| Buddy | |
| Birth Name: | Simmie Sims III[1] |
| Birth Date: | 10 September 1993 |
| Birth Place: | Compton, California, US |
| Years Active: | 2009–present |
Simmie Sims III (born September 10, 1993), known professionally as Buddy, is an American rapper, singer, and dancer. Previously on the I Am Other label, he is now signed to Cool Lil Company and RCA Records. He is also a member of the hip-hop supergroup Zoink Gang, with JID, Smino and Guapdad 4000.[2]
Introduced to gospel and soul by his father, a preacher and choir director, he began his performance career at age seven by starring in plays and musicals including The Wiz, Oliver With a Twist, and Dreamgirls at Amazing Grace Conservatory. "I grew up as a full-fledged entertainer rather than just somebody trying to rap about stuff," he has said about that experience.[3] When the school became too expensive he withdrew, later attending a high school performing arts program in Long Beach, California.
As a teenager he began recording his own material. In 2009, he got a break when TV music supervisor Scott Vener showed Pharrell Williams an early effort by the 15-year-old Buddy. Impressed, Pharrell began to work with the teenager, and signed him to his I Am Other creative collective and record label.[4] When Buddy was 18, his "Awesome Awesome" was produced by The Neptunes and Pharrell made an appearance in the video.
On March 28, 2012 he released the single "Staircases" produced by Pharrell and featuring Kendrick Lamar.[5]
In 2014, continuing to work with Pharrell, he released his debut mixtape, Idle Time, which featured Kendrick Lamar, Miley Cyrus, Freddie Gibbs, Robin Thicke, Sir Michael Rocks, and others, with production from Pharrell Williams, Chuck Inglish, Boi-1da, Cardo, Blaq, and Polyester among others.[6]
He then embarked on a series of collaborations with various artists, including Nipsey Hussle, BJ The Chicago Kid, Chance the Rapper, Wiz Khalifa, and ASAP Rocky.
In November 2016, he put out his own single, "Shine," produced by Mike & Keys and DJ Khalil. It was premiered by hip-hop/R&B tastemaker Carl Chery, with a video directed by Andy Hines featuring a cameo from Nipsey Hussle. The song garnered over 2.7 million streams on Spotify, 12 million on Apple Music, and over 2 million views on YouTube. Buddy described the single as "a ghetto hymn acknowledging inevitable death while showing gratitude for abundant life."[7] On August 17, he released his second EP Magnolia which included features from Boogie, Wiz Khalifa, and Kent Jamz.
His EP Ocean & Montana, produced by the Haitian-Canadian DJ and producer Kaytranada, was released May 19, 2017 by Cool LIL Company. It featured the single "Find Me." The EP's title refers to the intersection in Santa Monica where he lived, sought inspiration, and began collaborating with Kaytranada after leaving his parents' home.[8]
He released his debut full-length album Harlan & Alondra on Cool Lil Company/RCA Records on July 20, 2018. It includes the singles "Black" feat. ASAP Ferg, "Trouble on Central," "Hey Up There" feat. Ty Dolla Sign, and "Trippin'" feat. Khalid. His aim, he has said, was "to paint a well-rounded portrait of my home city", Los Angeles.
In spring 2018, he joined Joey Badass on the Amerikkkana Tour.[9] His summer 2018 tour with A$AP Ferg included performances at Chicago's Lollapalooza festival.
On April 17, 2020, he released a collaboration album with Kent Jamz, titled Janktape Vol. 1.[10]
Buddy released his second full-length album, Superghetto, on March 25, 2022.[11] He released a deluxe version of the album later that year.[12] During an interview on Apple Music 1, Buddy stated the album was "about the essence [of] growing up in the hood".[13] Mic described the album as "a record that uses its brevity to keep the listener on their heels, that successfully manages to feel as if it’s constantly molting and evolving until it cuts off".[14]
On March 28, 2024, Buddy released his third studio album, Don't Forget To Breathe, via the independent Empire label. Uproxx noted his decision to leave RCA and release the album independently, highlighting a few lines from the album's opening track Free My Mind: "I was super ghetto at first / Redefined myself, left the label, bettered my worth / I could sign myself".[15]
| Album details | ||
| Harlan & Alondra[16] |
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|---|---|---|
| Superghetto[17] |
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| Album details | ||
| Janktape Vol. 1 (with Kent Jamz) |
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| Album details | ||
| Ocean & Montana (with Kaytranada) |
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|---|---|---|
| Magnolia |
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| Album details | ||
| Idle Time |
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|---|
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Rhy. [18] | |||
| "Hey Up There" | 2018 | 38 | Harlan & Alondra |
| "Trippin'" | — | ||
| "Black" | — |
R&B
[19] ! scope="col"| Album|-! scope="row"| "Favorite"
[20] | 2018| 17| Genesis|}
| Year | Other artist(s) | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| scope=row | "Dope Dealer" | 2012 | Reese | Reese vs. The World II |
| scope=row | "Contact" | 2013 | Chuck Inglish | Droptops |
| scope=row | "Dangerous" | Chuck Inglish, Jane Jupiter | ||
| scope=row | "Wakebake" | Reese | DSNRTRAPN | |
| scope=row | "Song to Fuck To" | YMTK, Royce the Choice | MPL 2: Murphy Pan's Labyrinth | |
| scope=row | "Elevators" | 2014 | Chuck Inglish, Polyester the Saint | Convertibles |
| scope=row | "Status Symbol" | Nipsey Hussle | Mailbox Money | |
| scope=row | "One Time" | Sir Michael Rocks | Banco | |
| scope=row | "New Money" | 2015 | Dope (Music From The Motion Picture) | |
| scope=row | "Man Down" | 2016 | BJ the Chicago Kid, Constantine | In My Mind |
| scope=row | "Church" | BJ the Chicago Kid, Chance the Rapper | ||
| scope=row | "This Is Your Moment" | DJ Quik, Problem, Wiz Khalifa, JP Cali Smoov | Rosecrans | |
| scope=row | "I Swear" | Warm Brew | Diagnosis | |
| scope=row | "Status Symbol 2" | Nipsey Hussle | Slauson Boy 2 | |
| scope=row | "Way Hii" | ASAP Mob, ASAP Rocky, Wiz Khalifa, BJ the Chicago Kid | ||
| scope=row | "Could You Be Love" | 2017 | Moxie Raia | 1996 |
| scope=row | "Pullup" | Cousin Stizz | One Night Only | |
| scope=row | "In-N-Out" | Budgie, Chris O'Bannon, Emmavie | The Good Book Vol. 2 | |
| scope=row | "CPT" | Budgie, Jay Worthy | ||
| scope=row | "Status Symbol 3"[21] | 2018 | Nipsey Hussle | Victory Lap |
| scope=row | "Cry" | Alison Wonderland | Awake | |
| scope=row | "Lowkey" | Cosmo's Midnight | What Comes Next | |
| "Don't Hit Me Right Now"[22] | 2019 | Bas, Yung Baby Tate, Guapdad 4000 & Cozz | Revenge of the Dreamers III | |
| "Wells Fargo" | JID, Guapdad 4000, EarthGang | |||
| scope=row | "Costa Rica" | Bas, JID, Guapdad 4000, Reese Laflare, Jace, Mez, Smokepurpp, Ski Mask the Slump God | ||
| "1993" | Cozz, Smino, EarthGang, JID, J. Cole | |||
| scope=row | "Get Away"[23] | BJ the Chicago Kid, JID, Kent Jamz | 1123 | |
| "Not Numb"[24] | Childish Major, Olu | Dirt Road Diamond | ||
| "Late Night"[25] | 2020 | Cozz, Omen, Landstrip Chip | Revenge of the Dreamers III: Director's Cut | |
| "Passcode" | Ari Lennox, Smino, Mez, Guapdad 4000 | |||
| "No Chorus" | Bas, Guapdad 4000, Dreezy | |||
| "Spaceship" | Asher Roth | Flowers on the Weekend | ||
| "Sleepless Nights" | Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder, Kamasi Washington, Reuben Vincent, Phoelix | Dinner Party: Dessert |