It’s Busta’s world as he storms the stage at Hammerstein Ballroom in Midtown Manhattan on March 12, 2002. And he’s sharing it with P. Diddy and Pharrell Williams of the Neptunes as they rock “Pass The Courvoisier” and M.O.P. for the “Ante Up” remix. Fellow Flipmodians Spliff Star and Rah Digga have also come to represent the rulership.
A few months earlier, sitting at the offices of his new label J Records, Busta Rhymes fits the description of a Rap Superhero. He’s tall, broad, magnetic, drops knowledge like a nutty professor and has the down-home appeal of a wise uncle. With the release of his fifth solo album, Genesis, Busta has reached new heights in creativity and artistry with his hits the Dr. Dre-produced “Break Ya Neck” and Neptunes-produced “What It Is” featuring Kelis. Working with producers Pete Rock, Diamond D and Battlecat and guests including Mary J. Blige, the Lyrical Lieutenant of the Flipmode Squad whips out another futuristic, fantastic CD.
“I feel like I’ve finally reached a place of comfort that I haven’t felt,” explains Busta. “I have the know-how and experience of the wear and tear that comes along with growing and putting so much time in. I feel like I have a new start.
“I’m in a joint venture with J and Flipmode Records. It’s just a first-time feeling. I’m a partner in a deal structure as opposed to being an album-deal artist.”
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While Busta is experiencing a genesis himself, so is our world. Once again Busta’s music is right on time. Look at the titles of his albums: The Coming, When Disaster Strikes, Extinction Level Event, Anarchy and Genesis. Busta has a grand design when he names his sonic wake-up calls.
“Listen to the last interlude of the album Anarchy. A guy shoots himself and as he’s dying he mumbles a sound. If you play that backwards he’s saying genesis. He was killing himself because of the confusion and chaos in an anarchy state. You just want to die and come back with a new beginning. That was his last wish before his demise.”
“And that was the mind-state I was in. I was feeling like after Disaster Strikes, Extinction Level event would be brought about and whoever survives will be in a total state of anarchy and confusion. When it gets to that point of chaos the only place left to go from there is to re-establish everything. That was how I felt then with the situations going on around me. Coincidentally, a disaster struck and it brought about an extinction level event of the Twin Towers and certain things in NY that had never existed. There was a chaotic standpoint, an anarchy state was brought about and now we’re in the genesis and we’ve got to rebuild and think new and act differently in a new way. Rebuild a new New York.”
Though The Source points out that Busta rhymed, “There’s only five years left!” on “Everything Remains Raw” from 1996’s The Coming, Busta does not claim to be a prophet.
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“The whole reason I don’t want to be called prophetic is because I didn’t know exactly what was going to happen. I just put out there what I was feeling and maybe without knowing sometimes we feel certain things but we aren’t clear on what we feel. It’s not like I’m trying to look at a crystal ball. I like bringing about to the awareness level of people the what ifs of the world, the potential realities that we think or don’t think about as much as we need to. Everything is possible and anything can happen.”
Busta, who’s in Halloween 8 and an action drama with Ray Liotta and Jason Patric, continues.
“Be proactive as opposed to reactive. That’s the dude I’m striving to be in everything in life. I approach things differently now. Genesis is that new dude finding that new self and that new way of doing things and this new album is the metaphor of who this new person is.
As the interview ends, one can’t help wonder how Busta does it all? How he gets so much out of life. He has that answer too.
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“What makes me live to the fullest is knowing that I can’t bring yesterday back. If I waste every day I might not have enough time to live life the way I would only be able to live if I do it. I don’t want to be that dude that when it’s too late, I say I wish I could, I should’ve did, Why didn’t I do. I’ve got my kids so I’m going to live life to the fullest for them. I’m always going to want to minimize the struggle I had to go through for the loved ones.” Spoken like a true “changed” man.
