Buddy

Born and raised in Compton, California, Buddy seemed destined for greatness at an early age. He was just 15 years old when he had his first brush with stardom, signing to Pharell’s Star Trak imprint and releasing his first viral single, “Awesome Awesome’. A few short years later, he had delivered on that promise with the soulful debut, Harland & Alondra, in 2018. After years playing with LA’s underground scene, he’s developed relationships with prominent musicians, adding his own church-honed flair, and has come up with a unique style that brought critical acclaim to his major-label debut as well as a hunger to see what he would come up with next.Buddy is at a turning point in his career and in his life. He is actively taking the steps to direct his own path by becoming more introspective and vocal in regards to his needs and boundaries. He took a trip to Portugal earlier this year to do some self reflection; partaking in forms of meditation, sound baths, reading, and video content diaries. In doing so, he came back more self-aware and ready to face this next chapter with a clean canvas, and a reminder to “breathe”.

Expectations have always been high for the MC, and his 2024 project, “Don’t Forget To Breathe”, is a reminder to put self care above all else. Buddy takes his own instructions well, and the album is a refreshing splash of cold water (reflected in the cover art). The MC showcases his ability to blend bar-for-bar technical skill with an intuitive sense of melody, which he incorporates from the get-go on “Free My Mind.” He croons, “Soon as I free my mind/I’ll be all right/Soon as I free my mind/I’ll be just fine.” During the first verse, he displays a superlative grasp of narrative, telling a story of growth fit for a novel and a theme that occurs throughout the album. He raps, “I was sick/Life changes in the flip of a switch/I’m still healing over shit I done did.” He concludes, “I admit I’m/Still sinning, asking for forgiveness/God’s my witness.”