Before he became known to the world as I-Octane, young Byiome Muir was just… Read Full Bio ↴Before he became known to the world as I-Octane, young Byiome Muir was just another youth growing up in Sandy Bay, Clarendon with big dreams. Now he is known for his uniquely powerful voice and spit-fire lyrics but before that he gained himself the reputation of being a noisy little boy who was constantly belting out a tune, much to the annoyance of his mother and siblings. Young Byiome took this passion for music and singing to school and could always be found beating a rhythm on the desk and entertaining his classmates. Before long, the casual performances gained Byiome respect and no schoolyard clash, concert, or function was complete without an appearance from the budding singjay. Despite his blossoming reputation as a talented singer, Muir still didn't consider performing professionally as a viable career choice. Understanding the financial hardships that his family had to endure, he took on the role of 'man of the house' and focused on helping his mother raise his brothers and sister. However, his education was not to be neglected. His mother encouraged him to work hard at school and Byiome discovered that he had an affinity for the sciences and architecture. He actually considered becoming an architect but he couldn't seem to escape the call of the music. It wasn't until he completed high school that Byiome really considered getting serious about his talent. By this time, a few people began to encourage him to take the plunge into the music industry. He began performing under the name 'Richie Rich' and aided by his hardcore dancehall lyrics, it wasn't long before he was introduced to famed producer Donovan Germaine of Penthouse Records. Spending time at Penthouse and rubbing shoulders with more established artistes such as Buju Banton and Tony Rebel gave Richie the opportunity to hone his talent and really decide where he wanted to go with his new career choice. While working with Penthouse, he decided to change his name to something that better represented him. He realized that high octane gas was known for it's high energy and performance and knew immediately that this epitomized the type of performer he wanted to be. He personalized it by substituting the 'high' for 'I', and so the name I-Octane was birthed. Three years after linking with Penthouse, I-Octane caught the interest of Arrows Recording Company. He was approached by Junior Arrows who ended up signing him to the label. This decision brought with it a lot of changes and Octane slowly began to make a name for himself. He transitioned from dancehall music to a more cultural vibe and his first hit single 'Stab Vampire' cemented his position as a notable reggae artiste. It seems that the success of 'Stab vampire' served as a catalyst to propel I-Octane forward. After that song went to number one and received the award for Video of the Year at the 'Excellence in Music Awards (EME), I-Octane put out hit after hit, winning over skeptics and gaining many new fans. Song's such as Different page, Hurt mi, and 'Mama you alone' reverberated with people all over and as his reputation soared his fan base increased and the demands grew beyond the Jamaican soil. In in no time I-Octane was performing to his international fan base on his first European tour. Inevitably, he soon began to link with notable producers who were all clamoring to work with the young artiste and his repertoire of hit songs broadened rapidly.
I-Octane is now an independent artiste, having ended a 4 year partnership with Arrows Recordings. His catalogue continues to grow likewise his accolades and he has received numerous awards and nominations in recognition of his work. With only a 5 year stint in the industry he is already being compared to some of the legends in reggae, hence it's only appropriate that many industry professionals and corporate Jamaica are looking to him as the leader of the new generation of musician. Even with his success to date, it is clear that Octane has just scratched the surface of all he is meant to achieve. His music has captured the attention and hearts of people of every color, creed and class and this artiste has undoubtedly unleashed a fire that will eternally blaze. HOTTA FIRE BURNING!!!!

Rules Of Life
I-Octane Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Pray jah man seh jah soon come
That a wah dem seh
But I a gwaan live under di grace a di sun
MI a tell yo seh
Cause nuff a read di bible pages dem till it done
Yon aw get weh
So why yuh a live engorging to di words
Not from di words of answer

Come on now am living by the rules of life
Tell yuh allot a sacrifice
My soul don't come wid a price
Still I got di golden sight
I bet sometime you go to compromise
Just to make things right
Don't feed on di bred a weakness
You shall surely get that evil price
Hoooy Hooy Wooy
Just remember that we are human
That is not for human
An di journey is for all who strong
Yeh so living right my friends
Hmm cause no one knows di end
Yeh yea
Yeh yeh carry on di words my friend

Hmm bring joys that never end
Yeh yea

Overall Meaning

In I-Octane's song Rules of Life, he speaks about living by a set of moral and ethical principles that are founded on his faith in Jah. He starts by saying that many people preach about Jah's impending return, but he chooses to live in the present moment and bask in the blessings of the sun. He acknowledges that many people read the Bible exhaustively, but fail to heed its teachings. He chooses to live by the "rules of life," which are based on values such as sacrifice, integrity, and faith. He emphasizes that his soul is not for sale, as it is priceless, and that he possesses a "golden sight," which allows him to see beyond what is superficial.

I-Octane urges his listeners not to compromise their values, even if it means making sacrifices or facing hardship. He warns against feeding on weakness, as doing so will lead to negative consequences. He emphasizes that as humans, we are fallible, but we should strive to stay strong and resist temptation. He concludes by saying that the journey of life is a difficult one, but if we live by the right principles, we can bring joy and positivity to the world around us.

Overall, Rules of Life is a powerful testament to the importance of living a life that is guided by principles of morality, faith, and integrity. It emphasizes the need for sacrifice and perseverance in the face of adversity.

Line by Line Meaning

Pray jah man seh jah soon come
I pray to God and believe in His coming.

That a wah dem seh
That's what people say.

But I a gwaan live under di grace a di sun
But I will live my life in the grace of God's love and blessings.

MI a tell yo seh
I am telling you.

Cause nuff a read di bible pages dem till it done
Because many people read the Bible until the end.

Yon aw get weh
But they don't understand it.

So why yuh a live engorging to di words
So why are you living by consuming words without living by them?

Not from di words of answer
Not from the words that provide the solution.

Come on now am living by the rules of life
I am now living by the principles of life.

Tell yuh allot a sacrifice
I can tell you that it takes a lot of sacrifice.

My soul don't come wid a price
My soul is priceless.

Still I got di golden sight
Yet, I have the vision of the light.

I bet sometime you go to compromise
I'm sure sometimes you may have to compromise.

Just to make things right
Just to make things better.

Don't feed on di bred a weakness
Don't consume the weak food/Evil reggae.

You shall surely get that evil price
You will inevitably suffer the consequences of that decision.

Hoooy Hooy Wooy
Sound of Jamaican ad-lib.

Just remember that we are human
We should always remember that we are human.

That is not for human
That is something that can't be accomplished by human power alone.

An di journey is for all who strong
And the journey is for those who are strong.

Yeh so living right my friends
So, my friends, let's live a right life.

Hmm cause no one knows di end
Because no one knows when it will end.

Yeh yea
Yes, indeed.

Yeh yeh carry on di words my friend
Yes, keep spreading the message, my friend.

Hmm bring joys that never end
It brings happiness that never runs out.

Yeh yea
Yes, indeed.

Writer(s): Carol Bowie Mclaughlin, S. Dawson, Robert Livingston, Aeion Hoilett, Byiome Muir, Lamont St Patrick Savory, Robert Livingsting

Contributed by Violet N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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