With Brooklyn being the home to heavy hitters in the rap game, there’s no doubt that great artistry comes from this particular borough in New York City. Vaughn Jefferson also known as Buddha Chief is an artist and entrepreneur who understands cultural significance when it comes to his music and work.
In the 1980’s during the peak of the crack era, it was important for young black males not to become a product of their environment. Buddha Chief was raised by his mother and grandmother, but...
With Brooklyn being the home to heavy hitters in the rap game, there’s no doubt that great artistry comes from this particular borough in New York City. Vaughn Jefferson also known as Buddha Chief is an artist and entrepreneur who understands cultural significance when it comes to his music and work.
In the 1980’s during the peak of the crack era, it was important for young black males not to become a product of their environment. Buddha Chief was raised by his mother and grandmother, but hip hop always surrounded him as a kid. He was brought up on the same block as one of his hip hop inspirations Big Daddy Kane. Vaughn even curated a mural of Big Daddy Kane on the building where he once lived which he signed in approval. He plans to carry on tradition like other famous artists from the Bed Stuy community started and to keep shaping the rap culture.
At first when Buddha Chief started to make music he was known as “Von Jeff”. His mission was to give his listeners positive energy through beats and lyrics. The process of creating the perfect song for his audience became a thrill for him. He released his first mixtape in 2012 titled ‘ Count Me In ‘. Several songs from his project were placed in the film ‘ “Inevitable Defeat Of Mister And Pete” which was executive produced by Alicia Keys.
Music wasn’t just about songs to Vaughn it was viewed as a lifestyle. He had a different approach when it came to getting his foot through the entertainment door. In the early 2000’s Buddha Chief served as the Director of A&R for MTV2’S “Monday Night Fight Klub”. He scouted and developed many of the popular battle rappers such as Cortez, Tay Roc, Reed Dollaz, Jag, Math Hoffa, and Serius Jones to name a few. Vaughn also found passion in production where he became a videographer for rapper Maino and for the respected Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation.
Buddha Chief was chosen as his new stage name to rebrand himself. Buddha Chief is not only Vaughn’s stage name but also for his cannabis business. Being a huge fan of rapper Redman is what inspired the name behind the brand. “On a righteous level my vision was to always create an infusion of people and bring many cultures together under one roof by means of cannabis. Hence we have Buddha Chief” says rapper Buddha Chief. Outside of his music and cannabis career, Vaughn has also become a strong advocate for the black community as a whole. He’s currently releasing a docuseries titled “The Cure Rater’ to display the importance of mental health awareness. Buddha Chief’s passion coupled with his versatile talents will make him a respected name in hip hop culture.
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