Buddy Red finds his voice: From T.I.’s son to bold, authentic rocker

I sat down with artist Buddy Red, though he’ll tell you himself that the title “artist” only scratches the surface. We dug into his single “Sold His Soul,” a track sparked by a powerful conversation with his brother that lit a fire in him to speak boldly about the music industry, authenticity and his own creative identity.

Many first met him as Messiah Harris, son of hip-hop legend T.I. and stepson of Tiny Harris, on their reality show T.I and Tiny:The Family Hustle. Now, Buddy Red makes it clear he isn’t building his brand on anyone’s name but his own.

In our conversation, he opens up about what it means to be a rocker raised in a home rooted in R&B and hip-hop, how he carved out space for a sound that didn’t match his surroundings, and how picking up a guitar — and stepping fully into blues, rock and psychedelic funk — helped him find his voice, his purpose and his freedom of expression. He also shares how he came up with his unique name and why he chose to keep it rooted in family.