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Ellie McGuire

Interview - Brown_buddha

Fresh from the release of his latest single ‘big buddha’, Brown_buddha is a versatile music artist. Merging elements of hip-hop, rap, jazz, and funk listeners are brought on a musical journey whilst captivating music enthusiasts far and in between.


We sat down with Brown_buddha to discuss his music and much more. Here is what he had to say:


Thank you for sitting down and talking to FLEX. Can you tell us a bit about how you got into music?


Thank you for allowing me to be on your platform! I’ve been making music from a young age; I used to play drums in church and took classes for around seven different instruments in elementary and middle school.


Who would you say are your biggest musical influences?


I’d mention a few hip-hop legends like Jay-Z, Nas, Biggie, and Wu-Tang. However, the ones who influenced me are Quasimoto (aka Madlib) and DOOM. Madlib’s eclectic music taste and the variety of music he samples and draws inspiration from had a huge impact on me because I love listening to all kinds of music—rock, jazz, house, disco, DnB, you name it. Discovering Madlib when I was 16 blew my mind because it showed me that someone else had such a diverse taste in music too. It made me feel less like an outlier and more like someone who’s just a different breed.


Congratulations on your brand-new song "Big Buddha"—what inspired this particular track?


Thank you! I had been listening to a lot of crashout and ambient music, like Four Tet and Aphex Twin. One day, while walking, I heard Kanye’s “Mercy,” which sparked the first few lyrics for me. I went back home and reworked an ambient DnB track I was working on into a trap beat, and that’s how “Big Buddha” came about.


How do you channel personal experiences into your songwriting, and what do you hope listeners gain from connecting with your music?


Funny story—I’ve been dating over the last two years, and I channelled all of my failed dates into a song on my upcoming album called “ESE // Gift of God.” The song is titled “Kiska // Dimes by the Dozen,” and I used wordplay with each girl’s name and summarized how the dates went. I find that my lyrics often reflect my life more than the music itself. Also, when I’m not actively engaged in life, I have fewer ideas to rap about.


The main message I hope listeners take from my music is that life has many twists and turns, and trying to be perfect amidst it all is pure insanity. You’re never going to be perfect, so you might as well make mistakes while you can, rather than waiting to “mess up” later. In life, there are no mistakes—just “happy accidents.” Also, shout out to all the girls who made my musical escapades more exciting!


Each aspect of music—writing, recording, practicing, and playing live—offers something different. Can you share a particularly meaningful moment from each?


I have a red notebook at home filled with ideas for raps, some of which are very personal. For long-time fans of my work from the SoundCloud days, that notebook was the inspiration for 99% of what was on “I Don’t Like 2 Talk” (which I took down because it felt too personal) and eventually for “Ronin,” which was a reworking of that album. I remember crying while writing “White Owl” on the line “who was the one that took you down to the river, cried out your fears, they were sitting on your liver” because I was dealing with severe depression at the time and would go down to the Manhattan side of the Hudson River to smoke a white owl cigarillo and drink a bottle of rum or gin. It was deep for me because the song expressed my internal battle and how I was at the crux of both the problems and the solutions. I call that notebook “The Book of Lies,” and I don’t touch it often. It’s a very personal item for me.


Recording is always a fun yet challenging experience. Sometimes my raps are filled with tongue twisters, and I mess up on certain bars. When I get stuck, I’ll yell at myself to motivate myself to do better.


Practising and playing live have become the same for me. I remember preparing an SP-404 set for a gig with Statik Selektah right after the pandemic. I told myself, “Statik’s on the bill, so I have to show out,” and while practising a 404 stutter trick, I couldn’t get it right. But at the show, I imagined myself practising in my room again and nailed it effortlessly.


Is there a song in your repertoire that holds a particularly deep personal meaning for you? Can you share the story or inspiration behind it?


Definitely, “Steel” from “Steel Sharpens Steel” holds deep personal meaning for me. Not only is that loop one of my favorites in my beat-making history (as shown by how much I talk about it on Instagram and TikTok—just ask my fanbase), but the track’s meaning resonates deeply with me. “Steel Sharpens Steel” is an album about honing your skills, perseverance, and never giving up. The first bar is, “Low-key on the daily, I just think my music’s trash, run up all the bread in my account, then I crash.” It’s brutally honest, saying, “I don’t have much going for me,” but that didn’t stop me from putting it out. The back-and-forth of feeling worthless and then rising to prove to yourself that you are worth it was very symbolic for me. Just like how a Samurai sharpens their blade, a rapper must refine their self-image.


What are your goals for the future with your music?


I want to continue on this musical journey, but I like to stay open to possibilities while keeping a loose plan. Right now, I want to fit the aesthetic of a DJ, playing gigs and making tracks. I’m also focusing on a unique Stutterstep house idea I’ve been working on. Long-term, I’m looking for a label to call home because I’m starting to realize I can’t do everything on my own anymore.


What message or feeling do you hope listeners take away from your music?


Stick to yourself, because the mark of true wisdom is understanding your personal experience. God places challenges in your path for you to handle, not for anyone else. When you learn the lesson, only then will God put you in front of others to give back.


To wrap things up, is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?


Hey guys, thanks for reading this far! If you’re interested in my music, give it a listen. My album “ESE // Gift of God” comes out on the 30th, and I’d love for you to tune in.



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