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Busta Rhymes Reflects On Losing High School Rap Battle To Jay-Z

While plenty of rappers have challenged to go head-to-head on Verzuz, Busta Rhymes can rightfully brag that he went bar-for-bar against the GOAT during a lunchtime battle. The story’s been told countless times but still, it’s a moment of reflection on how far the two have come from battling in the lunchroom in high school to carving a path to bring hip-hop to the place it is today.

Bussa Buss joined the crew at 85 South Show where he dove into a lot of history from hip-hop’s roots in dancehall to the art of fast rapping that he, Tech N9ne, and plenty of others mastered. Jay’s early records showcase that flow more often than we’ll ever hear now.

“At the time, I never heard no rappers do it. No MCs wasn’t doin’ it. I have to say the only people that was fucking with it on some rap shit was the originators. And the originators was the crew that Hov was down with after Jaz-O. After they did the ‘Hawaiian Sophie’ joint… Hov was on that shit really early,” Busta said. “I don’t think he was actually one of the originators. They just all fucked with each other just being [from] Brooklyn.”

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. . @bustarhymes chops it up wit @karlousm @dcyoungfly & @chicobean about fast rap, battlin #JayZ, #tech9 and not gettin bodied on a song!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥 Go to YouTube Rt NOW to Watch!! Or Listen on iTunes or SoundCloud!! #85Southshow #TheColdestPodcast #thispodcastisfor #issamovement @85percenters
A post shared by The 85 South Show (@85southshow) on Oct 17, 2020 at 12:35pm PDT

From there, Busta got into his high school history with Jay-Z and Biggie. Busta recounted that he was still trying to find his flow at that time while Jay had the chopper flow in the bag. Then, they battled.

“Ultimately, Hov got the best of the battle in that moment. I was just starting to figure out how to master my fascination with the speed rap. He was already on it,” Busta explained. “He was doin’ it at an incredible level of skillset. And was displayin’ that shit like — water spillin’ all over the place. Just takin’ shape and form whatever way he felt like it ’cause he had been on his shit with it,” he continued.

“Me, at that point, with my competitive ass. You know, I always wanted to have my rematch, you know what I’m sayin’? It didn’t happen which was fine because I ended up getting my skillset developed to the point where I don’t think nobody want to fuck with a n***a now,” Busta said.

Busta Rhymes has been ramping up his efforts in anticipation of his forthcoming album, Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of Godwhich was announced with some help from Chris Rock.

Check out the full interview with Busta Rhymes below.

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Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 makes a stand for afrobeat against corruption on latest release Na Dem feat. Tom Morello.

Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 deliver a powerful afrobeat statement with “Na Dem,” Featuring Tom Morello and produced by Femi Koleoso. The track has been a fan favourite even before its official release, and comes with the unmistakable spirit of protest, truth-telling, and social accountability that have long characterized Afrobeat’s most impactful moments.

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The inclusion of Tom Morello adds another level of intensity to the record. His presence adds to the song’s rebellious energy, creating a powerful intersection between the rhythmic activism of Afrobeat and the confrontational edge of rock. The result of the collaboration is a track that is both timeless and of the moment.

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Deaf Radio returning to a place that feels familiar but has changed on “No Place Like Home”

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It’s a complex emotional journey that runs just under eight minutes in “No Place Like Home.” Its structure does not allow for repetition, each section uncovering another layer of feeling. The song begins with a hushed looping arpeggio and the striking line “your tough mother’s love”, immediately setting a deeply personal tone. From there, it spills out into spare, humane verses before exploding into ninety seconds of crushing guitars and feedback that feel like grief breaking through emotional constraint.

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