Collie Buddz: Big Smoke
Artist:
Collie Buddz
A wicked voice, killer riddims and a mad-sick flow, Bermudian reggae artist Collie Buddz debut album proves he’s more than a pale face with a bad one-tune. Words by Sarah Bentley
“I’m marrying an English girl. You chicks have the dopest accents.” Collie Buddz’ 2006 European tour was a success on many levels. Not only did he meet DJ’s like David Roddigan, Robbo Ranks and Daddy Ernie, but he found his wifey hunting spot – with the UK being a particularly popular spot. At one stage the tour nearly didn’t happen. “It was early days so the label wouldn’t fund it,” explains Collie, morning time plastic cup of Bermudan Black Seal rum in hand. “We knew how important it was to reach out to the grassroots reggae community so we decided to go for it and fund it ourselves. Every hotel was packed with soundmen queuing for specials – it was crazy.”
Unless you joined a strange cult that imposed rules like thou shall not rave or listen to the radio, last year you bust a groove to Collie Buddz’s epic Come Around. Despite coming from an unknown, the tracks thick, speaker shocking bass-line and Buddz’ rich, ear satisfying flow made it undeniable and it rocketed to the top of reggae charts.
Unlike most reggae artists that grind on the riddim circuit for years, Collie jumped straight in to the big league. Off the back of Come Around he signed with Sony, secured the same legal team as Shady Records and voiced a slew of collabs and remixes with Beyoncé, G-Unit and Busta Rhymes (although Busta’s cut of CA was unofficial). Even his debut video looked big-time with Jamaican director Ras Kassa - the dude who shot Junior Gongs Welcome To Jamrock - giving him a wicked treatment of grimy meets gloss Kingston footage. Ten points goes to anyone who spotted a bling-free Paul Wall – “He just popped up from nowhere” – getting his groove on at street dance Passa Passa.
Such early success in reggae is a double-edged sword; the community now waiting, arms folded, to see if he can deliver the goods. Although Collie says he finds the online debates about him “hilarious”, haters have blown up forums blasting him for everything from being white; “Actually I’m pink”, not representing Bermuda; “I shot my video in Jamaica because that’s where all the herb in Bermuda come from,’ and not ‘paying his dues’ to the grassroots scene; “Before the track buss, I’d been making music for years. There were weeks I only ate rice and coffee. I’ve lived the struggling artist life.”
Squashing the doubters, his debut self-titled album has tunes for days and features joints from Tony Kelly, Bobby Konders, Black Chiney, Curtis Lynch Jnr and himself. Like CA, the tracks demand attention and are fat with crossover potential. One particular standout is Blind To You, a rousing reply to the haters, where Collie sings with a serenity and depth leagues ahead of the majority of young Jamaican talent that compensate for their lack of pitch with bags of character. “People have a lot to say about me and that track is me saying ‘F*ck you,” he says from behind his trademark Gucci shades. “If you’ve got talent, the reggae industry is colour blind and will support you. It’s just the people outside of it that seem to have an issue.”
Collie Buddz’s album Collie Buddz is out in June
RWD Magazine
A wicked voice, killer riddims and a mad-sick flow, Bermudian reggae artist Collie Buddz debut album proves he’s more than a pale face with a bad one-tune. Words by Sarah Bentley
“I’m marrying an English girl. You chicks have the dopest accents.” Collie Buddz’ 2006 European tour was a success on many levels. Not only did he meet DJ’s like David Roddigan, Robbo Ranks and Daddy Ernie, but he found his wifey hunting spot – with the UK being a particularly popular spot. At one stage the tour nearly didn’t happen. “It was early days so the label wouldn’t fund it,” explains Collie, morning time plastic cup of Bermudan Black Seal rum in hand. “We knew how important it was to reach out to the grassroots reggae community so we decided to go for it and fund it ourselves. Every hotel was packed with soundmen queuing for specials – it was crazy.”
Unless you joined a strange cult that imposed rules like thou shall not rave or listen to the radio, last year you bust a groove to Collie Buddz’s epic Come Around. Despite coming from an unknown, the tracks thick, speaker shocking bass-line and Buddz’ rich, ear satisfying flow made it undeniable and it rocketed to the top of reggae charts.
Unlike most reggae artists that grind on the riddim circuit for years, Collie jumped straight in to the big league. Off the back of Come Around he signed with Sony, secured the same legal team as Shady Records and voiced a slew of collabs and remixes with Beyoncé, G-Unit and Busta Rhymes (although Busta’s cut of CA was unofficial). Even his debut video looked big-time with Jamaican director Ras Kassa - the dude who shot Junior Gongs Welcome To Jamrock - giving him a wicked treatment of grimy meets gloss Kingston footage. Ten points goes to anyone who spotted a bling-free Paul Wall – “He just popped up from nowhere” – getting his groove on at street dance Passa Passa.
Such early success in reggae is a double-edged sword; the community now waiting, arms folded, to see if he can deliver the goods. Although Collie says he finds the online debates about him “hilarious”, haters have blown up forums blasting him for everything from being white; “Actually I’m pink”, not representing Bermuda; “I shot my video in Jamaica because that’s where all the herb in Bermuda come from,’ and not ‘paying his dues’ to the grassroots scene; “Before the track buss, I’d been making music for years. There were weeks I only ate rice and coffee. I’ve lived the struggling artist life.”
Squashing the doubters, his debut self-titled album has tunes for days and features joints from Tony Kelly, Bobby Konders, Black Chiney, Curtis Lynch Jnr and himself. Like CA, the tracks demand attention and are fat with crossover potential. One particular standout is Blind To You, a rousing reply to the haters, where Collie sings with a serenity and depth leagues ahead of the majority of young Jamaican talent that compensate for their lack of pitch with bags of character. “People have a lot to say about me and that track is me saying ‘F*ck you,” he says from behind his trademark Gucci shades. “If you’ve got talent, the reggae industry is colour blind and will support you. It’s just the people outside of it that seem to have an issue.”
Collie Buddz’s album Collie Buddz is out in June
RWD Magazine
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Comments
OOPZ
03 Jul 2007, 14:40
03 Jul 2007, 14:40
BIG MAN BIG BOY IN MUSIC
