Harlan & Alondra – Buddy

A down-to-earth rapper and singer who has worked closely with Pharrell Williams and Kaytranada, Buddy was nicknamed at an early age by his sister. The tag stuck with the young Simmie Sims, who began to take music-making seriously as a middle schooler in his native Compton, California. While in his late teens, through his manager, Buddy found an admirer in Pharrell Williams, who added him to the roster of Star Trak, and subsequently that of I Am Other. Produced by Williams, the rambunctious debut single “Awesome Awesome” arrived as Buddy’s proper debut single in 2011. After a little additional material, Buddy’s next big stride was with the mixtape Idle Time, released in 2014 with guest spots from Williams, Kendrick Lamar, and Miley Cyrus. Stray tracks were scattered throughout the next couple years and led to the 2017 EP Ocean & Montana, an independent five-track effort recorded with Kaytranada. Among the notable tracks on which Buddy has lent support throughout the years are Nipsey Hussle’s “Status Symbol” and “Status Symbol 2,” DJ Quik and Problem’s “This Is Your Moment,” BJ the Chicago Kid’s “Man Down” and “Church,” and Iman Omari and Like’s “Backwoods (Third Eye).”

Get this new release now from iTunes