IRIE AC determined to make his mark

US-based reggae artiste IRIE AC is determined to make his mark on the international music scene with his unique brand of music, which he describes as a fusion of reggae, pop, and R&B.

Although he harboured ambitions of becoming a professional recording artiste early in life, IRIE AC had to put those dreams on hold when he joined the US Marines in 1992.

"Like most Jamaican artistes, I began singing in church when I was about six years old. My siblings and I were living with our mother in Lluidas Vale, St Catherine during those early years. We moved to live in the Cross Roads area of Kingston by the time I was a teenager. This gave me the chance to hone my skills by performing on sound systems. At the time, I was thinking about pursuing a music career, but my father had filed for me and my siblings. So, we all moved to Florida in 1992," said the artiste.

But IRIE AC, whose given name is Andrew Comrie, never gave up on his dreams of becoming a professional recording artiste.

"I did a 20-year stint in the Marines and served in some of the most dangerous places in the world, but I never gave up my music. I was writing songs and rehearsing in my spare time. I also performed at a lot of military events and at local clubs in places where I was stationed. I actually recorded my first dubplate for a sound system while I was stationed in Japan in 1994," he said.

He finally launched his recording career in 2016 after retiring from the Marines at the rank of master sergeant.

"I have kept going ever since. So far, I have recorded and released five albums and several singles. The best is yet to come, and I know it won't be long before I become a household name on the international music scene," he said.

IRIE AC is currently promoting two new singles, This Time, which was originally done by John Legend, and Second Chance, which was originally recorded by 38 Special.