Biography

Musical Philosophy

Skyla and Ozzie share a belief in a higher power, and infuse their music with a strong sense of personal spirituality. Much of their original work, created over 13 years, is dedicated to the strength of the human spirit. Always seeking to push the boundaries of their unique musical style, they have embarked on a side project called SKYlab Sounds to experiment with Beats Bass, their true musical passion, and Voice. Their ultimate goal as musicians is to inspire, and uplift, their audiences.

Greenlaw “Ave” – How Greenlaw began….

After their initial collaboration in Victoria under the name “Selective Collective,” Skyla J and Oz decided to make the move to Toronto, Ozzie’s hometown, to expose themselves to the urban scene, and the soul sights and sounds of Toronto’s Afro-Caribbean community. The duo expanded to an 8-piece funk “big band”, their talent earning them the honor of headlining many events including the 1999 Montreal Jazz Festival.

Two years later, Ozzie and Skyla J decided to re-form as a smaller, four-piece, soul, reggae, hip-hop fusion band, Greenlaw Ave. In addition to adding a drummer and a lead guitarist, Ozzie took up the bass and Skyla the flute. After 7 months together in Toronto, the band booked a cross-country tour playing cities such as Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. Greenlaw Ave was heading home!

Greenlaw

Over the next 10 years, Greenlaw Ave, whose name was subsequently shortened to Greenlaw, has played venues throughout Germany, France, the UK, the USA, and Canada. Their success grew phenomenally after the release of their debut single “Warrior” on UK-based Formation records in 2008, with whom they signed in 2006. In review after review, Greenlaw has earned praise for their unique brand of dub, soul, and drum & base infused rhythms, combined with a unique high-energy live performance and visual showcase. In addition to playing sold-out shows in Europe and North America, Greenlaw has received extensive playtime by some of the most influential people in the Drum & Bass world, including BBC Radio 1 DJs Fabio & Groovdigger. Indeed their 2009 hit “After I’m Gone”, including remixes by Formation Record’s front man DJ SS Nero, Tantrum Desire, and many more, stayed in the top five of the international Download charts for more than four weeks. In 2010, Greenlaw released the powerful and moving “No Less of a Star”, grabbing the attention of industry professionals and listeners worldwide.

With a highly anticipated album due fall 2011, and many more projects in the pipeline, the sky is the limit for MC Ozzie and Skyla J.