Big Kildare Interview: Base Life want to show music fans how to get down from the ground up

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."

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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.

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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!