Collie Buddz might be to reggae/dancehall what Eminem was to Hip-Hop when he started.
Just like Slim Shady, he brings a change to the game. Not only is he non black but also he is not from Jamaica. With these two aspects, making your way to the top requires more than just talent!
Born Colin Harper in New Orleans, Louisiana, him and his familly later moved to the island of Bermuda at the age of five. Influenced by the likes of Buju Banton and Beenie Man, Buddz honed his skills engaging in lyrical clashes with local artists. His love of music later led him to pursue an audio engineering degree at Florida’s Fulsail.
After master piecing sounds for other artists, Buddz eventually got the artist bug. Fast forward to 2007. Collie Buddz’ relative anonymity in the United States and all over the world was forever ended with the smashing success of his hit “Come Around” In a genre where his counterparts are just “a little bit darker” than he is, and few see massive success, this sing jay is earning his respect like he is earning his fans…One hit record at a time.
He is determined to put Bermuda on the map “A lot of people don’t know, but Bermuda was one of the first islands to really embrace reggae music from back in the day even moreso than some other parts of the Caribbean. So I mean, it was huge. When I was growing up, it was the only music. We have sound systems come in and clash y’am sayin? They would bring artists in, and my thing was session tapes – you know, like Kilimanjaro was my sound system. Every day after high school, we would go to the record store and then pick up a new session tape and listen to that there. That was a big influence in where I am now, but it’s not really so much different than Jamaica”.
Collie Budz’ self titled debut is in stores right now.
