Gettin' High On Buddz

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Artiste Interviews

Written by Kiki Ess

Wednesday, 16 May 2007 12:21

The last time I left the States, I had weed on my mind. Everywhere I looked, from BET to MTV, the tune was just there:

Finally di herbs come around
Di hygrade weh mi look fah mi get it by di pound yeah

Collie Buddz

Oh yeah, you know it. You’ve heard it, too. You probably smoked up to it. To put it simply, it made you sit up and take notice, and not just because of the lyrics.

Let’s face it. Every year seems to bring with it a Ganja Anthem. In 2004, Sean Paul gave us “Legalize It (We Be Burnin’)”. In 2005, Marlon Asher introduced the world to the oft-overlooked “Ganja Farmer”. And now we have “Come Around”, an ode to the times when the people in Bermuda suffer “droughts” where there’s no weed for weeks or months. It may not seem like a big deal to us non-smokers, but the tune is undeniably hot.

What makes it so good is the mastermind behind it, Collie Buddz, an artist so versatile that at first glance he seems like the biggest walking contradiction in creation. Why a contradiction? Have you heard “Mamacita” lately? It’s that song in heavy rotation on almost every radio station from LA to the UK – the one talking about the chick who loves to dance to reggae and calypso. Sound almost like a reggaeton mix, doesn’t it? And how about the sentimental ballad “Tomorrow’s Another Day”?

While each of his tunes seem to come out of significantly different veins, it’s the hodgepodge of subject matters and his ability to lay down the tracks to bangin’ beats that are solidifying Collie’s place in the worlds of dancehall and reggae.

But success hasn’t come easy and definitely wasn’t an overnight thing.

Raised mainly in Bermuda to a single mom, music was all Collie, born Collin Harper, ever wanted to do. “I wasn’t one of those kids who said ‘yo, I want to be a fireman’ or ‘I want to be a doctor’, or anything like that”, said Collie. “It was just like a ‘let’s get done with school early so we can party’ type thing.”

Music was a big part of his life and, in high school, he began to write lyrics, but “it was all a fun thing still. The fun became more serious when he moved to Florida, decided to continue his education, and graduated in ’01 with a degree in Recording Arts. It’s hardly the usual route upcoming artists take to get into the industry these days, but the move paid off, though not immediately.

“After I graduated it was hard to get into the industry right away, so I bought some little pieces of gear and I set up a studio down in Bermuda and tried to do my thing. I was working construction at the same time. Music on the side. Just trying to save up some money. And from there, it just cook right,” said the Bermudan.

In 2004, he linked with Sony, providing them with a 12-track, mixed-cd style demo. And over the next year, he made sure to make his presence felt, keeping in touch and sending them more tracks to keep them interested. His perseverance paid off when Sony signed him in ’05.

Today, we find Collie all over the place, trying to have a hand in every part of the production process, from laying the beats and writing the lyrics to chatting on the track and engineering the sound. But there’s a method to what may appear to be madness. ‘When I was making rhythms and what not, I’d get some artists to sing on it, but it never came out the way I really picture it on the beat,” said Collie. So I hopped in the booth and started doing it myself and it just…that’s how I got comfortable doing my thing. So I’d either be mixing, running from the booth to the board, producing a beat, and then singing it, and then engineering and mixing it. It definitely helps with the creative process. My vision for the track definitely comes out.”

That vision currently has the Bermudan in the studio preparing for the release of his self-titled debut cd, “Collie Buddz”. Due out June26, in stores and online, the album’s credits reads like the who’s who of urban music. Black Chiney. Massive B. Bobby Konders. Stephen McGregor. Krazy Bone. Young Buck. Ye-Yo. Beanie Siegle. Bounty Killer. That’s just to name a few.

And to top it all off, guess who’s producing what’s surely to be one of the hottest debuts of the decade? None other than master engineer Tony Kelly out of Jamaica.

“It’s gonna be real hot,” said the deejay. “Trust me.”

And if that’s not enough, soon they’re set to begin shooting the video for “Mamacita” and “Tomorrow’s Another Day”. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see how the one for “Mamacita” comes out. That tune had me and every other carnival baby winin’ like our lives depended on it in Trinidad this past February.

In the meantime, keep your eyes and hears open for Harper Digital, a Bermuda-based label that Collie and his brother have in the works to showcase more Bermudan talent. He plans to buss two artists from the label later this year.

Collie has been fortunate in that he hasn’t had to face many obstacles, besides the “How does it feel being white in the industry” question every now and again. But for upcoming artists, he has a bit of advice. In fact, “I’ve got pages full of it,” said Collie. “Everybody in this industry knows it’s a struggle. You just have to keep your head up. I was ready to give up a couple times, just go back to Bermuda and work a regular 9 to 5. But don’t settle for nothing less. If you really love the music and you really want to do it, just keep at it, you know.”

He went on to say, “I’m just thankful for all the support that people give me. It’s crazy out there. I’m loving it. There are a lot of haters out there. But if you don’t have haters, you’re not doing it right.”

Yeah, you read that right. “If you don’t have haters, you’re not doing it right.” I think I’ll make that my motto for the year.

In the meantime, fans and haters alike can check out the budding star (no pun intended) at www.myspace.com/colliebuddz, www.colliebuddz.net, or www.colliebuddz.com.

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