Walshy Fire

Leighton Paul Walsh, professionally known as Walshy Fire, was born in Dade County, Florida, and grew up in Carol City within a Jamaican family of partial Chinese descent. His early musical journey was deeply influenced by reggae and dancehall traditions, stemming from his experiences in Miami’s vibrant Caribbean community. He attended North Miami Beach High School, further grounding him in the diverse cultural landscape of South Florida. Walshy Fire’s career began with extensive touring as part of the Black Chiney sound system starting in 2004. Black Chiney was recognized for its innovative mashups, blending hip-hop and R&B rhythms with reggae and R&B vocal tracks, a style that significantly influenced Walshy Fire’s development as a remix producer. This early exposure to sound system culture and remixing laid the foundation for his future collaborations and solo endeavors.

In 2012, Walshy Fire joined Major Lazer, an electronic dancehall group alongside Diplo and later Ape Drums, where he served as the master of ceremonies. His role involved engaging the audience, making speeches that contextualized the music, and contributing to the overall energetic atmosphere of live performances. He played a crucial part in Major Lazer’s releases, including contributing to the production of “Apocalypse Soon” and “Peace is the Mission.” On “Peace is the Mission,” he co-wrote “Blaze Up The Fire” and lent his vocals to “Too Original.” His work with Major Lazer has involved collaborations with diverse artists, consistently upholding cultural authenticity, particularly concerning Caribbean music genres. A significant milestone with Major Lazer was their appearance in Cuba in 2016, marking the first time a major American pop group performed there since the re-establishment of diplomatic relations. Walshy Fire, along with Diplo and Jillionaire, also hosted the “Lazer Sound” program on Apple Music’s Beats 1, further expanding their global reach.

Beyond Major Lazer, Walshy Fire established his own label in 2015, “Walshy Fire Presents,” initially focused on Jamaican sound system culture but soon expanding into hip-hop and other genres. This platform allowed him to further promote Caribbean artists and their music. In 2019, he released “Walshy Fire Presents: ABENG” on Mad Decent Records, an album designed to foster collaboration between African and Caribbean artists, blending afrobeats, dancehall, soca, and EDM. He contributed as a co-producer on two songs, “Toast” and “Throne,” for Koffee’s Grammy-winning EP “Rapture.” “Toast” gained further recognition through its inclusion in the film “Us.” In July 2019, Walshy Fire secured a global publishing deal with Concord Music Publishing for his existing works. In 2021, he expanded his entrepreneurial ventures by opening Dante’s Hifi vinyl bar in Miami, Florida. Most recently, in 2025, he published his book “Art of Dancehall,” which chronicles the legacy of dancehall and sound system culture, drawing from his personal collection of dancehall posters and ephemera.