LYNN — Lynn rapper Celly Bucks is opening for Nelly at the Lynn Auditorium Friday night.
Bucks, 23, began making his own music at 16, but has had a love for music since around the age of 7.
“It was cool because I got access to studios around the age of 16 or 17, maybe even 15, and I just started reaching out to people more and started to take it more seriously,” he said.
Bucks said his dad, Simmie Anderson, reached out to some of Nelly’s representatives a few months ago, and they just heard back Tuesday about being the opening act.
“It’s big, big. I don’t think anyone (from Lynn) has ever done this before,” Bucks, who is a graduate of Lynn Classical High School, said. “I didn’t expect something like this to happen this fast. Normally you have to make it to a bigger level to do something like this in your hometown, but I have this opportunity and it’s amazing and I’m excited.”
Bucks will be on stage for 20 minutes and will be performing a mix of songs. He currently has 30 songs, but said more than 100 that he’s written haven’t been released yet.
While he loves to write and perform his own music, Bucks said he has a “bigger purpose.
“I want to change the perception of music in the world,” said Bucks. “That’s why I work so hard at what I do and why I stick to what I want to do and not what anybody else wants me to do because I have a bigger purpose. Certain people look at rap music like (it’s) too street or vulgar, but my type of music is a real calm vibe and it’s still catering to everybody.”
When he began writing music around the age of 16, he said he would write lyrics down whenever they came to mind, but he doesn’t always write things down because he is more experienced and can go into the studio, hear a beat, and repeat lyrics that come to him.
“It’s more of a hard work than a talent thing because you just have to be tedious and have repetition and when you keep going, you’ll pick it up,” he said.
Bucks has performed many times in cities and towns around the state, but this will be his first time performing in Lynn, which he said will be really cool since it’s his hometown.
Bucks also has 50 Cent’s official DJ, “DJ Chubby Chub” working with him for his set for Friday’s show, which starts at 8 p.m.
Tickets to see Celly Bucks and Nelly can still be purchased on the Lynn Auditorium website.