PREVIEW
BUCK 65
Tuesday, April 15
The Night Gallery
When the artist formerly known as Stinkin' Rich got signed to Warner Music, he relocated from his hometown of Halifax to Paris, released his latest opus, Square, and, as of three weeks ago, even started getting royalty cheques.
For reasons he doesn't delve into, Buck 65 (a.k.a. Rich Terfry) hints that his previous business matters may have been mildly mismanaged and while he may not be stinkin' rich yet, he is on his way.
"It's pretty nice," admits Terfry. "After all these years, I think I began to allow myself to believe that money was not a part of it."
He has also found a happy home on Warner, which does what labels should do – get his records out there.
"They don't really ask questions as far as my music goes, so my day-to-day life and my creative process hasn't really changed," he says. "The only indication that anything is different is the arrival of that royalty cheque."
That well-deserved reward comes on the heels of Square – a brilliantly subversive hip-hop album that takes cues from diverse musical influences. Terfry uses the hip-hop framework and adds his own perspective – ask him about hip-hop and he'll tell you that he's grown out of it. The fact that his musical tastes lean towards the latest from Neko Case, Tom Waits and The Flaming Lips indicates a more traditional storytelling approach.
"I'm attempting to achieve some sort of emotional impact – to try to connect with people on a real human level," he says. "I know that my music isn't for everybody and it is not for all the time, but I think there is a time and a place for it. There are lots of good reasons to break down conventions in hip-hop because it is a very narrow, closed-minded, conservative field and I am unabashedly about breaking that convention."
As he watches his audience grow, Terfry is encouraged by the diversity of his fans – not just teenage boys and indie-rock hangers-on, but a proliferation of people from both genders and many different age groups.
"I suppose it attracts other people like me who grew disenchanted by hip-hop before and who moved on to other things, or maybe even people who didn't like hip-hop in the first place."
This evolution continues with his live show. Incorporating lap steel and piano into his set, Terfry sets out to achieve a sophistication that lives up to his influences. With a new release expected this fall, fans can expect stronger songwriting and music that Terfry claims is "prettier," which lends credence to his claim that he is not as dark a person as his music might make him sound. Telling stories and painting pictures is what interests him and he promises that a Buck 65 show will have as little aggression and intimidation as possible.
"People can expect to come out and make friends. It's not so much a ‘get yer ya-yas out’ kind of situation." |
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