His nephew appears on a wide-eyed love song about fate and companionship, and on another track Sims reflects on finally getting to experience success on his own terms: “Ain’t no maybes and no probablys/I gotta be myself, that’s what it has to be/I’m happily, gladly, gradually, changing reality for my family, they proud of me.” Family is an important theme, evidenced firstly in the cover art, a stylish and retro family photo taken in front of Sims’ childhood home. Shaped by Sims’ core studio crew of fellow native Angelenos, the album blends gospel-inflected revelations, tuneful melodies, and throwback-soul grooves. I wanted to paint a well-rounded portrait of my home city.” “Not just for the hood or the strip club, but for the beach, the freeway, the hills, downtown. Out July 20 on Cool Lil Company / RCA, Harlan & Alondra is both a nod to Sims’ childhood home and a wide-angle tribute to L.A. Energized and on a roll, he moved across town once more, where he got to work on his first official full-length. Follow-up Magnolia, released that August, offered earnest reflections on coming of age in Compton with guest turns from Wiz Khalifa and Boogie. “It was the first time I felt truly independent,” he says.
The following summer, Sims released Ocean & Montana, a joint EP with Kaytranada named after the Santa Monica intersection where he had his first apartment. In November 2016, he released “Shine,” a laid-back, West Coast earworm produced by Mike & Keys that showcases his vocal dexterity and unmistakably sunny demeanor. “I wanted my music to sound like the sun,” he says. I wanted to do something a little different.” The Los Angeles he sought to capture was bouncier and brighter, a colorful blend of jam-heavy funk, retro R&B, and chilled-out rap, strung together by his infectious optimism. sound.” “I had friends in the ghetto and friends in the hills, and bounced around from school to school, so I watched all the phases–jerk music, ratchet era, gangbanger,” he says. As he soaked up the sounds neighboring communities–from Compton to Long Beach, where he attended performing arts school–he observed the many interpretations of “the L.A. It’s Buddy, invigorated, in his element, and on his own terms.īorn Simmie Sims III, he grew up in churches where his father, a preacher, choir director and a recovering addict, introduced him to the uplifting power of gospel and soul. Harlan & Alondra, his highly-anticipated debut album, is both a declaration of independence and a vivid reintroduction. In 2016, after years of industry groundwork, he summoned the courage to go his own way. It was the kind of breakthrough most new artists dream of, but Buddy found himself restless, eager to get to work realizing his own artistic vision. A rising rapper from Compton, California, he was discovered by Scott Vener, signed by Pharrell, and tapped for collaborations with Chance the Rapper and Kendrick Lamar. Hear Harlan & Alondra above, see below for tour routing and more about Buddy.īy the time Buddy was old enough to drive, he’d already been thrust into hip-hop’s fast lane. The visual comes in the midst of a run of tour dates alongside A$AP Ferg that will conclude with Buddy playing at Chicago’s Lollapalooza Festival on August 3-5. In addition to the album, Buddy is sharing a visual for “Trouble on Central”, which sees Buddy just trying to escape the temptations of being stuck in his neighborhood. Harlan & Alondra firmly plants Buddy’s flag in the LA soil, with an album rooted in his struggles, triumphs and his own family, evident by the family portrait that serves as the album’s cover art. The album brings listeners along for the ride as Buddy explores who he is amongst the glitz, glamor and grit of his beloved Los Angeles. A$AP Ferg, “Trouble on Central”, “Hey Up There”, and “Trippin” feat. Harlan & Alondra arrives today via Buddy’s own Cool Lil Company / RCA Records and includes critically-acclaimed singles “Black” feat.
Today, Compton born and bred rapper Buddy is releasing his debut album. “If you haven’t heard of Buddy, you’re slippin” – HotNewHipHop “With penmanship as sharp as they come, the EP has a summery, soulful vibe and a focus on blurring the grey area between rapping and singing.” – The Fader “Buddy’s knack for filling up empty space in bursts like this shows he can more than carry a song all his own.” – Pitchfork BUDDY RELEASES DEBUT ALBUM HARLAN & ALONDRA VIA COOL LIL COMPANY / RCA RECORDS CURRENTLY ON MAD MAN TOUR WITH A$AP FERG SHARES NEW VIDEO “TROUBLE ON CENTRAL”
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