Richard Terfry, better known as Buck 65, is a Canadian hip hop artist, MC a… Read Full Bio ↴Richard Terfry, better known as Buck 65, is a Canadian hip hop artist, MC and turntablist. However he has recently moved away from hip hop in a stylistic context, and is moving closer to blues, country, rock, folk and avant-garde genres. That said, his new direction is seemingly still underpinned by an extensive background in abstract hip hop, his trademark rhyme-phrasing and lyrical aspiration evident in the altered timbre vocal delivery displayed in his more recent releases.

Terfry is also a host at CBC Radio 3, with hosting a program on the CBC Radio 3 website's web radio station during weekdays. In addition, he will be the host of the weekday 3-6pm CBC Radio 2 show beginning in the fall of 2008.

Early career and influences

Terfry was born in 1972 and raised in Mount Uniacke, a rural community outside of Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was first exposed to rap music in the mid-1980s while listening to CBC Radio's late night show Brave New Waves, and then by listening to Halifax campus community radio station CKDU. CKDU then broadcast at only 33 watts, and he had to climb a tree in his yard to hear the station's hip hop show on his cheap transistor radio. Fascinated by hip hop, the young Terfry taught himself how to rap, DJ, and, later, to produce records. His musical influences include MC Shan, David Lynch, Gitche Manitou, and Kool Keith.

Using the moniker DJ Critical, he later hosted a hip-hop show on CKDU called "The Bassment" (later renamed "The Treatment Program", when he assumed the stage name Jesus Murphy), which aired for several years. This period overlapped with many of his non-major-label releases.

Stage Names

Buck 65 has also used a number of other stage names including Johnny Rockwell, Stinkin' Rich, Haslam, and Uncle Climax. These pseudonyms typically represent different characters in his raps (as in Uncle Climax, Johnny Rockwell and Stinkin' Rich) or different aspects of Buck's creativity (as noted above, DJ Critical was his DJ name on CKDU.) Rumours abound that Buck 65's alias comes from his childhood nickname of Buck and his weight of 165 pounds; possibly the pseudonym comes from the weight of the first buck he shot or the $1.65 standard bus fare for Halifax Regional Municipality riders. He has been known to say on stage, "They call me Buck 65... I don't know why." Buck 65's website mentioned previously that he was named after his uncle's 1965 Buick automobile ("'65 Buick" is a track on the Synesthesia album); he performed a show under that name but the promoter mistakenly wrote the name as it is now spelled.

Recently Buck 65 has recorded an EP under the name of Dirk Thornton alongside Irishman DJ Flip, it was scheduled for release early 2007 but the date was not set.

The first release under Dirk Thornton will be a 7" single with the tracks "Yesterday's News" and "Catwalk".

He is also involved in an online collaboration with "Greetings From Tuskan" auteur Joëlle Phuong Minh Lê, as Bike For Three, though a release is yet unforthcoming.

Early releases

In 1993, he released his first cassette of rap tunes while performing under the alias Stinkin' Rich on the Halifax label No Records. The five song cassette was titled Chin Music, which was a reference to his past interest in baseball. The release brought Stinkin' Rich to the attention of members of Halifax alternative rock band Sloan. Sloan signed him to their independent record label Murderecords and released a 7" single and a full length cassette called Game Tight, again featuring a reference to baseball. (Terfry has often stated in interviews that in his teens he had been scouted to play for the New York Yankees but that the death of the talent scout coupled with an injury had caused the deal to fall through)

After a brief break, Terfry returned reconstituted as Buck 65, releasing Language Arts on cassette and the 12" single Wildlife Trilogy, followed by Vertex, which included his popular song "The Centaur." He recorded Sebutonedef (released in 1996 by Funtrip Records) as a collaboration with fellow Halifax artist Sixtoo. Other releases by the duo, known as the Sebutones, are Psoriasis and 50/50 Where It Counts. While still far from mainstream success, he received several odd jobs in Canada's entertainment industry, including making soundtrack music and providing narration for a TV commercial for NBA apparel, and song lyrics for the popular children's program Sesame Street. During a live performance Buck 65 told a story in which he attributed why he was chosen for Sesame Street to three things; his upstanding lifestyle of not drinking, smoking, or doing drugs, his intelligence that wasn't too intelligent for the kids, and Sesame Street's assumption that he was a virgin.

Man Overboard, originally released on the anticon. label, was a significant turning point in his career. The record, and the entire anticon. collective (of which Sixtoo was also a part), were considered hallmarks of a new avant-garde movement in underground hip hop. It was at this time that Buck met Cincinnati DJ Mr. Dibbs who inducted him into the 1200 Hobos, a loosely-knit hip-hop collective named for their proficiency in manipulating the Technics 1200 turntable.

Critical Acclaim

Many of his early projects attracted attention after they were re-released, first on the independent Metaforensics label and subsequently by Warner Music Canada. While Buck 65 has gained critical acclaim and worldwide exposure through his major label deal, commercial success has escaped him. Although Warner's worldwide affiliates distribute his records, Warner USA does not. After a deal was signed with V2 USA, This Right Here Is Buck 65 was released in the States, a sort of "Best of" that was marketed as an introduction to his work. However after V2 chose not to release his next effort, Secret House Against the World, the deal was amicably dissolved. Since then Buck 65 was signed onto Strange Famous Records where he's planning on taking over hip-hop with Sage Francis. His latest release is titled "Situation".

Buck's most recent albums have gradually moved away from his original 'pure' hip-hop sound into territory influenced by folk, blues and electronica, with some even comparing elements of his sound to Tom Waits. Some of Buck 65's music is used on the Canadian show Trailer Park Boys, frequently in the character Julian's car. He gained additional recognition in 2006 when he appeared at the national Juno Awards with Pamela Anderson.

Kerrang! “Controversy”

In August 2004, he sparked controversy in the underground hip-hop world over comments he made to an interviewer in Kerrang! magazine. Buck was quoted as saying:
“I now hate hip hop, the more I’ve educated myself about music, the more I’ve grown to hate it. I don’t use that word lightly, either.”
In response, former anticon. label-mate Sage Francis (in a post on his website) stated that
"Buck has had his head up his arse for many years now."
Buck later wrote in a letter to Exclaim!:
“I’m apologizing for all that. I lost my cool on tape which is never good. The journalist was provoking me, calling me a sell-out and a whore. I was trying to make a point by playing devil’s advocate, but I went way overboard. No hint of irony or role-playing or intelligence came across in the story. Now I just look like an idiot. I take it back. I don’t really believe any of that. I don’t think being able to read music is a concern. Most of my favourite music was made by non-educated musicians. It doesn’t matter. I still have heavy criticisms of most hip hop, but I really didn’t make them well on this particular day. I put my foot in my mouth and I’m apologizing for that."

Dirty Work

Buck 65 released a 5 song digital EP called "Dirty Work". It was released over a month long campaign, adding one song per week for free download via his MySpace page. All five tracks are still available for download on his official website. The EP comes with artwork drawn by Buck himself, and the tracks are all b-sides from the full length record 'Situation'.

Situation to present

Buck 65 released the album Situation on October 30th, 2007, on Strange Famous Records in the US and Warner Music worldwide. The album is a concept album based around the year 1957, and is a return to a more 'pure' hip-hop sound than the previous blues, country and avant-garde influences in Secret House Against the World. It was produced by fellow Halifax DJ Skratch Bastid, aimed at making a "classic hip-hop record that pulses with joy and clarity of purpose".

Buck 65 is currently working on a new album which, judging from live material, will feature much more prominent electronic beats than before. Additionally, Buck 65's collaboration project with "Greetings From Tuskan" auteur Joëlle Phuong Minh Lê, Bike for Three!, has its debut album completed for release in early 2009.

He has been a host of CBC Radio 3's web radio for the past year, and recently accepted daily hosting duties on CBC Radio 2's national radio beginning fall 2008.

Out of Focus
Buck 65 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Dirty and low with the same pair of pants on
Tables I dance on and benches at bed time
Way passed the deadline and waiting for the world's end
I just had a terrible argument with my girlfriend
Something or other, I always seem to be in trouble
Getting kind of hard to hear and maybe now I'm seeing double
God almighty, give me strength and put the poison down tomorrow
Tonight I'm gonna stay up late, see if I can drown in sorrow

(2x's)
I go under the blouse and grope for the breast
I call this one hope and hope for the best
I play fight rarely and barely touch the surface
Anchors away I'm out of focus on purpose

I'm lower than life, living like it's the last day
Eyes gone out and hard like an ashtray
Dog won't play with me I'm smelly and unshaven
Walkin in circles and searching for a safe haven
Time's running low but still I remain patient
Practicing my lines hanging out at the train station
500 excuses and working on a dozen more
Unemployed again your parents hate me cause I'm poor

(2x's)
I go under the blouse and grope for the breast
I call this one hope and hope for the best
I play fight rarely and barely touch the surface
Anchors away I'm out of focus on purpose

I'm quick to throw the towel in too stubborn to apologize
The future is bleek and my memories are wallet-sized
I'm out of ideas, it feels like I'm choking
All of my mirrors and promises are broken
I'm lousy and threadbare too low to get down
Almost out of gas but can't stand to sit down
God almighty, wish me luck, let me get to sleep
I'm trying to keep it all together
I've got to laugh to keep from crying

I go under the blouse and grope for the breast
I call this one hope and hope for the best

I play fight rarely and barely touch the surface
Anchors away I'm out of focus on purpose

Overall Meaning

In Buck 65's song "Out Of Focus," the singer is describing a state of despair, self-loathing, and hopelessness. He's wearing the same pants, is dirty, and has been kicked out by his girlfriend after a terrible argument. He's lost his way and is waiting for the end of the world because he doesn't feel like he has anything else to live for. He's struggling with his addiction, crying out for God to give him the strength to put it down tomorrow, but tonight he wants to stay up and drown in sorrow.

Throughout the song, the singer's focus is on the physical, living in the moment and struggling to find pleasure in the emptiness around him. He uses women to give himself some sense of purpose or hope, groping under blouses and calling it "hope" to hope for the best. He's "out of focus on purpose," as he is trying to avoid facing the real issues in his life, instead choosing to ignore them by focusing on the superficial.

Overall, the meaning behind "Out Of Focus" is that sometimes life can be too much to handle, and it's easy to get lost in the moment, forget who you are, and try to fill the void with temporary pleasures. The singer is trying to cope with his struggles, but ultimately, he is lost and out of focus.

Line by Line Meaning

Dirty and low with the same pair of pants on
I feel filthy and stuck in the same situation, with no way out.

Tables I dance on and benches at bed time
I'm barely getting by, struggling to make ends meet.

Way passed the deadline and waiting for the world's end
I'm feeling hopeless and desperate, like things can't possibly get any worse.

I just had a terrible argument with my girlfriend
I'm dealing with relationship problems, which is adding to my stress and anxiety.

Something or other, I always seem to be in trouble
I can't seem to catch a break and am constantly facing difficulties.

Getting kind of hard to hear and maybe now I'm seeing double
I'm struggling to maintain my mental and emotional stability.

God almighty, give me strength and put the poison down tomorrow
I'm struggling with addiction and need divine intervention to recover.

Tonight I'm gonna stay up late, see if I can drown in sorrow
I want to escape my problems by drinking or using drugs until I can't feel anything.

I go under the blouse and grope for the breast
I objectify women and engage in sexual activities without their consent.

I call this one hope and hope for the best
I use sexual conquests as a coping mechanism, hoping to feel better about myself.

I play fight rarely and barely touch the surface
I avoid dealing with my problems, choosing instead to engage in superficial activities.

Anchors away I'm out of focus on purpose
I'm intentionally ignoring my problems and actively avoiding responsibility for my life.

I'm lower than life, living like it's the last day
I have no hope or sense of purpose, just surviving day by day.

Eyes gone out and hard like an ashtray
I'm emotionally numb and disconnected from the world.

Dog won't play with me I'm smelly and unshaven
Even animals can sense my misery and avoid me.

Walkin in circles and searching for a safe haven
I'm lost and searching for a way out of my current situation.

Time's running low but still I remain patient
I know things are bad, but I haven't completely given up hope yet.

Practicing my lines hanging out at the train station
I'm rehearsing excuses for my failures and lack of progress in life.

500 excuses and working on a dozen more
I have a long list of reasons why I can't succeed or get ahead in life.

Unemployed again your parents hate me cause I'm poor
I'm struggling to find work, and even those I care about and depend on me are starting to turn against me.

I'm quick to throw the towel in too stubborn to apologize
I have a hard time admitting my faults or acknowledging when I'm wrong.

The future is bleek and my memories are wallet-sized
I have no hope for the future and am stuck dwelling on the few good times I've had in the past.

I'm out of ideas, it feels like I'm choking
I'm struggling to come up with solutions to my problems, and the stress is suffocating me.

All of my mirrors and promises are broken
I can't even look at myself in the mirror, and I've broken all my commitments to others.

I'm lousy and threadbare too low to get down
I'm worthless and have nothing left to give.

Almost out of gas but can't stand to sit down
I'm exhausted and out of energy, but I can't bring myself to rest or take a break.

God almighty, wish me luck, let me get to sleep
I'm desperate for help and hope that God will intervene and give me some relief from my problems.

I'm trying to keep it all together
Despite everything, I'm still doing my best to hold on and keep going.

I've got to laugh to keep from crying
My situation is so bleak that the only way to deal with it is through humor and irony.

Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Red Brick Music Publishing
Written by: CHARLES WISHART AUSTIN, GRAEME ROSS CAMPBELL, RICHARD TERFRY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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