Buddah Bless, also known as Buddah Bless This Beat, has produced for some of the biggest rap artists in the world. Notable cuts include “Big Amount” by Drake and 2 Chainz, “OUT WEST” by Travis Scott and Young Thug, “Call Casting” by Migos, “Heat” by Chris Brown & Gunna, and “Shots Fired” by Meg Thee Stallion.
He’s also been working on projects for Kodak Black, Bossman Dlow, JT, Yung Miami, 2 Chainz, Key Glock, Quavo, Lil Yachty, and more.
On the heels of releasing “See The World“, his debut single as a lead artist featuring Bossman Dlow, 2 Chainz, and Big Sean, The Hip Hop Museum caught up with Buddah to talk about his unique production sound, his thoughts on AI in music production, his work on Megan Thee Stallion’s “Shots Fired”, and more.
Adam Aziz: You’ve described your production sound as “your grandmother’s music mixed with Gucci Mane.” What does that mean?
Buddah Bless: It’s soulful. I like getting into Soul. My sound is not really dark like some music today is dark Trap. I like mixing Soul and Trap. That’s what feeds me the best.
AA: How did you get into your pocket to create that sound?
BB: It’s more from when I play stuff that feeds me. That feeds my energy as a person. I grew up in the church playing, so those chords that I learned, not many church chords are dark and scary type stuff. I incorporated those chords into my music. And when I would learn to play, I would play with old school records. The instruments that they used, back then, were more real instruments, whether it be a bass guitar or a piano.
Even on the keyboard, I like to use those sounds because they give that sample feel or that grandma music feel.
AA: Where does your producer tag come from?
BB: I had this girl say it that I knew from back in the day. But my producer’s name came from my Uncle Joe. He was the one who showed me how to produce. He was a producer. A+ was signed to him back in the day.
AA: Like A+ from New York that released ‘The Latch Key Child’ album?
BB: Yeah, him. I grew up under him. My middle name is Buddah and he always called me Buddah Bless.
AA: What are your thoughts on the use of AI in music production?
BB: I got into the AI stuff literally this week. But I’ve never been the guy to shun the new way of skinning the cat or a new way of doing something. Quincy Jones could have been mad having to pull together 60 people in an orchestra and have all those people be on key and on time, whereas now you could do everything through this keyboard or MPC. Or the MPC guys who were doing that now say Oh, now you can just use FruityLoops.
I’m never going to be the guy to complain about this. It’s making life itself easier. The cell phone made things easier. At the end of the day, this is still music. You still have to have songs. You still have to be able to cultivate relationships. I know people with good beats, but nobody knows, and they are sitting on a computer because they can’t do the human part and cultivate relationships.
AA: Around your new single “See The World”, the first single from your debut project as a solo artist, how did you come up with the collection of MCs on that record? I know you have a long history with 2 Chainz, but how about Bossman Dlow and Big Sean?
BB: It started with BossMan Dlow. I’ve always wanted to work with him. 2Chainz is a dear friend.
I didn’t want to give Dlow a dark sound. I wanted to give him something more universal. The same thing happened when I got in the studio with Big Sean. We were working on his project that drops in the next month or so. I asked him what he thought of the track. I didn’t tell him who it was for or anything. He said, Is that Dlow? And I was like, yeah, and he asked if it was for my project. I wanted Sean on it because he brings a different flow and different lyricism to it.
Sean and Chainz are really clean cut and brand-friendly. Dlow is newer. He’s more street. I wanted to make this nice gumbo.
AA: How did you come to produce Megan Thee Stallion’s “Shots Fired?”
BB: I did “Don’t Stop” first, and I was working on her album. And the incident with her happened two days before the “Don’t Stop” video shoot. So they had to push that shoot out a month. During that month, she was recording again. I wanted to give her a track where she could talk about everything. I was trying to get creative, and then I was like Biggie’s “Who Shot Ya?” That was the question.
I didn’t even explain it to her. I just let the beat explain itself, and she was like, “Wow, that’s clever,” and she went in on it.
AA: As a producer, do you have any apprehension getting involved with a diss record?
BB: My thoughts are it’s about whatever your politics are. Like Soundwave, he’s Kendrick Lamar’s producer. That’s where his politics are. Drake would probably never take a Soundwave beat.
Or let’s say with Paper Route and CMG with Young Dolph and Yo Gotti. I had a lot of politics with Dolph, like kicking it at the crib with him. And then I’ll work with Yo Gotti? I wasn’t doing that. I had situations where CMG artists wanted to get in with me, but I wouldn’t do it because of my relationship with Key Glock and Yo Gotti. It’s all politics.
AA: Other than you working on your debut album, are there any other projects upcoming that you’re excited about?
BB: I have three or four songs on Big Sean’s upcoming album. I have Lil’ Yachty’s next single. I’m really excited about that. I was just in the studio with Megan (Thee Stallion) and Kodak Black.
Follow Buddah Bless on Instagram.
