Joe Driscoll (born April 12, 1979 in

Syracuse, New York Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, Onondaga County, New York, United States. It is the fifth-most populous city in the state of New York following New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffa ...

, United States) is a rapper/

musician A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...

/ beatboxer and politician who uses different styles and instruments while performing. Joe currently serves as a District Councilor on the Common Council in

Career

Driscoll was born in Syracuse, New York. He performs solo, and uses recorded loops of his own beatboxing, and live looping using a sampler to fuse hip-hop, reggae, soul, folk and roots rock.Platt, Hugh (2008)
Live:The Rage Sessions, Tuesday, March 25, 2008
, Music Towers He began performing as a solo folk artist around the age of 14, and became a full-time musician in his early 20s. His first real band was "The Groove Merchants" and his first album was "Straight Butta Hits." Although the band was more of a high school band in nature, they took a lot of influence from The Dave Matthews Band and Bob Marley. They also sampled from The Rolling Stones along with many other artists during their live performances.Joe Driscoll interview, Leeds Hip Hop Scene, 2008
Driscoll was signed by 3rdegree Ltd while touring the United Kingdom in 2004. He was then signed up to London label Buttercuts Records and subsequently went on to record the album ''Origin Myths''. ''Origin Myths'' combines beatbox drums (oral percussion) with layers of guitar, mbira,

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

, verse, and rhyme, which means that he is often described as a " one man band". During 2007 and 2008, Driscoll has toured with Dirty Pretty Things, Regina Spektor, Coldcut, and

The Sugar Hill Gang The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop trio. Their 1979 hit "Rapper's Delight" was the first rap single to become a top 40 hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100; reaching a peak position of number 36 on January 12, 1980. This was the trio's only ...

at events in the US and Europe. He has performed at UK festivals including Big Chill, Bestival and

Glastonbury Festival Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contemp ...

, and at the

Lake of Stars Festival Lake of Stars Festival is an annual three-day international festival held on the shores of Lake Malawi, the third largest lake in Africa. The first festival took place in 2004 and attracts over 4,000 attendees with musical acts drawn mainly from Af ...

( Malawi, Africa).Potton, Ed (2008)
No sleep till Lake Malawi
, The Times, January 5, 2008 He received an INDY Award for ''Best Solo Act'' in 2007.Indy stars shine at awards
, Metro, May 17, 2007 His newest album, 'Mixtape Champs' was released on 20 December 2010.

Discography

*''Faya'' (together with Sekou Kouyate) *''Mixtape Champs'' (2010) *''Origin Myths'' (2006) Buttercuts (CD + DVD) *''Life as a Monkey'' (2006) *''Little Beat Big'' (2003)

References

Bondi, John D. "The Groove Merchants"

External links

Official Site
*Moron, Rosa
Joe Driscoll (interview)
, Big City Redneck
GigJunkie Official Page - Videos, Reviews & Fans
{{DEFAULTSORT:Driscoll, Joe Living people American hip hop musicians Musicians from Syracuse, New York American expatriates in England American beatboxers 1979 births 21st-century American singers Politicians from Syracuse, New York Democratic Party (United States) politicians