Collie Buddz

“I was a bit nervous,” admits Collie Buddz of his March performance at Harlem’s Apollo Theater, a venue notorious for its unforgiving audience. “Come Around,” Collie’s anthemic single about the winter marijuana drought in his native Bermuda, was earning radio spins and love in the bashment, but few knew the creator was—gasp!—a white dude. “By the last chorus, we turned off the riddim and let everybody sing it,” says Collie in his British-Caribbean lilt. Of course, winning over crowds is nothing new for 25-year-old Colin Harper, who faced even heavier scrutiny at Jamaica’s Champions in Action concert last year. “Jamaicans don’t play,” he says with a smile. “If I didn’t get bottled, I consider that a good show.”

While he joins Snow, Matisyahu and Germany’s Gentleman as white reggae artists, Collie sets himself apart by actually having roots in the islands. Born in New Orleans, he migrated to his mother’s homeland of Bermuda at age four after his father’s death. On the diverse island—known chiefly for its tourist-friendly beaches and blend of British and Caribbean cultures—Collie came of age appreciating the sounds of Beenie Man, Buju Banton, and Tenor Saw. “I was big into the soundclash thing,” he recalls of his teenage years. “Every day, without fail, I’d be at the record shop buying the newest session tape of Kilimanjaro clashing anybody.” After studying music recording and production in Orlando, Collie headed north to Caribbean-friendly Toronto in 2003 to start his career. Two years later, his demo CD earned him a deal with Sony.            

With the muscle of a major behind him, Collie has lined up spots from Bounty Killer, Young Buck, and Krayzie Bone for his cracking self-titled debut. Though his unique heritage has undoubtedly opened doors, it also means that Collie has something extra to prove to discerning crowds in Harlem and Kingston. For starters, at least, he may have helped solve Bermuda’s national crisis. “It’s gone famous around the world, yunno,” says Collie of his hit record. “I don’t know if there’s gonna be another weed drought now.”