Don’t think that Jamal Bufford’s not marketable—he stays freshly-dipped in fly gear, he’s charismatic, and he’s a major component of the lauded new wave of Michigan Hip Hop. But like the title of his album Pure implies, Buff1 is one of the few emcees whose music speaks entirely for itself. Pure made waves everywhere from URB (Next 1000) to OkayPlayer (4.5 Questies) with Buff’s agile, digestible flow and his versatility to switch between blistering bars and well-executed concepts. Not bad for an artist who had been a team player for his entire career, as a member of the immensely-talented Ann Arbor crew Athletic Mic League.
But these days, Buff1 is feeling the pressure. With the success of Pure fresh in his—and listeners’—mind(s), he’s looking to make more “powerful music.” His upcoming LP, There’s Only One, sees him minimizing the temporary pleasures of punchlines in exchange for songs about applicable, topics: guys who let their women restrict their freedoms, giving hope to people trapped in street life, and encouraging his peers to stay accountable for themselves. With consistent, monumental lyrics and his AML groupmates The LabTechs contributing riveting soundbeds that are just as effective, Buff1 says that he’s looking to make a “classic” record—and while it still has to stand the test of time, it seems like he’s gotten pretty close. In an interview with MichiganHipHop.com, Buff1 talks about fixing what wasn’t broken, and making music that matters. Continue reading →
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