Mr. Spock Neva Empty

By getlowe | March 6, 2007

The video treatment for reggae smash “Come Around” has a few heads surprised, as the vocalist is a bit um, paler, than expected. Born in New Orleans and raised in Bermuda, Collie Buddz is back in the States and doing big things with his Caribbean upbringing. Owing his interest in reggae music to his big brother who introduced Buddz to Bermuda’s sound system culture, he says, “I used to come home from primary school and my brother would always be on the turntables, playin his new 45′s an’ I’d just be there vibesin’.” And let me admit that I never fail to get a kick out of a non-brown person with a thick Caribbean accent, so perhaps that adds to much of Collie’s charm in my eyes.

But Buddz is more than a cute white boy with an accent. You might have even heard his voice without knowing it; in the Tranzformas remix to Beyoncé’s “Ring the Alarm,” for example, or “Tell Me” with Lil’ Flip. He’s been compared to a few people, but I think for the wrong reasons: Sean Paul (probably because of his complexion), soca artist Rupee (although I don’t think you can compare the style of two people in such different genres) and even the likes of Bob Marley and Sizzla because of the crooning nature of his voice. Personally, I think he sounds more like Damien than Bob, but I think it’s important to recognize that he does have his own distinctive and authentic sound.

His racial background has raised a couple of eyebrows, as I think is natural when dealing with a genre as culturally-based as reggae. In my opinion, his experience in the Caribbean and notable immersion in the sound culture gives him the Eminem card (as opposed to the Vanilla Ice). There’s something in his voice that is nothing other than reggae, and that’s a quality that some black Jamaican reggae artists lack (i.e. Leftside & Esco, I would argue). Not only does Collie have a strong sound, but he is a well-rounded artist – also not a common thing in the music industry. He makes his own beats (or riddims, for the reggae-savvy), writes his own songs, belts out the hook and chats on the verse. His style encompasses much more than just dancehall and is almost reggae rock, perhaps owing to his influences which include Alton Ellis, The Meditations, The Heptones, Skattalites, Jacob Miller and Eric Monty Morris. Look out for his album with Sony Music in May.

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