Busta Rhymes has been called many things. “Prophet of Doom” might be the most accurate.
In the mid-to-late 1990s, rap began to reflect a growing emphasis on materialism and prioritizing status. Then comes Busta. He rapped about being “Survival Hungry” and titled his third album: Extinction Level Event: The Final World Front. The juxtaposition was glaring. Justifiably, it set him apart from his peers.
Fast forward a few years to 2002, around the time he dropped his sixth album, It Ain’t Safe No More… Busta sat down for a conversation with music journalist Angus Batey for Hip-Hop Connection. During their chat, Busta opened up about his sense of candor and honesty. “Truth is undisputed, s*** gonna manifest anyway,” he said.
Busta Rhymes prided himself on being honest in his music
“Whether it’s now, or it’s in another couple of months or a couple of years, it’s gonna happen,” he continued. “And certain things that I think are gonna happen ain’t gonna be good.”
Batey noted that this is why Busta has been thought of as “the prophet of doom for quite a long time.” In response, Busta laughed and explained why he thinks he earned the reputation. “Well, I ain’t ever been afraid to say it. For one, the truth is the truth. You’re only gonna be respected for dealing with the truth at the end of the day,” Busta said.
“You have to be somewhat careful about what you’re saying, though,” he added, “because sometimes the word has an effectiveness greater than everything. And sometimes you might not even be able to deal with the repercussions of statements that are made.”
In November 2001, just two months after the 9/11 attacks, Busta Rhymes released his fifth album, Genesis
The rapper then reflected on making music in the immediate post-9/11 era. “Me personally, I know that this has got to be one of the most sensitive times that I’ve ever lived to bear witness, in terms of what you can say,” Busta confessed. “It’s not about being scared, it’s about being careful.”
“Being careful of what you say, saying what you need to say in the right forum at the right time,” the rap legend continued. “And you leak information strategically and appropriately, based on what you know needs to be leaked, and based on what you know needs to be brought to the awareness of the broader scale.”
“That’s gonna happen regardless, because those forums are gonna always be provided for you to do so,” Busta went on to say. “When you got lives that are affected by this forum, particularly, you gotta just make sure that it’s not getting f***ed up so those lives aren’t getting f***ed up in the process.
Finally, he added, “Because you can’t think selfishly, you’ve got to think responsibly. And that’s what I’m dealing with.”