THE New York Post ¿ a tabloid renowned for its often-scathing celebrity exposes ¿ has published a flattering profile of Bermudian Collie Buddz.

However, the piece ¿ entitled "Pretty Fly for a White Guy" ¿ made light of the ongoing identity crisis surrounding the "vanilla-skinned Bermudian" even while hailing his success on the global reggae scene.

"In the world of reggae music, Collie Buddz is a walking contradiction. He doesn't hail from Jamaica or have dreadlocks, and get this: He's white," reported the Post's Joseph Barracato.

"So many people are confused when they see me. I'm never what they expect," says Buddz, whose self-titled debut is in stores now.

"The vanilla-skinned Bermudian, who sports a shaved blond head, has been fooling listeners since he started incorporating soca music, R&B and hip-hop into his solid reggae foundation.

Buddz, born Colin Harper, even baffled entertainment industry executives when he first started making the rounds of music companies.

"My ex-manager was black, and he had dreads. When we had meetings, we would get into the room and they started asking him about the music," Buddz, 25, told the Post. "Once he told them I was the artist, their jaws dropped."

Columbia quickly looked past his appearance and inked Buddz, who's been involved in the record business since the age of 15, when he and his older brother, Matthew, would spend their afternoons at Platinum Studios in Bermuda.

During the day, Buddz began learning production before returning home and freestyling on an old, beat-up stereo. His curiosity ultimately led him to Florida, where he enrolled at Full Sail College to major in audio engineering.

The Post reported that upon returning home to Bermuda in 2001, Buddz and his brother began amassing equipment and opened their own studio. But after a few years, a problem developed.

"I would create these beats, but I wasn't happy with the way artists were singing over them," said Buddz, whose influences include Buju Banton, Beenie Man and, of course, Bob Marley.

"I wanted to be a producer first, but things changed."

So Buddz decided to lay down riddems for himself and craft his lyrics afterwards.

The formula, said the Post, led to an impressive demo that excited everyone at major music label Columbia.

"His first single, off the self-titled debut, Come Around, gained immediate recognition, not only in the US, but world-wide," said the New York tabloid. "At one point, it was No. 1 in Jamaica, Canada and Japan. His record also includes the upbeat, Latino-driven Mamacita, the lyrically conscious Blind to You, and Sensimillia, Buddz's ode to that infamous green plant.

Buddz is just as excited about his acceptance by reggae aficionados as he is about his debut CD's release.

"A while back in Jamaica, people were telling me how much they respect me (especially) because of my skin colour," Buddz told the Post. "Wayne Wonder came up to me and was singing the lyrics to my songs. I couldn't believe it."