SAMOAN IROK

FAN ART



     "SAMOAN IROK" AS HE IS KNOWN TO OTHERS



IS ORIGINALY KNOWN AS ASOIVA S. FAALAVE BY HIS FAMILY AND



CLOSEST FRIENDS. HE WAS BLESSED TO MAKE HIS DEBUT AT LIFE ON AUGUST 15, 1984. ASOIVA IS THE FOURTH CHILD



OUT OF FIVE BOYS BORN TO LOVING PARENTS FAATULAGAESE AND VAELUA



FAALAVE.

     BORN AND RAISED IN SAN



DIEGO THIS YOUNG MAN GREW UP ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TRACKS. AS A



YOUNGIN, IROK MADE A STRONG STATEMENT ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD



PLAYING NOSEGUARD FOR THE SOUTHBAY EAGLES POPWARNER LEAGUE. EVEN



WITH HIS OLDER BROTHERS PLAYING FOR THE SOUTHBAY EAGLES ON DIFFERENT



DIVISIONS, IT WAS IN FACT IROK WHO MADE "FAALAVE" A HOUSEHOLD NAME WHEN



IT CAME TO THE SOUTHBAY EAGLES FIELD. HE PROGRESSED AS A PLAYER AND



EVENTUALLY CHANGED POSITIONS TO BE STARTING MIDDLE LINEBACKER. HE TOOK



ON THE LEGENDARY JUNIOR SEAU'S 55 AND MADE HIS OWN IMPACT AND A



PERMANENT MARK WITH THAT NUMBER ON THE SOUTHBAY EAGLES FIELD. HE ALSO



PLAYED AGAINST ONE OF TODAY'S TOP NFL RUNNING BACKS "REGGIE BUSH".



IROK ALWAYS KNEW IN HIS HEART HE WAS DESTINED FOR BIG THINGS, HE



JUST THOUGHT IT WOULD BE IN THE NFL.

     AS TIME WENT ON THINGS STARTED TO CHANGE FOR



HIM, IN JUNIOR HIGH IROK BEGAN TO STRUGGLE WITH GANGS AND DRUGS.



SO MANY BATTLES WERE FOUGHT AND WON BUT AS WE ALL KNOW WITH GANGS



THE WAR IS NEVER OVER. LOOKING UP TO HIS OLDER SIBLINGS BUT REACTING TO



ANY SITUATION AS IF HE WERE THE OLDEST IROK GOT INTO TROUBLE. HE



WOULD NEVER THINK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OR THE OUTCOME HE JUST KNEW



"HIT THIS GUY BEFORE HE HIT ME". AS A TEENAGER IROK ALSO STARTED PUTTING



HIS THOUGHTS ON PAPER. MANY POEMS WRITTEN AND PLENTY OF METAPHORES



SPOKEN. MUSIC IS NOTHING NEW TO IROK. HIS FATHER B.K.A. ACE IS A LEAD



GUITARIST AND LEAD SINGER FOR A FAMILY BAND AND HIS GRANDFATHER THE



LATE EPATI P. SIATU'U WAS THE CHURCH CHOIR CONDUCTOR, COMPOSER, AND



ORGAN PLAYER.

IROK'S INFLUENCES IN MUSIC



BOO YAA TRIBE, MONSTA GANJAH, FIJI, ZAPP AND ROGER, BOB MARLEY AND THE



WHOLE MARLEY FAMILY, JIMMY CLIFF, GREGORY ISAACS, MARVIN GAYE, MARVIN



SEASE, ISLEY BROTHERS, PETER TOSH, AMBLIQUE, LARYN HILL, UB40, LOST BOYS,



DR.DRE, DJ QUIK, WU TANG CLAN, ERIC B AND RAKIM, DOVE SHACK, TOOTS AND THE



MAYTALS, BONE THUGS N HARMONY, TEMPTATIONS, ROOTS, OUTKAST, TWISTA,



EIGHTBALL AND MJG, TOO SHORT, ABOVE THA LAW, SOUTH CENTRAL CARTEL, DE LA



SOUL, BRAND NUBIAN, MANHATTANS, AL GREEN, PRINCE, READY FOR THE WORLD,



SNOOOP DOGG, WARREN G, NATE DOGG, AND THE LIST GOES ON.

     SAMOAN IROK JUST RECENTLY DID A SONG



CALLED "THA TOP" FEATURED ON LIL UNO PRESENTS DAYGOS FINEST. SAMOAN IROK



IS VERY VERSATILE WITH HIS SPITS AND LOVES TO MAKE GOOD MUSIC. HIS



MOTIVATION AND INFLUENCES ARE HIS PARENTS, HIS NINTH GRADE ENGLISH



TEACHER, 5 BROTHERS, THE SAMOAN PEOPLES, SAMOAN CULTURE, THE PRINCIPALS



THAT KICKED HIM OUT OF SCHOOL, THE LANDLORDS WHO KICKED HIS FAMILY OUT,



THE PEOPLES HE SEE ON MTV, B.E.T, WHAT HE HEARS ON THE RADIO, HIS HUNGER,



HIS DREAMS, HIS DAUGHTERS, HIS LIFE. BE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR UPCOMING



EVENTS BY " SAMOAN IROK " AN ARTIST WHO WILL DEFINATELY MAKE AN IMPACT



ON TODAY'S MUSIC INDUSTRY.