Buddy’s Rap, Worth the Wait

BY: Alex Hutchins

At just 15 years old, Compton-raised rapper Buddy was signed by music industry icon Pharrell on his I Am Other label. Nearly 10 years later, Simmie Sims III (aka Buddy) has finally released his first solo album Harlan & Alondra. And it is pure West Coast rap. 

The 12-song debut is packed with a number of big name featured artists such as Khalid and other Los Angeles natives Ty Dolla $ign and Snoop Dogg. Much like his 2017 EP Ocean & Montana, which featured production from Kaytranada, Harlan & Alondra is very much rooted in his hometown of Compton.

In a press release from his label RCA Records, Buddy reveals that Compton was a large creative inspiration for his newest work saying, “I wanted to paint a well-rounded portrait of my city.” While the album is a nod to Los Angeles as a whole, the name of the album, much like Ocean & Montana, have a special meaning to Buddy. Ocean and Montana were the names of the streets that Buddy’s first apartment was situated on while Harlan and Alondra were the cross streets of his first childhood home.

With this “street” connection in mind, it follows that “Trouble On Central” is a reference to Compton’s Central Avenue and how Buddy feels himself frustrated about being on the verge of a career breakthrough.

I wish I had a girl by my side
Wish I had a brand new ride
I wish I had a light
I wish I had a private flight
I wish upon the stars sometimes

While much of the song explicates Buddy’s desire to be the newest success story to come out of Compton, the old-school West Coast production of the song suggests that his success will not be made in a vacuum. Rather, as much as he might want to escape the pain of his past through his music, he acknowledges that his city and the other great names who have come out of Compton before him have partly shaped the person he is today.

Buddy had to wait a long time make his formal debut, we’ll play our own waiting game as we anxiously await what this talented rapper comes out with next.