Busta Rhymes on 20 Years of Guarding J Dilla's Music | #Bilfpod with Busta Rhymes

BILFPOD

Busta Rhymes reflects on his enduring legacy in hip hop and shares the deeply personal story of honoring J Dilla's music by refusing to sell

Key takeaways

Busta Rhymes chose not to sell J Dilla's beats out of respect for their friendship and artistic integrity.
He emphasizes that principles like right and wrong are timeless and should guide decisions regardless of opportunity.

Main topics

J Dilla's legacy and musical guardianship
Artistic integrity vs. financial gain

Notable quotes

"You can't just wake up one day and be like, you're going to do the wrong thing because that's what you feel like doing when you know that principally it's not correct."

Conclusion

Busta Rhymes reaffirms his commitment to authenticity, legacy, and cre

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:00) I was a knucklehead and I was loud and I was stubborn. You can still get through this wall. You ain't gotta run through it though. You could climb over that shit. You could go around it. You could dig a hole under it. When I got to about 10 songs, 11 songs, I was like, I'm loving everything so much that I just couldn't stop. So I just ended up making about 40 records. Do your Speaker 2 (0:32) kids think that you're super? Are they like, dad, you're so cool? Or are they just like, uh, all right, dad. Speaker 1 (0:38) I have not figured out what the next thing is yet for me to do. I still haven't found the thing that I love to do like this yet. Who Speaker 2 (0:45) is one artist that you haven't worked with that you would love to work with? Welcome back to the BILF pod where authenticity trumps authority. Here on the BILF pod, we love to highlight women in the boardroom, icons, legends. rappers, hip hop artists, and I am so excited today. I mean, I think you can feel my energy because I am fangirling over here. Mr. Busta Rhymes, welcome to the BILF pod. Woo! Speaker 1 (1:10) Thank you for having me. I'm Speaker 2 (1:12) truly Speaker 1 (1:12) honored to be here with you today. And let's make this a spectacular. Speaker 1 (1:20) Gathering it, conversation and vibe. Let's do it. Speaker 2 (1:23) I mean, I'm already feeling the vibe over here. I was trying to like do the fast, you know, like the fast rap like you do it, but I'm not that good. So I'm not even going to try. But you're going to have to. You got to give me an oldies. You got to bring me, you got to take it back. You have to. You got to do it for me at some point. But I do have a question for you. Do you know what BILF means? Do you know what it, any chance? Speaker 1 (1:42) No. Speaker 2 (1:43) You have no idea what BILF means? What do you think it means? Speaker 1 (1:46) I don't think it means anything. I just got to be told what it means. Speaker 2 (1:49) It means boss I like to follow. You're a boss. You are a boss, like a real boss, a legendary boss, still relevant. I mean, you know, let's just start there real quick. You know, you've had an iconic. you just had an iconic journey, you know, and to still be relevant. I grew up, right? I grew up in the 80s and 90s. I grew up on hip hop. I know the culture real well. I followed your whole journey and to still be relevant today. I mean, how does that make you feel that even my daughter, like when I was like, we're going to go see Busta Rhymes, his album release, but we're going to go there. We're going to see. She knew exactly who you are, knew the songs, pulled up the Janet Jackson song. She knew exactly who you were. And that says a lot that you're still hitting home to even this generation. Speaker 1 (2:33) Now, it's a blessing because ultimately the goal is to share your gift. And at the end of the day, no matter what the time frame is, that's the most rewarding part. It's like. You know, we do what we love and as long as we love it, we do it. So if we love it and we do it and it's still being received in an amazing way, that's the most incredible part of the gift and the reward for the gift that you align yourself with and just, you know, you in tune with this thing that's happening. Once you identify with it and you can share it and people are still willing to embrace it with grace, that shit is an amazing feeling. So it's like. You can't put a price tag on how people choose to appreciate the things that they choose to appreciate because they could also choose to not mess with whatever you're doing at all. So you can't pay for the love. You know what I'm saying? So that's an incredible reward, rewarding feeling. Speaker 1 (3:40) You know, I just love the fact that you can't put a timeline on greatness neither. You know, something that's great, it doesn't have an expiration date. Greatness doesn't have an expiration date. So I Speaker 2 (3:52) love the fact Speaker 1 (3:53) that, you know, I was able to hone in on this craft well enough to be able to still be great enough for people to still love it. Speaker 2 (4:00) I mean, you are great. It says a lot. I mean, 35 years, that's a long time. How many one-hit wonders are there? There's tons of them. And you're still relevant today, which I think is so, I mean, I think that's amazing in itself that people still know your music. People know who you are. They're not like Busta Hill. They know exactly who you are and what you represent. But I will ask you this, especially someone that is in, you know, season. I don't like to say I'm older, but, you know, season. What's the, what do you think the biggest difference between Busta now versus 1990s Busta? Speaker 1 (4:35) The growth and evolution. Yeah, for sure. That's the obvious difference. You just kind of learn. how to evolve and you evolve with the things that you learn in the evolution process and you just get smart enough to know that to bump your head when that shit swell up a couple of times from the pain of hitting your head the wrong way and and you know we obviously try to make sure that we don't repeat the mistakes and we continue to learn from the things that we still got to experience because obviously no matter what age you at the growth never stops the learning experience never stops and the evolution never stops So I just, in a lot of ways, I'm just really, really understanding and appreciative of prioritizing. Speaker 1 (5:32) Now, the things that are a lot more important to your peace of mind and your happiness and your well-being, as opposed to when you was younger, because, you know, we was reckless as hell when we was younger. So it's like it's just a great space to be in once you finally figure that out. Speaker 2 (5:48) Isn't that funny how things work? Like, you know, in your in your night, in your early 20s, you know, you're going, you're going, you're going. Everything is important. And then finally, as you get seasoned, not older. you know, you start to really, you start to be more intentional with who you are, what you're doing, and just taking everything that you've learned. I never say mistakes, more lessons, right? You take that and you're able to finally, as you become more developed and more self-assured, you kind of know who you are. But I want to talk about this because I read your story. I know your story. I followed your music for many, many years. And, you know, I was literally thinking about this last night about your character. You know, I meet a lot of people and character says a lot about who you are ultimately, right? And at the end of the day, we have to be okay with who we are. And I have to say that reading your story with J Dilla, I actually have a few of my own like serious questions I want to ask you, but your character is impeccable. I mean, J Dilla, I know was your friend, but you could have easily sold all of those. You could have sold all of those beats. You could have made a lot more money, right? You could have, but. For me, like just reading that story, your friendship and your dedication to him and his family just speaks leaps and bounds about who you are and your character. So I want to point that out. And with all the pressure and every, you know, just everything that's going on, how were you able to like separate that, that no, I'm going to go ahead and recognize him and commemorate him the way that I want without letting, you know, everything else kind of interfere? Speaker 1 (7:21) Well, just for the record, I can't just sell his music because it's his music. And... You know, he gave me the music to use for me, not to sell to people. You know what I'm saying? So that was never in my mind as a possibility to sell his music. Speaker 2 (7:41) Which says a lot about your character. Speaker 1 (7:43) I mean, it's not just my character. It's right or wrong. Like, there's just certain principles that we live by. You know what right is. You know what wrong is. It's not about just my character. I think that these principles... They existed before me. It's almost like saying you wake up one day and you want the sun to rotate around the planet. That's an impossibility because that's not a law of man. That's a principle. It's never going to be the right way that the solar system works in context of how the planets in the sun work. So you can't just wake up one day and be like. you're going to do the wrong thing because that's what you feel like doing when you know that principally it's not correct. And principles, when you understand right and wrong, they've existed since the beginning of time. I just understand with the fortunate upbringing that I have with my beautiful family that you don't deviate from right or wrong. You know, you might have... Your perspective and your opinion on things and we can agree to disagree, but there's certain things where our opinion don't matter It's just gonna always be this is the right way to do things. This is the wrong way to do things and I'm grateful that I was raised to understand those values. So You know when it came to his music I never would do anything with his music without the blessing of his mom or now the blessing of the entire family Now that you know, we got to deal with the infrastructure of the estate in the heirs of the estate And that's his mother his two beautiful daughters and his brother so super big up to the Yancey family and super big up to my dukes and Ella Jay and Jamiah and time on a which is his two daughters and It's gonna always be that way because Speaker 1 (9:46) It's the right way to be. Yeah. Speaker 2 (9:48) I mean, you said it. I think you said it beautifully. The way that you put it into words really. Look, a lot of people, you make it seem like everybody just knows right from wrong. And the truth is a lot of people don't know right from wrong. And the way that you held that standard and the way that you really just held what was right and wrong principle before everything, a lot of people don't do that. A lot of people don't do that. A lot of people don't do that. A lot of people don't do that. anybody else so like I just love how nonchalant you were like what do you mean like that's the right thing to do but you'd be surprised I mean you know you've been around people don't care about right or wrong a lot of people are doing things for fame and fortune so I commend you for that I think the story is incredible where was the I want to Speaker 1 (10:31) I want to say this though right queen yeah Speaker 2 (10:33) to Speaker 1 (10:33) elaborate on what you're saying the the greatest responsibility Speaker 1 (10:42) And gift is free will and choice, right? Speaker 2 (10:46) Absolutely. Speaker 1 (10:48) And that's cool, you know, that people can do what they want. But what's really the thing that people got to understand that comes with doing what you want is the invoice that comes with your choice. You know what I'm saying? Every choice that you make, there's some sort of... Speaker 1 (11:12) Price to pay for that choice. So if you want to do what you want go ahead But just be willing to deal with what comes with it. You know what I'm saying? So so so so I just wanted to to make sure that we didn't neglect to acknowledge that part too because you know I hear you and what you're saying as far as People don't a lot of people act like they don't know you know right from wrong and and and sometimes more than not unfortunately, you know, they think that They might be able to get away with something as if everything hasn't already been done under the sun. You know what I mean? So ain't nobody getting away with shit at the end of the day. If you act like you want to do some shit that is against what the right thing is and you know what the right thing is and still choose to do the wrong shit, the accountability will be just as real for it. So that's all. You Speaker 2 (12:01) can tell you have kids for sure. I tell my kids. Speaker 2 (12:05) You can tell me too. This is the same thing. This is the same conversation I had with my son the other day. I'm like, for every action, everything you do, there is a consequence. I'm like, this is what happens in school. I'm like, you see your actions now, this is how you go to jail. So that's, it was just funny. But yes, absolutely. What, for this album, what really inspired this? Where did it come from? Were you just sitting at home one day and you're like, all right, I'm just going to do, you know, write an, like, where did it come from? And you have some really incredible artists on there as well. Speaker 1 (12:33) Thank you. I'm super grateful for the phone call that I received from Ma Dukes, which is Dilla's mom. And last November 2025, you know, she was, I think, planning some curations for Dilla's, Jay Dilla's 20-year anniversary of his passing, which is currently this year. So, you know, me and her was speaking and... She just mentioned to me that, you know, she would like for me to participate in this 20-year anniversary celebration of his life. And I was just finishing another album, actually, at the time. I was probably at like the 95 % mark of completion. And, you know, I got off the phone with her and was just starting to try to figure out what could I do to make my contribution to the celebration of Dilla's life significant and special. Speaker 1 (13:38) I like to celebrate Dilla through his music because he's like one of my favorite producers ever to exist. So it's like being fortunate enough to have this treasure chest of music that he left with me. I had some songs that I was working on because I always work on Dilla's music to include him on all of my projects. And that's been the thing that I've been doing for the last 20 years of his transition. Speaker 1 (14:13) We actually started working together 30 years ago in 96 on my first solo album. So I always try to include him on all of my projects. And, um... That's just because I'm a fan of his music. When I listen to his music, it inspires me to try shit and do shit that I don't normally do or feel inspired to do to other producers' work because they don't make music in the way that he did and they don't produce music in the way that he did. And it's almost like he's a boutique, a standalone boutique where you gotta go to his boutique to get. that particular product right so in the process of just trying to figure out what i was going to do i was going through some songs that i had started and didn't finish songs that i had finished songs that i i didn't know for sure if what project i was going to put them on and Speaker 1 (15:17) I was thinking about choosing between which one of them songs that I was going to use to celebrate him. But I just felt like as I was listening to this music, it needed to be more than a song because I always give a song to an album. So there wouldn't be nothing too different from what I've been doing. to celebrate them by just putting out a new song. And then I started to, I was a little torn because all of these ideas that I had and completed songs and half done songs, I was in love with all of them. I just was waiting for the right time to figure out which one I was going to use for what project. And then I was like, you know what, fuck it. Let me just put all of this on one project. But I still wasn't. I still did not decide on whether or not I was doing an album. I didn't know if I was going to do an EP. I didn't know if I was just going to put out a couple of songs. But... Speaker 1 (16:09) As I was pressing play for folks that was coming through to the studio, and obviously I only respect the ears of, the opinions of the ears that I respect, like people that I know that really understands and appreciates music beyond the cliche shit or the mainstream shit or, you know. So as I'm pressing play for folks that would come through at different times and... The room would be filled with different groups of people that I would respect the opinion of. They, like, you would see this, the general consensus was that everything I was pressing play, majority of the time was like, oh shit reactions. Like, yo, this shit is crazy. Or that's, all this shit is crazy. Like, that's what I was constantly hearing. So that shit was putting a battery in my back to just keep going. And then when I got to about 10 songs, 11 songs, I was like, I'm loving everything so much that I just couldn't stop. So I just ended up making about 40 records.