J-Bird the Straybird

Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. J-BiRD started rapping around the age of 15. His musical influences not only consist of hip-hop artists but includes artists from many other genres. Such as the Beatles, Sam Cooke, Nirvana and Miles Davis. At a very young age J-BiRD was introduced to the performing arts. Dancing, acting and writing, thanks to his Mother and Father, both of whom were performers and directors/writers of stage and on tv.

J-BiRD would soon discover hip-hop and it was love at first listen. Many days were spent trying to get the radio to catch K-DAY so he could listen to half static flows of some of the early pioneers of the genre, such as Run DMC, The Beastie Boys, Rakim, KRS-One and many others. As an Ayyám-i-Há gift one year his mother bought him his first album. Actually it was a cassette of Run DMC's King of Rock. He played all the time on his boombox. Later on he watch Yo MTV Raps everyday and discover new artists, styles and music. More cassettes would follow. Then cds... He soon started to flow and write his own rhymes and everyday perfected his beatboxing skills while walking to school. Also like most MCs he freestyled to himself whenever he was alone.

Then in the mid 90's he was a founding member of The Justice Leeg. An underground L.A. group that did total of 4 albums together before disbanding after almost 10 years. J-BiRD was also apart of the Dawn Breaker Collective. A group formed by young Baha'i musicians in the mid 2000's. During this time J-BiRD started making beats and producing.

J-BiRD decided it was time to venture out on his own and in 2007 did his first solo effort and started performing with his friend and DJ, DJ Dinari who backs him up on the wheels of steel (turntables).

J-BiRD has worked a few other artists throughout his career. Writing and producing a myriad of different genres. His beat making and song writing is only superceded by his ability to rock the mic.

And now a story...

A young boy was walking through the forest one bright day and passed an old monk wearing headphones, listening to an ipod and bobbing his head. The young boy was a little surprised to see a holy man doing such a thing and stopped to ask him what he could possibly be listening to.

The old monk replied, "J-BiRD the Straybird."

"Who is that," asked the boy?

"He's a musician, a poet!" The monk excitedly responded.

"What does he sound like?" the boy questioned.

The monk paused and looked to the sky. The forest fell silent as he thought and chose his next words carefully.

After what seemed like an eternity to the boy, the monk very slowly and deliberately said...

"If you could amplify the light reflected off the moon from the sun, over a breakbeat that's never been heard before, coming out of a speaker that Rakim just kicked a hole in... Well, that's what it sounds like."

The monk then continued on his way. The boy just stood there for a few seconds and then ran home to look up J-BiRD the Straybird on his computer.

J-BiRD rocks mics and crowds all over the world. He continues to produce and write songs almost everyday. Like the genre he most adores, does and lives. He... "Can't stop and won't stop!"

'Nuff said...

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