“If you don’t plan then you plan to fail.”-Buddha
Pressure does one of two things: crushes or create. Born Edmund Holmes on April 10, 1992 in Georgetown, South Carolina, the mutli-facted artist Buddha was born into pressure. As the oldest of four in a single parent home Buddha learned quickly how to be a leader and a learner. He had to visualize a future for himself in an area where dreams are seldom realized and inspiration comes from complicated places. “I grew up where the dope man was your role model,” Buddha says.
But, there was always music.
The conviction you hear in every syllable he spits out is founded on years of loving and making music. He’s been making music since he was a teenager when the only compensation he got for his hard work was neighborhood recognition and the joy of walking in your path of purpose. Then, he got the biggest wake up call of his life: He went to federal prison three weeks before his girlfriend had his first child.
From 2012-2017, he missed his daughter’s first steps, he missed five of the last five years of his mother’s life and he missed five years of chances to change his life around. That sort of pressure has crumbled numerous dreams to dust. Not for Buddha.
“Before I went to prison, I wasn’t taking music as serious. It was always like a hobby, more than business for me. After doing that time, I came home like, ‘I want to take this serious and really do this.’”
He came home from prison on April 10, 2017, his 25th birthday, and entered into a new life. He had more than passion to fuel his drive, he had the foresight time affords those who take it to map out his strategy. “I was listening and trying to learn the business before I put a song out to the world. If you don’t plan then you plan to fail.”
After his mother passed in August 2018, two months after he had his second child, Buddha realized it was time to invest in his dreams. In late December, after more than a year of saving up money, networking and, more importantly, soaking up game, Buddha spent nearly $20,000 on his first song and music video for his song “Run It Up” featuring the legend Boosie Badazz. He bet on himself when there was no assurances of success.
So, when you hear Buddha vehemently spit “still juuging hard ‘till the feds come/if they do come, it’ll be a rerun” on “Run It Up,” know there’s a life that backs that up. When you hear him switch it up on “Living Like” and show his vocal range as a singer, know he’s doing so to uplift people with feel-good records that can reach the globe. When you hear or see Buddha, know he’s a walking inspiration
“Where I’m from, dudes don’t make it. So, me grinding and getting popping would be big for my city. That shit motivates me.”