Iris Stryx Allures Her Audience With Caribbean Charisma and Music
Beautiful, charming, witty, talented are just some of the words used to describe Iris Stryx. Her passion for the arts became evident at a young age when she began studying classical music for the piano in the Bahamas, her native land. By the age of six (6), Iris found herself performing for the Royal Academy of Music, passing two exams simultaneously each year. Her love for music quickly grew into a passion for dance. As a child she was immersed into ballet, tap, and gymnastics, not knowing at the time that she was preparing for a career in entertainment.
Iris became intrigued by drama and theatre studied intensely for years, this led to her gracing the stage, and film sets in Florida, New York, and Georgia and being represented by some of the top agents in New York and Florida, from Carson Adler to Runways and Martin & Donalds. She didn’t stop there however, determined to forge her way to the top, Iris studied with renown private instructors for voice, dance and writing, having taught at some of the most prestigious institutions including Juilliard and NYU.
After hearing her poetry, A&R Greg Green from Cash Money Records encouraged Iris to pursue hip-hop. She listened. After training in New York City, Iris packed her bags and headed south to Miami where she would launch her career. A culmination of everything she has learned and experienced is what she packs into her music. Having lived her life by the formula, 80% preparation, 20% execution, Iris looks forward to being on stage again. She says what she misses the most due to the Covid-19 quarantine is being on tour.
She looks forward to heading back to the Midwest and East Coast in the US to reunite with her fans and looks forward to meeting her growing fanbase overseas in India, Africa, Japan, Mexico and Brazil.
To her fans, she is often quoted as having a unique sound, a mixture of singing and rapping simultaneously which many have termed “sing-rap.” When asked how she perceives her music, she responds, “I feel as though it is a fusion between pop and hip-hop with a dash of crazy ideas.” Her musical inspiration comes from all over, she is an avid listener of pop, classical, R&B, hip-hop, oldies, among many others. She also enjoys operas and musicals, from Porgy and Bess to The Greatest Showman and even Trolls, which she credits Justin Timberlake for forcing her to fall in love with them.
When it comes to music, she claims to have quite a few favorites; her favorite composers being Giuseppe Verdi, John Williams, Rodgers and Hammerstein and Benj Pasek & Justin Paul; her favorite rappers, Nicki Minaj & Big Sean; and of course, her favorite performer, Michael Jackson. Her songs today are written based on her need to simply enjoy music. According to her, every stage of life is but a mere symphony, we are the conductor, our inner circle the orchestra, our outer circle the spectators.
What is to come?
Iris Stryx aims to be innovative, igniting ideas and creativity that encompass an eclectic mix of sounds and rhythms. She seeks to combine her knowledge of the theatre and various genres of music, with a focus on hip-hop and bringing together all worlds and walks of life in an electrifying spectacle of rhyme, rhythm and never before seen sights. A truly exciting artist that people around the world are growing to love. Iris Stryx, the artist you cannot live without.
Where you from and how’d you first fall in love with music?
I’m from Nassau, Bahamas and I’m not sure when exactly my love for it began. I loved playing the piano when I was a kid and I remember loving the way broken chords sounded. I saw The Sound of Music soon after learning the piano and I was blown away by how everything was brought together: dance, singing, acting, orchestra, set design, etc. I can recall imitating the actors but I don’t think I knew at the time that I’d be on stage as well. I fell in love with the theatre while in boarding school in Canada and my love for music I think blossomed out of it. I remember for the first time feeling like I was alive when I walked out on stage. It was then that I knew exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
What are your musical inspirations?
I’m inspired by the world around me. I remember a friend of mine asking me what if I run out of lyrics and music lol. I thought, well that’s insane, I’d have to be completely shut out from life for that to happen. Some of my greatest inspirations came from the artists who have been here before me, I was recently inspired to compose a song after listening to “Purple Rain” by Prince.
How did the arts inspire and mold you into the woman that you are today?
Wow, that’s a loaded question. The arts saved me. Without it, I’m not even sure I’d be here. It gave me something to believe in, something to trust in, a place where I could just be myself and allow my pain and frustration to finally begin to heal and if it didn’t want to, that was okay as well, we created art through it. It gave me a reason to smile again.
Define how music makes you feel compared to how you make others feel with it?
Hmmmm, well for me it’s like electricity that runs through my body and everything around me disappears, even the ground. I’m caught up in that moment, where I’m fully present and fully aware of an energy that is larger than life. My fans are drawn to it and they say I inspire them and I make them happy. They forget whatever was bothering them and they just enjoy being present with me. I couldn’t be more grateful to have such a gift, to give and to receive exponentially is a treasure. I have the best fans.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned about your truth and art?
I had to really think for this one and then suddenly the answer became so obvious. Just be myself. It may sound cliché and it may even sound easy to accomplish but being yourself in a world of judgment is difficult. I didn’t have my first breakthrough in music until I finally created something that was 100% me. From gorilla suits to a parody of the Wizard of Oz, I’ve found the most gratification in allowing my crazy ideas to run wild, staying true to myself.
How did you start your career?
It came out of a need to vent. I was an avid reader and writer so I always wrote to express myself but suddenly the written word no longer sufficed, I needed to get it out vocally. I didn’t have access to a studio but that didn’t deter me. I remember my first song, it was about the lions and tigers in the jungle. I recorded it directly into my laptop using the built in speakers. It sounded absolutely terrible lol. But that was the beginning of what was to come.
What do you want to leave behind in regards to legacy?
Deep. I’d love to be a force of change. A spark that gets a fire going. That fire being love. Love of oneself. I think that if every single person learned to love the person in the mirror, we’d have a better world. I want to leave behind not just the people I have impacted but for them to impact others by being a force of change. By loving oneself we put ourselves in a position to bring out the best in each other. Purpose and passion that is aligned with one’s dreams can only be clear after you discover yourself. Discover your power. I want to leave behind a foundation that encourages and fosters growth in this area.
What are you working on this summer?
I’m finishing up my EP, Rebirth, working on a musical Beast, rewriting a script and working on my first novel.
What’s next for you in 2020-2021?
Well once this coronavirus Covid-19 is over, I’d love to get back on stage. That’s my first home.
Stream her latest project below and stay connected with her here.
