Biography & Past Work

Garry McCarthy

(Artist names: “GMC” and “Kalabanx”)

  • Rapper, producer, songwriter & recording artist releasing music since 2004
  • Director of GMCBeats and Song-in-a-Day Workshops delivering workshops in schools and youth groups around Ireland since 2008
  • Co-ordinator of the Kabin Studio in Knocknaheeny, Cork since 2012
  • Rap, beats, songwriting and recording workshop facilitator and a community education provider for Cork ETB and Music Generation Cork City since 2011
  • Multimedia freelance developer (web design, graphic design and video) with 1st class honours degree and masters in Multimedia and Business Information Systems. 

Biography

Garry McCarthy is a music producer, songwriter, rapper and youth workshop facilitator from Cork who began creating his own music as a teenager. In the mid 2000s, Garry began independently releasing songs and collaborating with other local rap artists and musicians in the early days of the emerging Cork Hip Hop community. Having the vibrant local and pirate radio scene as a launch platform, he has released 3 albums, penned a top 20 hit with “Not Tonight – The Bouncer Song”, performed at Electric Picnic, The Marquee in Cork (opening for Flo Rida), and wrote the Cork GAA anthems “Give us back Sam Maguire” and “Do the Jimmy Barry Murphy”. Garry’s style brings witty, edgy and local lyrics over a wide variety of self-produced beats while remaining true to his accent and identity.

As rap has become an important and accessible channel of expression for Irish youth, Garry is now heavily involved in delivering music workshops around Ireland through his GMCBeats Workshops and Song-in-a-Day programs in schools and youth groups. These inclusive and energetic workshops inspire and empower young people to express themselves lyrically and create music based around their own experiences using the latest in recording and production technology. This has resulted in the creation of almost 1000 songs at over 2500 workshops since 2009.

Garry has worked with and continues to work with organisations like Music Generation Cork City, The HSE, JCSP Libraries program in secondary schools, Foróige, Youth Work Ireland, Youthreach, EPIC as well as hundreds of primary and secondary schools. He also runs the not-for-profit community music space The Kabin Studio in Knocknaheeny Cork mentoring and recording young rappers and songwriters in Cork city as well as delivering workshops there with other local musicians.


Past projects and awards

from songs created at GMCBeats’ workshops:

  • 2 x Winners at X-Hale Video Awards (Mahon Youth Development Project and Ballincollig Youth Reach)
  • Winners at the Trend Micro “What’s Your Story” Video Competition (The Hut Junior Rap Crew)
  • Workshop participant, MC Tiny, featured on the 2019 RTE Late Late Toy Show performing lyrics written at a workshop.
  • 4 finalists chosen at Song for ‘16 in National Concert Hall out of 100s of entries. (Scoil Íosagáin, Kealkill NS, Coláiste Eoin Finglas, Ballincollig Youth Reach)
  • RTE Late Late Toy Show, Cork Opera House, UCC, Neptune Stadium performances by various classes from Scoil Íosagáin
  • Foróige Ones to Watch Award for the Reach Out Speak Out music video as well as a live performance on RTE Ray D’arcy Saturday Night Show.
  • 2 x Show Racism the Red Card Awards (St. Paul’s CBS, Westview Probation Project)
  • 3 x Drugs.ie Awards (Youth Work Ireland Cork and Coláiste Eoin)
  • Featured on RTE Secret Millionaire (Youth Work Ireland Cork)
  • Song and video created for the national Safer Internet Day 2015 campaign (‘I Like It’ featuring young rappers involved in the Kabin Studio)

Garry is currently working on new releases under his Kalabanx production alias. Recently completed music for the hit movie and TV series “Young Offenders” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FavcxjWaLxw&feature=emb_title , music for 2 x RTE Junior TV shows (Body Brothers and Urban Tails) as well as a new GMC project.


Contact

Phone: +353 85 17 454 18
Email: gmc@gmcbeats.com
Website: www.gmcbeats.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garrymccarthy
Facebook: www.facebook.com/gmcbeats
Twitter: www.twitter.com/gmcbeats
Instagram: www.instagram.com/gmcbeats
Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/gmcbeats, www.soundcloud.com/gmcworkshops


Examples of previous work

GMCBeats Workshop Tracks & Videos with Young Artists

Kabin Crew – Ya Boy:

The Kabinologists – Young Offenders

Blacken My Soul:

Reach Out (recorded at the Kabin Studio):

I Like It (recorded at the Kabin Studio):

Freedom:

The Kabin Studio Junior Summer Camp 2019


 

Garry McCarthy (GMC) Tracks & Productions

Isaac Nelson – Mood Fades (Co-produced with Ian Ring):

Focus (feat. Christiana Underwood & Anto Yau):

‘Til The Whole Knows Your Name (Written for performances at schools, recorded at the Kabin Studio):

Do the Jimmy Barry Murphy (Project with Red FM for Cork GAA, recorded at the Kabin Studio): 

Chasing Shadows: 


 

Kalabanx Productions

(Garry McCarthy’s electronic music production alias)

Shellshock (Feat. Bony):

Been Here Before (produced at the Kabin Studio):

5AM Remix:

If You Don’t Know Remix (produced at the Kabin Studio):

Hope Inside (produced at the Kabin Studio):