State Champ Radio Busta Rhymes
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It seems there is more to learn about 2Pac and Notorious B.I.G.’s story. Busta Rhymes reveals that a popular Biggie Smalls verse was actually going at Pac.
As spotted on Vibe, the Rap legend recently paid a visit to the All The Smoke podcast. While the “Touch It” MC discussed a variety of topics, ranging from his storied career to current events, it was a story he told about a studio session with B.I.G. that has since gone viral. Back in the mid-’90s Busta Rhymes was aiming to secure Biggie, Method Man and Nas as features on one song. While the track didn’t come together like how he originally intended, it birthed a very memorable performance by the King of New York.
“So there’s a song in the middle of the Biggie and 2Pac beef and he [Biggie] recorded the verse in my studio session. At the time I thought it would be brilliant to have these three MC’s on a J Dilla beat. I think B.I.G. just got into the car accident with [Lil’] Cease and his leg was messed up and the elevator wasn’t working,” Busta explained. “I got to Soundtracks [on] the third day. Elevators fine,” Busta continues. “Big and [Lil’] Cease come. They pull up. Meth and Nas came two days in a row now. No Biggie. So, they was not coming on the third day.”
The former Leaders of the New School member would go on to detail seeing B.I.G.’s creative process for the first time ever. “One hour, two hours; he just smoking. He ain’t writing nothing. About three hours in I’m like ‘My ni**a you ain’t going to do this verse my ni**a?’ That ni**a said, ‘I’m ready Buss.’”
Busta Rhymes would go on to recite the verse and emphasize the lines directed at 2Pac via his cadence and pitch. “Diamonds on my neck, chrome drop-top / Chillin’ on the scene, smoking pounds of green / Oooh-wee, you see, the ugliest / Money-hungriest, Brooklyn Loch Ness / Nine millimeter cock test, wan fi’ test? / And the winner is, not that thinner kid / Bandanas, tattoos, my fists never bruise / Land still cruise.”
At the time, Bus was good friends with 2Pac thus he told B.I.G. he would not be releasing the song. Years later, the verse would reappear on the posthumous Notorious B.I.G. album Born Again on “Dangerous MC’s.” You can hear the original verse below.
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Even with his animated personality, Busta Rhymes has never be known as a man to play around with. Apparently, a rapper named Nizzle Man found that out the hard way as he and the Dungeon Dragon seemingly bumped heads at a club this past weekend.
As seen in a clip making the social media rounds, Busta Rhymes and Nizzle Man got into some kind of scuffle while attending French Montana’s album release party this past Friday night (February 23). From the looks of things, Nizzle took the L as he was dragged away by Busta’s crew as the “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See” rapper barked in his face. Though no hands were thrown, it seemed like quite an aggressive situation unfolded that ended with Busta and Nizzle disappearing into the crowd.
Sometimes all it takes is one misunderstanding for things to go completely left. Hopefully, cooler heads prevailed and the two men were able to hash out whatever problem might’ve occurred.
But as far as from Busta’s camp on an explanation, nothing but crickets.
What do y’all think of the situation? Peep the video and let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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Last week Busta Rhymes released his 11th studio album in Blockbusta and for his day-one fans that have been following his career for the past few decades, the Hip-Hop icon decided to treat them with some brand new visuals to go along with the album release.
Collaborating with DaBaby and T-Pain for the visuals to “Big Everything,” Busta Rhymes and company get on some Dick Tracy ish with their brightly colored tailored suits as they hit some CGI’d streets and hit up the strip bar where they make it rain with CGI dollar bills. Is that like an equivalent to Bit Coins? Just asking.
Bubba Sparxxx meanwhile is still out here rapping after decades of laying low and in his Adam Calhoun assisted clip to “They Just Don’t Know,” Timbaland’s former artist hosts some young women in his home where he and Adam get hype while playing the leather sofa that you’d find at an old lady’s house. Bubba living hella humble. Can’t be mad at that.
Check out the rest of today’s drops and some joints you might’ve missed over the weekend including work from Luh Tyler, Teelow, and more.
BUSTA RHYMES FT DABABY & T-PAIN – “BIG EVERYTHING”
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BUBBA SPARXXX FT. ADAM CALHOUN – “THEY JUST DON’T KNOW”
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LUH TYLER – “CHANGE MY WAYZ”
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TEELOW – “FIND A WAY”
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PHAEVA PHAWTY & D-WEEZY – “BOSS MOVES”
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MONEY MAN – “COUGHING”
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KARRAHBOO – “RUNNING LATE”
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VERSA THE RAPPER – “THIS IS FOR ME”
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BYRON MESSIA – “LA LA”
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Azealia Banks is more known for her acidic remarks against fellow entertainers than her music these days but often displays a softer side despite her reputation. After apologizing to Lizzo, the Harlem rapper took aim at Busta Rhymes and essentially body-shamed the veteran MC.
Over the weekend, Azealia Banks took to her Instagram Stories feed and issued a written apology to Lizzo, complete with a tag.
“I was having a conversation last night and realized that I owe @lizzobeeating a huge apology for popping so much shit,” Banks began in the Stories thread.
She added, “If hip hop will allow a 55+ severely overweight @bustarhymes who exhibits major signs of anabolic steroid abuse, adrenal gland failure, and constipation, and will also allow him to have a face full of blackheads and acne from what appears to be testosterone shot abuse ALL whilst drinking molly water in 2023 and wearing cartoon-like Neon yellow fake gold slick Rick chains…We have absolutely no right to be trying to skewer a YOUNG black woman – for anything.”
For the record, Busta Rhymes turned 51 this past May.
It isn’t clear why Banks took the shot at Busta Rhymes but her apology to Lizzo seemingly stems from comments she made in 2019 about the singer’s weight and appearance and referred to her as a “millennial mammy” all while acknowledging her talents.
As of now, neither entertainer has responded to Azealia Banks.
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Photo: Lexie Moreland / Getty
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Busta Rhymes has been an electrifying force in Hip-Hop since before many of today’s rappers were born. Last month, the Brooklyn bred emcee took home the 2023 BET Awards biggest honor as this year’s Lifetime Achievement recipient.
Some of music’s greatest talents, including Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson and Diddy paid homage to the 12-time Grammy Award nominated rapper in a heartwarming video. Fans took to Twitter to share their favorite Busta Rhymes moments while reiterating that a Lifetime Achievement Award was overdue for the “mayor of Hip Hop.”
Busta’s award sparked an even bigger conversation about other icons whose contributions in Hip-Hop have seemingly gone unnoticed. Check out our list of Hip-Hop legends who deserve their flowers while they can smell them.
Ludacris
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Before rappers like Big Sean and DaBaby captivated fans with their animated delivery, wild punchlines and humorous videos, Ludacris had the game on lock. His major label debut album Back for the First Time, spawned several hit records that many fans deem to be instant classics — including the Neptunes- produced track “What’s Your Fantasy.”
While Atlanta was still finding their identity in Hip-Hop, Luda continued cranking out chart topping records and big budget music videos throughout the 2000s. But after years of hard work and a Grammy for Best Rap Album in 2007 for Release Therapy, he started to feel that his contributions to Hip-Hop weren’t being acknowledged. In May 2023, Luda appeared on the All The Smoke podcast and revealed that Jay-Z credited his outlandish videos as the reason why Luda doesn’t receive the lyrical credit he deserves. “People ask me, ‘Why don’t you think [you] get the credit?’ Because I played too goddamn much…And I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Luda said.
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While some of your favorite rappers have ducked the smoke, Busta Rhymes says he will not battle Missy Elliot in a Verzuz.
As spotted on HipHopDX the Brooklyn, New York native recently paid a visit to the Apple Music studio and discussed his come up, his recent BET Hip-Hop Lifetime Achievement Award win and more. Midway during the conversation he was asked what the possibilities of a Busta Rhymes and Missy Elliot Verzuz battle and he made it clear it is not happening. “Never with Missy,” he explained. “The reason why I can’t ever do a Verzuz or even compete with Missy on a challenging level is ’cause that’s my twin … I’m Missy and she’s Busta Rhymes. I will never ever ever ever ever, because I love her so much, I can’t talk my sh*t the way I would want to in a Verzuz.” He went on to clarify that it would be a battle but more so a celebration.
The interview landed on Missy’s radar and she posted to her Instagram account confirming Busta’s commentary. “To my Twin @bustarhymes, we have been glued at the hip for 26 years & my LOVE & ADMIRATION for you still grows. I am still in aww over your ART & your MUSIC, but most of all, your HEART is at the TOP of any chart,” she wrote. Missy went on to congratulate him for his recent win. “Love you, bro, and CONGRATULATIONS on your Lifetime Achievement award & many more to come thank you for the TIMELESS MUSIC & CLASSIC VISUALS you’ve shared with the WORLD”.
You can see the Busta Rhymes interview below.
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The 2023 BET Awards was a jam-packed night, with Beyonce, Drake, and SZA standing out among those taking home trophies. Also, Busta Rhymes received a long overdue Lifetime Achievement Award.
The annual awards night was Sunday night (June 25th) at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California. It was made more so by the fact that the night was focused on the celebration of 50 years of Hip-Hop, which saw numerous tributes take place and key wins by some of the most popular artists today including Quavo & Offset of the Migos honoring their late member, Takeoff.
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Beyoncé and SZA reigned supreme as the biggest winners of the evening with three awards each. In a surprise, both songstresses would tie for Album of The Year with Renaissance and SOS, respectively. “Break My Soul” won the Viewer’s Choice Award and the BET HER Award as well. As for SZA, she would also win Video of The Year for her stylish “Kill Bill” video and Best Female R&B/Pop Artist, beating out a stacked field of artists including Beyoncé, Lizzo, Ari Lennox, Tems, H.E.R., and Coco Jones.
Drake followed behind with two wins on the night for Best Collaboration for his appearance on “Wait For U” by Future featuring Nigerian singer Tems, and Best Group for his team-up with 21 Savage for the hit album Her Loss. The win was his second in the category – he previously won the award seven years ago with Future. Kendrick Lamar won Best Male Hip-Hop Artist, his record-setting sixth win in the category. He was the leader in nominations for the evening with seven. Latto would take home the award for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist, and show love to other women rappers in her acceptance speech.
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The heartwarming moment of the night came as veteran MC Busta Rhymes was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award, and he delivered an emotional speech detailing his journey while admonishing other rappers to stop fighting among themselves.
“Y’all messing up the bag. Y’all messing up the energy. I don’t like when I talk to these dudes that run these streaming platforms and they talking about, ‘You know, we turning the consumer off because there’s so much little this and little that going on with you rappers.’ We’re gonna stop that. We’re gonna love each other, and we gonna get to this money,” he said.
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Janet Jackson received a lovely surprise from Busta Rhymes in the form of flowers and a heartfelt tribute during her New York concert.
On Tuesday night (May 9), the superstar was performing on her Together Again tour before the sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden. As the opening notes of “What’s It Gonna Be?” began to play, the “Gimme Some More” rapper stepped onto the stage to perform the hit track from his Extinction Level Event album released in 1999.
The moment was even more special as Busta began a moving speech to Jackson while someone delivered a bouquet of flowers he brought for her. “I don’t want to disrupt the programming too much, but I brought some gifts for you, queen,” he said. “We’re going to give you your flowers. I’m going to give you your bouquet while you can smell them.”
He shared the story of how they got to collaborate with each other. “In 1998 … I’m on the Belt Parkway going from Long Island to Manhattan,” he said. “I’m listening to Janet Jackson do an interview … Angie Martinez asked her, ‘What rapper have you never worked with before that you would like to work with?’ She said, Busta Rhymes. Excuse my language,” he added, “but I almost crashed my fucking car.”
“What’s It Gonna Be” would earn a Grammy nomination and Busta told the crowd that it was “the most expensive hip-hop video ever made.” (The cost of the video, directed by Hype Williams, is estimated at $2 million.) “You finally made a dream come true for me, queen,” he told Jackson. “I waited 25 years to be able to share this stage with you and perform this song. And I am so grateful that I’m fighting tears of joy right now. I just want you to know that I love you so much.”
Busta Rhymes also had a cake brought onstage by a stagehand and directed the crowd to shout “Happy Birthday” to the singer, who turns 57 next week. He also paid homage to her as a mother. “This is one of the most beautiful, most gorgeous, one of the most incredible souls as a mother walking the face of the earth,” he told the exuberant audience. “Please make some noise in advance for the beautiful Janet Jackson for Mother’s Day.”
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In case you might have forgotten, 50 Cent is first and foremost a rapper. Although lately he’s gotten more attention for his behind the scene moves in television and his trolling on social media, the Queens native is hitting the road for a global tour that includes Busta Rhymes and Jeremih as well as special guests.
Fitty’s THE FINAL LAP TOUR 2023 will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of the release of his landmark album Get Rich Or Die Tryin‘. The Dungeon Dragon Busta Rhymes will be performing all the dates while R&B singer Jeremih will also be in attendance at all the North American stops.
Produced by Live Nation and presented by Sire Spirits, The Final Lap Tour will hits citiies like Cleveland, Virginia Beach, Charlotte and Brooklyn stateside before heading overseas and arriving in locations like Berlin, Zurich and Oslo. Also, additional markets will be added in the following months.
The Final Lap Tour kicks off on Friday, July 21 at the Maverik Center in Salt Lake City, UT and will wrap its stateside leg at the Pine Knob Music Theatre in Detroit on Sunday, September 17. From there, the internation portion starts on Thursday, September 28 at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, Netherlands and will wrap up on Sunday, Nov 12 at the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, England.
Of course, 50 Cent’s own Sire Spirits brands, Branson Cognac and Le Chemin du Roi Champagne, will be available throghout the tour, local laws permitting.
As for tickets:
North American Tickets: Verified Fan will be used for The Final Lap Tour to ensure more tickets get into the hands of fans. Fans in North America can register now through Sunday, May 7th at 11:59 PM ET for the Verified Fan presale CLICK HERE. Fans who are selected to receive an access code will be able to participate in the Verified Fan presale starting Wednesday, May 10th. Limited tickets will be sold during a general on sale starting Friday, May 12th at 10am local time at Ticketmaster.com while supplies last.
VIP Tickets: Fans can also access VIP Packages which may include premium tickets, VIP parking and exclusive access to a pre-show lounge, special entry, Sire Spirits bottle signings, access to afterparty events, and more. For VIP Package information, visit vipnation.com and for all other tour and ticket information, visit livenation.com.
European Tickets: Tickets will be available starting with local presales on Wednesday, May 10th at 10am local time and available to the general public on Friday, May 12th at 10am local time on 50Cent.com.
Check out all the dates of the tour below.
THE FINAL LAP TOUR 2023 – NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES:
Fri Jul 21 – Salt Lake City, UT – Maverik Center
Sun Jul 23 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
Tue Jul 25 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – STL
Thu Jul 27 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
Fri Jul 28 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
Sat Jul 29 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
Mon Jul 31 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
Wed Aug 02 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
Thu Aug 03 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
Sat Aug 05 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater
Sun Aug 06 – Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center
Tue Aug 08 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
Wed Aug 09 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
Fri Aug 11 – Hartford, CT – XFINITY Theatre
Sat Aug 12 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
Sun Aug 13 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
Tue Aug 15 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Wed Aug 16 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
Thu Aug 17 – Atlanta, GA – Lakewood Amphitheatre
Sat Aug 19 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sun Aug 20 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
Tue Aug 22 – Tuscaloosa, AL – Tuscaloosa Amphitheater
Thu Aug 24 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
Fri Aug 25 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion
Sun Aug 27 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
Tue Aug 29 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
Wed Aug 30 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
Thu Aug 31 – Chula Vista, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sat Sep 02 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
Mon Sep 04 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center
Wed Sep 06 – Ridgefield, WA – RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater
Thu Sep 07 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
Fri Sep 08 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
Sun Sep 10 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome
Mon Sep 11 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place
Wed Sep 13 – Winnipeg, MB – Canada Life Centre
Fri Sep 15 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
Sat Sep 16 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Sun Sep 17 – Detroit, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
THE FINAL LAP TOUR 2023 – EUROPEAN TOUR DATES:
Thu Sep 28 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome
Fri Sep 29 – Hamburg, Germany – Barclays Arena
Sat Sep 30 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena
Wed Oct 4 – Oslo, Norway – Spektrum*
Thu Oct 5 – Trondheim, Norway – Spektrum*
Sat Oct 07 – Stockholm, Sweden – Avicii Arena
Mon Oct 09 – Riga, Latvia – Arena Riga*
Wed Oct 11 – Lodz Poland – Atlas Arena
Sat Oct 14 – Berlin, Germany – Mercedes-Benz Arena
Sun Oct 15 – Oberhausen, Germany – Rudolf-Weber-Arena
Fri Oct 20 – Zurich, Switzerland – Hallenstadion
Sat Oct 21 – Nice, France – Palais Nikaia
Sun Oct 22 – Milan, Italy – Mediolanum Forum
Tue Oct 24 – Munich, Germany – Olympiahalle
Wed Oct 25 – Mannheim, Germany – SAP Arena
Thu Oct 26 – Brussels, Belgium – Forest National
Sat Oct 28 – Prague, Czech Republic – O2 Arena
Tue Oct 31 – Strasbourg, France – Zenith
Thu Nov 02 – Nantes, France – Zenith
Fri Nov 03 – Paris, France – La Defense Arena
Mon Nov 06 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena
Thu Nov 09 – Glasgow, Scotland – OVO Hydro
Fri Nov 10 – Manchester, England – AO Arena
Sat Nov 11 – London, England – The O2
Sun Nov 12 – Birmingham, England – Resorts World Arena
*NOT A LIVE NATION DATE
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While Charlamagne is now focused on spreading positivity, his former self was on a different type of time. He recently confirmed that he and Busta Rhymes almost got into it years ago.
As spotted on Complex, DJ Envy and Charlamagne Tha God paid a visit to the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast. The duo discussed a variety of topics regarding their rise to fame as one of the premier Hip-Hop morning shows in the country. Gillie and Wallo eventually asked about some of their past run-ins with rappers, and Charlamagne confirmed the long standing rumors that he and Busta Rhymes almost got into it.
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“Who ran down on me? Busta. Yeah, Busta ran down on me,” he opened. “I was being disrespectful. But you know what it was, though, I’ll say this. I wanted to win so bad when we got The Breakfast Club, anybody could get it.” He went on to admit that he was in the wrong and purposely was calling out the rap legend over his freestyle with DMX over “Otis,” which was originally recorded by The Throne.
“It was that freezer sh*t, man. I used to put rappers in a freezer back in the day. I put Busta in the freezer ’cause Busta had did a freestyle over the ‘Otis’ beat,” he explained. “And the crazy sh*t is, the sh*t is actually hard, but I was just being an a**hole. So it was Busta Rhymes and DMX — God bless the dead — on the ‘Otis’ beat, but I gave him ‘Donkey of the Day’ for no reason. It really was for no reason.”
The Moncks Corner, South Carolina native went on to detail their exchange, which almost went left. “Busta said, ‘You know me?! I said, ‘Yeah, I know you. You a dude who used to be hot but your sh*t wack now.’ Busta said, ‘You better stop this tough guy sh*t before I f*** you up in here!’ I’m drunk as sh*t, I’m like, ‘I’m a f*** you up.’ I said, ‘We gonna fight in this muthaf***er or something.’ Then Busta’s people came, my people came, and they just broke us up.”
You can view the interview with DJ Envy and Charlamagne Tha God below.
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