few tracks that we have sampled
already, a lot of my earlier stuff was from Japanese jazz bands… but
nothing is off the cards! There’s nothing in particular that I’d like
to sample, it’s more like, you just heard something and so you go from
there!
Stuie.With.The.Bag: Christy Moore’s ‘Ordinary Man’, just because it’s
from here and that’s what hip hop is, it’s being aware of that. Plus I
always heard it playing as a child.
TommySee?: I think something Irish, but really, as long as it sounds
good, it doesn’t matter to me, unless there’s a (specific) lyric in it
that I want to use to put a message across.
If you could collaborate with any artist or band, alive or dead, who
would it be and why?
C.O.B. The Dude: Most Irish people I’ve wanted to collab (collaborate)
with, I have already, but I would add JYellowL to that list. But if
we’re talking of all the people in the world… I’d have to say someone
like Michael Jackson or Mac Miller.
Stuie.With.The.Bag: I’m gonna go for someone that I think would match
my style rather than going unrealistic. So I’ll say, a J. Cole verse
would be so dope.
TommySee?: I would love to collaborate with Kendrick Lamar. I really
love his artistic style and nature, it’s not just a verse with him.
What would you say to someone who is considering pursuing a rap career
but is lacking in confidence, or doesn’t know who to reach out to and
contact, for example, making beats, getting a manager, etc?
C.O.B. The Dude: Confidence is something that comes with consistency, I
believe. Forget about other people’s opinions and just do exactly what
you would like to do. Always create from the purest parts of yourself,
everything else will be easy after that.
Stuie.With.The.Bag: Get out and connect with creatives, because
everyone has something to offer and probably wants to work with you
more than you think. It can lead you to people and places you want to
be or be at. Most importantly, Enjoy what you do, and get people around
you; trust a core group you can count on.
TommySee?: I would tell someone starting off to work on their craft,
first and foremost, until you have a respectable level to show; then,
put it out there after looking at the landscape and getting advice from
more experienced artists. Most people are willing to help!
Any other statements you would like to make?
TommySee?: Follow us on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook!
Stuie.With.The.Bag: Check out our music, show love, and be a good
person!