‘It’s UATL’ podcast: How T.I.’s eldest son, Buddy Red, found his voice
Buddy Red didn’t set out to sing or rap. His dream was to be a producer.
The eldest son of legendary Atlanta rapper T.I. saw himself lending his production talents to folks like Jay-Z, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar and Outkast. He had his father’s network, but a chance to connect with and be politely rejected by J. Cole changed his career trajectory.
“Number one, I wasn’t as good a producer as I wanted to be,” Buddy Red told the hosts of “It’s UATL.” “I’m not willing to do what it takes.”
Admittedly, he was lost.
“I sat for a few months just not knowing what to do,” he admits.
That changed when Buddy Red saw the film “Bohemian Rhapsody” and found himself drawn to Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, particularly his story of going from airport baggage handler to rock icon.
“I understood the people playing guitars, the people, you know, screaming into a microphone; I felt like I understood them more,” he said.
Ahead of his performance at the Atlanta Jazz Festival this week, Buddy Red opened up about how he found his voice and himself.
Also on this week’s episode
Good news, Beyhive! Remember the guy who was accused of breaking into a car and stealing unreleased music from Beyoncé last July? He was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty. The hosts talk about why it’s a positive development in a weird story.
Staying with music, here’s a serious question for you or someone you know: Want to intern for Usher? For his upcoming R&B Tour with Chris Brown, the entertainer is looking for paid interns. It’s a partnership between Usher’s New Look Foundation nonprofit and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Detroit. What would a paid internship for one of the world’s greatest entertainers look like? The hosts have ideas.
ICYMI: Michelle Obama portrait painter, Amy Sherald, spoke to UATL about her exhibition, “American Sublime,” at the High Museum. The hosts discuss Sherald responding to a question from UATL reporter Brooke Leigh Howard about facing the reality of being Black and American in her work.
Last, but most certainly not far from the minds of our hosts is Eligio “Natureboy” Bishop. Bishop’s story is chronicled in Hulu’s “The Cult of Natureboy” documentary, which shows how he leveraged social media to build his following. What does his story say about Black-led cults, belonging and abuses of power? Our hosts talk it out.
Related reads from UATL and AJC
Follow the stories that inspired this week’s episode.
- The Roots and two other Grammy winners will headline Atlanta Jazz Festival
- Man pleads guilty in Atlanta theft of Beyoncé’s unreleased music
- Usher is hiring paid interns for his upcoming tour. Here’s why.
- Michelle Obama made Amy Sherald famous. ‘American Sublime’ shows her full vision.
- Hulu doc shows how Atlanta’s ‘Natureboy’ used social media to build a cult
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Email us at uatl@ajc.com.
Roll credits
“It’s UATL” comes from DeAsia Paige, Nedra Rhone, Najja Parker, Isabelle Kerby-McGowan, Cara Shillenn, Gavin Godfrey, Mara Davis, Shane Backler, Roy Williams, Matt Gannon, Kishuna Joseph, Keith Lovely Jr., Megan Nadolski, Samantha Stamler and Janel Davis.
About the Author
Gavin Godfrey is an editor and Team Lead for UATL, the AJC's Black culture franchise. He's an award-winning writer and editor from Atlanta who's covered everything from OutKast to the water boys. Before joining the AJC, Gavin worked for Capital B Atlanta, CNN, and Creative Loafing.