SCV: What artists are you most inspired by, and what genres?
Bud: All genres of music. I love music. As far as rappers are concerned, you have to know that I’m a big Jay-Z fan. That said, AZ, Kanye-West, Big Daddy Kane, KRS-One, I can go on and on. A whole lot of rappers inspire me. I can go on forever.
SCV: And what about these rappers inspire you?
Bud: Well, as far as Jigga, it’s just how he lays shit down. He’s a mouthpiece for the hood. His music is more than just, “motherfucker, I’ll clap you,” and all this other shit, robberies, he actually explains what we go through. Day-to-day struggles. He explains why niggas do what they do; (he proceeded to quote “Renegade” by Jay-Z):
I had to hussle
My back to the wall
Ashy knuckles
Pockets full of lint
Not a cent//
…(he continued); and shit like that really catches my ear.
SCV: And why is that? Do you have experience in that sort of thing?
Bud: Yeah, hell yeah. Shit’s fucked up. This one song I made called Struggle is a great example:
I know what stress feels like
Because your pocket’s on E
And the hoes don’t wanna chill
Because your pocket’s on E
And your clothes just don’t appeal much
Fuck the club scene
So you go and just lay low
And keep it low key
And I know
That’s how it is now
That’s how it might seem
But let’s hope
That ain’t always how it’s gonna be
So I wrote them rap’s daily
My whole team fucked up
Drinking cheap liquor
Daydreaming about blowing up
(continued) because that’s the sort of thing we go through. We talk about what’s going to happen if we make it. I relate to a lot of Jay-Z’s music. Kanye-West also. He may not be the toughest out, but he represent working ridiculous jobs in order to get by until you get somewhere. He was sitting there working a meatball job, but that’s what was necessary to get by?
SCV: Were there any struggles that you’ve encountered along the way as you’ve rised as an artist?
Bud: Of course there’s been struggles, and I wrote to get by. Like, when my mother died and … a lot of personal shit that I don’t want to put on record, but I got it out through my music. It made me feel better. People don’t want to hear about your problems, so the notebook was my ear. Every one of those pages were ears to hear me out. That’s just how I did it. Can’t speak for anybody else.
SCV: And, you’ve been drawn to all of the same things typically discussed in Hip-Hop? “Hustling” on the streets, for example?
Bud: Yeah, sure. You have to. I mean, look: my father is 72 years old. I’m not a kid anymore. I need to get up and do something to help, something to contribute. The landlord here… he’s a scumbag, and I want to put that on record, he’s a fucking scumbag. I need to make things easier, to make my family happy, shit like that. So I go out and do what I have to do to make extra money, to contribute make things a little better if I can. Hustling can be anything. A 9-5, doing whatever you do to need to make it happen. But if you do it, do it for a purpose. I did it to help my family.
