Earlier this week UKF called up Pittsburgh producer Buku to find out three facts you didn’t already know about him.
The conversation went so well we ended up learning five cool facts about the forward-thinking producer. Read on to find out more about his love for food, hip-hop and how the party in his latest video ended up getting canned by the long arm of the law!
I was fired from my job as a restaurant bus boy
My last job was bussing tables in a restaurant in downtown Pittsburgh… And got fired. That was the point I decided ‘right, I’m not having a conventional job any more, I’m just doing music!’
It was a seafood and steak joint. Pretty upmarket with suit and ties. My job was to take people’s plates away when they’re done and to be honest, I hated it. I kept on coming in late for the lunch shift and getting fed up about the poor wages. I got mad at the managers and told them I wasn’t making enough money to really live or arrive on time. They just said ‘okay cool, go home, don’t come back!’
It was just before Janky came out. I’d made that bit before we put it on UKF. Directly after I got fired I really pushed to get it out there!
I was on a high school ice hockey team
We were pretty successful in the school leagues and actually won the Pennsylvania state championship. I didn’t get involved in any of the fights you’d associate with the sport, I could just skate really fast so I was on the right wing. If you gave me a pair of ice skates now I’d probably fall on my ass a few times but then I’d get it back. I’d like to think so anyway!
I’d considered being a chef
I’ve been doing music since 8 years old. I play the drums by trade and did a degree in music. But I always thought if it all fall through then I always had the occupation of chef in mind. Before I started getting heavily into electronic music the food industry was definitely my plan B. I love cooking and I make the best homemade pizza I’ve ever had. I concentrate on the simplicity of things. Good dough, good sauce, good cheese. If you can’t make a good cheese pizza, you can’t make anything. Three super-spot on ingredients are all you need.
The party in my latest video got busted by the police!
We’d been talking about the story and video concept for the video for a while and we shot the party scene in my buddy’s place in Brooklyn. We got it going and it was just going to be a little gathering and a bit of fun but it turned into a bit too much of a party. So much the police turned up and told us to shut it down straight away! Some videos you see parties and you don’t know if they’re real, but trust me; this was a proper party… Much more than we thought it would be! We had a lot of fun though.
I make hip-hop instrumentals in my spare time
In between releases and EPs and singles and what not, I love making hip-hop instrumentals for fun. I’d thrashed out one particular idea and felt it had potential so I sent it to the Virus Syndicate who I’d been speaking to for ages on Twitter. It’s funny, Pittsburgh and Manchester have a lot of parallels. Our city’s sports colours are the same and both cities have a rich industrial, working history. This project had real roots, you know? I’m really pleased how Worker Bees came about, it’s one of my first hip-hop instrumental that’s turned into a proper production and it’s out at the end of this month.
Hungry for more Buku business? If you’re in Miami on Sunday March 30 catch him at UKF’s debut pool party at The Clevelander!
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