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George Floyd protests

Photo: Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images

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George Floyd's Musical & Community Legacy houston-rappers-talk-george-floyds-musical-community-legacy

Houston Rappers Talk George Floyd's Musical & Community Legacy

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Floyd was known as Big Floyd in Houston's legendary Screwed Up Click, the crew of rappers who threw down bars for DJ Screw's game-changing "Screw Tape" mixtapes
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jun 3, 2020 - 5:33 pm

The world has been shook by the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers. In the wake of his death, which followed the racist killings of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbrey, protesters around the country, as well as beyond our borders in London and around the world, have stood up against racial injustice experienced by Black people. Before Floyd's life was taken all too soon, he was a man loved by the countless people he lifted up in his hometown of Houston, the city he called home until he moved to Minneapolis in 2014 to better his life.

In Houston he was known as Big Floyd, the name he rapped under as part of the legendary Screwed Up Click, the crew of rappers who threw down bars for DJ Screw's game-changing "Screw Tape" mixtapes in the late-'90s. As a Fader article dated May 29 highlighted, Big Floyd's rap royalty was cemented in the minds of many Texans and fans of the screw tapes. Since his killing, fans have been sharing tracks featuring his bars, including "So Tired Of Ballin" (hear him hop on around the 14-minute mark) and "Sittin On Top Of The World," the latter from DJ Screw's 1996 mixtape Chapter 324 Dusk 2 Dawn.

The Music Industry Calls For "Black Out Tuesday" In Response To The Death Of George Floyd

A recent Rolling Stone feature underscores the impact he had in rap and his local community, through conversations with fellow Houston rappers Trae tha Truth, Cal Wayne, Paul Wall and Bun B. Wayne, who grew up with Floyd, even living with his family for three years, echoes the heartbreak the four artists feel with losing the generous light Floyd always shined out. "I ain't gon' lie it's devastating. I idolized him," he told the outlet. "[George] had no aggression to him. He wouldn't hurt nobody."

DJ Screw, a Houston hero himself, invented the chopped and screwed style of hip-hop in the '90s, a remix or sampling style where a record is slowed down with groovy, trippy results. He died in 2000 at just 29, but left behind a rich musical legacy of mixtapes, along with the Screwed Up Click, its wider Houston rapper affiliates like duo UGK, which Bun B was a part of, and the larger rap community his innovative sound inspired.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CA-eL08Armc

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A post shared by Bun B (@bunb)

"It automatically ties him to a legendary legacy," Bun B says of Floyd's work with the Screwed Up Click. "By having that level of proximity to DJ Screw, you are automatically afforded a certain status in the city of Houston, and held in high regard."

Wall was part of Houston's Swishahouse crew, which also included Mike Jones, Chamillionaire and Slim Thug, the next wave chopped and screwed squad that saw a wider commercial success than the Screwed Up Click was able to with Screw's untimely death. He expounds on Floyd's legend status:

"[Floyd] would rap on tapes, but you would also hear other rappers say his name on tapes," Wall tells Rolling Stone. "For the people that would come, it would be people from everyday walks of life. His mixtape [Chapter 007:] Ballin’ In Da Mall, that's one of the ones where there's like legend behind the mixtape. He supposedly worked at Foot Locker, him and some other people. It was one of their birthdays. I think it was Big Floyd's birthday and they come, 'what you want to do for your birthday?' 'I want to do a Screw tape.'"

For years, Trae, who was part of the Screwed Up Click, organized community events in Houston with his partner Tiffany Cofield, and Floyd was always there to help. "George would actually drive [Tiffany]," Trae said "[He] would be there helping me hands-on. When I would come help the projects I would give them supplies, food, different stuff. He'd always be out there."

"He believed in people to a point it seemed he believed in people more than he even believed in himself," he added. Following a shooting that happened at one of his community events, Trae explains Floyd was one of the few people that stuck with him. "I was banned from radio worldwide. It will make 11 years this year. At a point, a lot of people left," he explained. "He randomly on his own went to protesting himself and doing videos saying everything that Trae do for the community; y'all trying to stop him and it's not right. He always spoke up for what's right, even when young dudes in the neighborhood may be doing some stuff that ain't cool. When there was a lot of killing going on throughout our city, he would always speak up, like, 'This ain't the way.'"

Trae, Bun and Wayne, along with Floyd's family, helped organized a march for justice in Houston yesterday, June 2, on behalf of the slain community hero. A few hours after the protest, Wayne shared his gratitude for the world taking notice and joining the fight for justice.

"That's the best part of it," Wayne said. "He shook the world. Big Floyd is really Big Floyd now. He's a martyr now."

https://www.instagram.com/p/CA9k5-oFa1n

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A post shared by Cal Wayne (@cal_wayne)

Today, June 3, saw a positive update in the fight for justice for Floyd: Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced all four former (they were all fired after the horrific video emerged) police officers will now be charged in the killing. Derek Chauvin, the officer who knelt on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, was initially the only person charged. His charge has been updated from third degree murder to second degree and the other three police officers have been arrested and charged with aiding and abetting.

You can support Floyd's family here and read the full feature article on Rolling Stone here.

Minnesota Artist Dua Saleh Demands Justice With Powerful "Body Cast"

Dua Saleh

Dua Saleh

Photo: Grant Spanier

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Dua Saleh & Psymun Talk 'ROSETTA' dua-saleh-psymun-talk-minneapolis-community-building-rosetta-music-social-change

Dua Saleh & Psymun Talk Minneapolis Community Building, 'ROSETTA' & Music For Social Change

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The Sudan-born, Twin Cities-based artist released their second EP, 'ROSETTA,' executive produced by Psymun, on June 12
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jun 25, 2020 - 10:58 am

Meet Dua Saleh. They are a non-binary artist born in Sudan and based in Minneapolis, creating haunting alt-pop from another dimension. Their second EP, ROSETTA, whose name was inspired by rock and roll pioneer Sister Rosetta Tharpe, just came out on June 12 on indie label Against Giants. On the expansive six-track project Dua explores facets of their identity, using the power of their vocals with an effortless fluidity, enhanced by beats from producer Psymun.

In response to the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, Saleh released "body cast" on May 31, a powerful song condemning police brutality, created with Psymun in 2019, originally set for a future project. They donated 100% of proceeds to Women for Political Change, a local nonprofit actively investing "in the leadership and political power of young women and trans and non-binary folks." 

dua saleh · ROSETTA

We recently caught up with Saleh and Psymun (born Simon Christensen), calling in from Minneapolis over Zoom to learn more about ROSETTA, the current situation in Minneapolis, supporting Black and Queer artists, and more.

Psymun

Psymun | Photo: Zoe Pizarro​

I want to start by checking in and see how you're feeling right now, and how you've been coping with these difficult times.

Saleh: I'm feeling pretty anxious. Anxiety and fear have been the streamline that's been running through my system. But I've also been feeling activated and feeling ready to put in as many resources and as much love and care into my community as possible, because everybody's dealing with a lot, both from the uprising and from the COVID-19 shut down and financial ruin. And just a lot of personal things that are happening to people within the Black trans community, and just across all communities that I've been attached to personally.

Christensen: I've been also pretty anxious, but overall fine. I haven't really been making music much; it's just hard to focus, I guess. Have you been feeling that, Dua?

Saleh: Yeah. I feel like I've also been sick for a long time and, even now, I'm anxious about interviews that I'm doing. So I haven't been able to even focus on music because my voice is not capable of even talking for long periods of time. I don't know if that's because that anxiety is also adding to that, but I think that's just been on my mind.

I felt like I was having a lot of the same symptoms that were COVID-related for a lot of people. A lot of chest pains, I couldn't breathe during times. I had to intake a lot of vitamin C, otherwise, I would literally be gasping for air and my heart would be palpitating immensely. Also, my voice hurt for a long time. I couldn't speak for like two weeks, legitimately.

Christensen: Did you get tested?

Saleh: Yeah, I tested negative, but I didn't get my antibodies tested, which I should check that out.

Christensen: I think the antibody test is expensive. I got tested [for COVID-19] and it came back negative. I'm getting tested again today because it's free, just to make sure.

Coping For The Best: How To Manage Mental Health During Social Unrest & A Global Pandemic

I want to get your pulse on how things are feeling right now in Minnesota. How would you describe the current situation we're in here in the U.S., through the lens of the activism and uprising in Minneapolis?

Christensen: Well, the feeling of it, it's a lot. It's really beautiful for a lot of reasons, but it's also really, really tense for a lot of reasons. Currently, things haven't stopped. There's still plenty of protesting, but from what I've noticed, rioting and stuff has slowed down. I think people can literally only handle so much. And also I think it came to a point where a lot of people [and] protesters were afraid for their lives.

It's not like things have stopped and I don't think they're going to. I hope not. But there is a weird part that feels like things have almost gone back to normal in the city. I think the media doesn't cover a lot of what's still going on, so it's hard. It does feel like things are back to normal in a way, but they're not actually.

Saleh: I feel like for me, I've been seeing a lot of community care infrastructure being put in place by community members, like mutual aid efforts and sanctuaries. People have been signing up to be security and medics at the sanctuaries and offering food and medical supplies for people, tents for displacement and homelessness. And people being there for GoFundMe efforts for people who have been harmed or their businesses and their homes have been completely destroyed by non-local agitators, as well as some local agitators.

I've just been seeing a lot of community efforts of love and care. And I feel like that energy is what makes people feel like things are going back to normal, because it's not really about the urgency of immediate fear of death and pain because there aren't weapons with live ammunition being pointed in the faces of people, but they are still afraid of being harmed by police officers.

One of the sanctuaries that was set in place by community members had to move a few times because police officers were called and they literally displaced all these people. So in my mind, I feel like the urgency is still there, just the narrative around it has shifted and people aren't as interested or intrigued by talking about sanctuaries or mutual aid because it's not as tantalizing as, I guess in a pornographic way, as protests and as tear gas grenades and other things that are thrown at people. It's more about institutional violence and ways to help people who are in urgent need in that way.

https://twitter.com/doitlikedua/status/1273748584316325889

Help this mutual aid fund for a microgrant going to BIPOC ppl

($3.5K per package)

Venmo: thepeopleslibrary

they asked for us to use #doitlikedua in the notes to distinguish funds. more on IG

@thepeopleslibrary pic.twitter.com/NEbr1s0QDk

— dua saleh (@doitlikedua) June 18, 2020

It's so inspiring to see the outpouring of support for different orgs, like the Minnesota Freedom Fund that got so many donations they asked people to choose other local institutions to help. It just shows how, like you said, people have to bring the attention in all the right places, because I think many people want to help and offer what they can.

Saleh: Definitely. And there are a lot of different organizations and arts-based orgs that are doing healing programming for people to try to figure things out that way and also need immediate funding. Like Mercado Colegio, who are working with Latinx community members, or Free Black Dirt is helping with healing efforts and food redistribution, and also Women for Political Change, which me and Psymun are donating all of our proceeds from "body cast" to directly. They've been doing a lot of immediate on-the-ground work with medics, medical aid and security. As well as with redistributing funds to Black youth, specifically Black women and Black trans and non-binary people who are in immediate need, especially after all the events that occurred with the uprising and with COVID-19. People are very vulnerable and need support, so organizations like those are very helpful.

I would love to talk a bit more about "body cast." At what point did you feel called to release the song early?

Saleh: Psymun, do you remember—I feel like I've just been talking out my ass for most of these interviews, because I don't really remember how the songwriting process started. I know I had some random lyrics written down in my Notes app and I think you sent me some chords or something and the title of it was called body cast, and that spiraled me into something. Or were we in the studio?

Christensen: I was in L.A. when I sent it to you. It was when I sent you that grip of ideas and that one actually wasn't just chords, that was like one of the two that I sent with drums. It was called body cast, I just named it something random.

One thing I really like about working with Dua is, a lot of the time, whenever I send them anything, it's just named something random and they typically write a song based off of what I titled it. Which is really funny, because most people don't do that.

Saleh: I don't know. I get lazy with titles. So I'm like, yes. Also, it's really good inspiration. I appreciate your titles. Actually, "windhymn" which is on the EP, was called yah originally. I miss that name, to be honest.

Christensen: [Laughs.] Also, "bankrupt" was called bankrupt when I sent it to you and then same with "cat scratch." [For "body cast"] I remember you sent me two videos; you specifically wanted a sample of Black women telling off cops. You sent me, the one we sampled, was from Angela Whitehead. You also sent the Sandra Bland one, which I think, I don't know if it was just me, so I'm not trying to speak for you, but I remember feeling like, man, this is really sad.

Saleh: Yeah. Triggering, probably. I'm glad that you chose the other one. I think the first one I sent was the Angela Whitehead one, because I think in myself, I was like maybe the Sandra Bland one is intense. I've been very cognizant of the way that auto-played videos of Black people in distress have been triggering Black people who follow me on social media. So I haven't re-posted any of those videos.

I think back then, I wasn't thinking about that. It was a year ago. And I didn't even think that we were going to release the song now, I thought it was going to be in a future project. But I definitely now, upon reflection, appreciate the fact that the Angela Whitehead video was chosen, because that video is such an energizing and activating video because people see it as reasserting their right to be aggressive and loud and to live in the comfort of her home without fear of invasion.

Read: Rapper Niko Brim And Activist Opal Lee On The Importance Of Juneteenth: "It Represents Freedom"

And once you released "body cast," what did it feel like to share that message, standing up to police brutality, at this time? It is really powerful and I saw it get covered in quite a few places.

Saleh: I feel like people resonated with it. I've been getting a lot of DMs and messages and just a lot of articles being published about it from GRAMMYs, Hypebeast, Rolling Stone, other publications that I was not expecting and didn't solicit. They just either posted on their own or they reached out to us directly.

It's been invigorating specifically because we've been trying to build narrative about giving back to community through the song. Seeing Minnesota Women for Political Change being tagged on different articles and seeing people being linked to their work and having people accredit them for the very essential movement-building that they've been doing, that has been very fulfilling for me personally.

And in what other ways have you been advocating for justice and engaging with everything right now?

Saleh: Well, I've been helping with a Twitter page that's specific to Minneapolis, just re-posting different things that I've been talking about. So, mutual aid efforts, GoFundMes for people who have been displaced, people's medical transition needs, people's immediate donation needs at sites and sanctuaries. And that's been the way that I've been trying to help navigate this, especially because I've been careful about organizing spaces, considering my personal triggers. With previously being in organizing, I have some concerns about safety for myself and younger Black people, Black youth and Black trans people, and how they're not always held by larger orgs in the ways that they need to be held. So, I've been trying to navigate space in that way, and also trying to help with arts initiatives and healing initiatives.

I also got trained to be a medic, but I still haven't utilized it because I was so sick for so long, and I didn't get my COVID-19 test back until near the end of the uprising pretty much. So I was only out there once and I didn't need to do anything or apply anything to anybody medically. But yeah, those are the small ways that I've been contributing.

Explore: Beyoncé Celebrates Juneteenth With "BLACK PARADE" & Epic Black-Owned Businesses Directory

It sounds like a lot.

Saleh: Psymun's been doing a lot. Mutual aid efforts, I think. Right?

Christensen: I have a car, which is helpful too for a lot of people right now, so I've been helping with transportation. North Minneapolis got hit really bad when there was those weird specific few days of attacks from white supremacist groups and stuff. So I've been letting a couple stay at my studio in Northeast Minneapolis because they were being terrorized where they live. I guess I've doing a lot of food and medicine supplies delivery. I was at some of the protests.  

I'm not trying to sound like I've done a ton or anything because I haven't done as much as I could, I'm sure. I guess my point is that having a car has been a way for me to be helpful because transportation is huge and being able to deliver stuff to people is really huge.

Read More: Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Isaac Hayes, John Prine & More To Be Honored With 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award

Saleh: I think it might encourage other people to do it or to help people who need emergency safety stuff like that couple does. Everything's so heightened and everybody's tensions and personal entrenched violence has been lifted to the top, everything's lifting up, so I think community being there for each other and being able to have spaces for people to be safe are vital. To have spaces and resources for people to sit and rest or to get rides, all of those are very essential and seeing one person do it will motivate another person to do it.

Christensen: Yeah, I feel that. And yeah, that's a huge part of, when you were talking earlier Dua, about how it almost feels like things have gone back to normal but are still so different. Because I feel like the community has come together in so many different places that it really never existed before and among different people. It's definitely interesting and great to see the community almost just running things and it feels like people aren't relying on authority. Especially law enforcement, obviously, but any higher ups—it feels like less people are relying on or trusting those systems and we are looking to each other more now because of the uprising. And I imagine it's like that elsewhere, not just here in Minneapolis.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBV5XRZHta_

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A post shared by DUA SALEH (@doitlikedua)

I want to make sure that we talk about ROSETTA. Dua, how did it feel to release your second project out into the world? And I'm also curious of what inspiration Sister Rosetta Tharpe had with it, based on the title.

Saleh: It feels—I don't know. I feel like there's a huge amalgamation of feelings that I'm experiencing just because I released it at such a sensitive time. Usually there's time for everybody who works on the project—I guess I've only released two EPs now—but usually there's time for us to talk about it, celebrate together. Because of the urgency of the times COVID-19 safety measures, there have only been group chat celebrations. I haven't seen Psymun in a long time and I haven't seen Alec [Ness], who mixed and mastered the project, in a long time.

It's felt odd, but it feels good to have it out now because I feel like people needed a reminder to re-center, and a reminder to sit with art and to let that flow through their body. Especially with all of the death and turmoil that's surrounding us, with George Floyd's murder specifically in Minneapolis, but also the many other murders of people, like Tony McDade, and Riah Milton and Dominique Fells, who were two trans women murdered within their communities.

Read: The Curious Career Of The Legendary Sister Rosetta Tharpe

But there's just been so much death and turmoil that I think people needed a source of healing. Sister Rosetta Tharpe is a huge source of healing for me personally—the person that music historians' credit as the inventor of rock and roll is a Black queer woman. Finding her music was a huge source of my personal healing in my journey towards lifting the burdens of life off of my own shoulders. And I wanted to use the narrative of her legacy to entrench into this project.

It happened naturally though. I wasn't thinking about Sister Rosetta Tharpe when I made all of this music, but obviously all music that is rock inspired or that's indie-inspired has a root. And for us, I think the root is Sister Rosetta Tharpe and rock and the origins of rock and roll music.

 

I agree that music and art, and this project specifically, is definitely something that is needed right now. The whole EP has a lot of interesting sonic elements, so I'd love to look at the different elements of "smut," which I was really drawn to, and you sing in Arabic on it.

Saleh: The song was produced by Psymun and Sir Dylan. I wrote the song acapella and then they put production over it, and then we added Velvet Negroni's vocals on it and Psymun manipulated that. The song was primarily written in English, about sexual escapades, primarily about my ex, but there's a portion of the song inspired by the Sudani Revolution that happened. I use the term Kundaka, which was inspired by Kandake which means queen in Nubian text, but I queered it to mean gender nonspecific royalty.

The song is one of my favorite songs off the project as well. Psymun, you can talk about the sonic elements of the production, if you want to.

Christensen: Yeah, that song, me and Dylan, I remember we were making a lot of the percussion out of crazy noise samples that we both had. It was really fun. I remember Jeremy, Velvet Negroni, came back to record his part another day and his throat was all f**ked up. But he was so in love with the song that he still pushed through for it.

How can the music community at large better support Black and queer artists?

Dua: The best way to support Black and queer artists is by offering them direct financial support and listening to their concerns. I've curated a Spotify playlist called DO IT LIKE DUA featuring mostly Black trans and queer artists [the playlist includes Mykki Blanco, Noname, booboo, Kehlani, Frank Ocean and others]. Please listen to these talented artists and donate directly via Spotify's COVID-19 Relief fund on their profiles or find them on Bandcamp. 

Also, consider following them on social media. The artists I've highlighted are very knowledgeable about ways to give back to the community. In addition, they all have very humorous, engaging and critical content! Please show them love.

https://twitter.com/doitlikedua/status/1272645610559045632

streaming black trans artists on spotify today mykki blanco, miehky, @MileyWoo, @eastbayvicious, etc so much talent 🤯💕

more black & bipoc lgbtqia+ artists: https://t.co/ky59sshHGG

celebrate them and consider donating to black trans women here:https://t.co/a57ofFPPNW

— dua saleh (@doitlikedua) June 15, 2020

How Black Trans Artists Are Fighting To Achieve Racial Justice & Amplify Queer Voices

Megan Thee Stallion

Megan Thee Stallion

Photo: Andrew Lipovsky/NBC/Getty Images

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Megan Thee Stallion's "Savage" Major Lazer Remix listen-megan-thee-stallion-taps-major-lazer-clubby-savage-remix

Listen: Megan Thee Stallion Taps Major Lazer For Clubby "Savage" Remix

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The rap queen follows the Beyoncé-assisted "Savage" remix with a new version backed by a dancefloor-ready beat
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
May 7, 2020 - 1:09 pm

Houston rap queen Megan Thee Stallion just dropped a second "Savage" remix, featuring a club-ready backbeat by dancehall DJ trio Major Lazer. It follows the epic Beyoncé-assisted remix, benefiting their hometown's Bread Of Life disaster relief org, released on April 29. Currently at No. 4 on the Hot 100, the original version is her highest charting song to date. Can the new version bring the temperature even higher?

https://twitter.com/TIDAL/status/1258222860134428685

🚨🔥 @theestallion "Savage" Remix feat. @MAJORLAZER is out right now on TIDAL.

▶️: https://t.co/fukpC1e7mc pic.twitter.com/TgnbE3hgmb

— TIDAL (@TIDAL) May 7, 2020

Beyoncé & Megan Thee Stallion's "Savage Remix" To Benefit Houston COVID-19 Relief

Major Lazer, consisting of Diplo, Walshy Fire and Ape Drums, are known for fusing dancehall, reaggaeton and other dembow beats in club cuts that get the party going, like 2019's "Que Calor" with J Balvin and El Alfa, 2015's "Lean On" with MØ and DJ Snake and 2009 breakout bop "Pon De Floor." On their "Savage" remix, they bring a pulsing backbeat to support Stallion's fierce bars, bringing her hot girl energy straight to our living room dancefloors around the globe—and most certainly to real clubs in the future.

"Savage" is the latest single from SUGA, her EP that dropped on March 6—her follow-up to the 2019 mixtape Fever. Megan's debut studio album is still in the works, due to a dispute with her label. In the meantime, she's turning "Savage" into the gift that keeps on giving with remixes and TikTok dance challenges.

Poll: From "Savage" To "03' Bonnie & Clyde," What's Your Favorite Beyoncé Feature?

Today, May 7, she uploaded a compilation video to her YouTube channel of her favorite fan TikToks from the Beyoncé remix (watch below). Both the Houston-double-trouble version and the original are TikTok dance hits and have helped the latter rise on the Billboard charts.

"Savage" is currently No. 3 on Billboard's Hot Rap Songs chart and No. 4 on the Hot 100, making it her highest charting song to date, even over her summer 2019 hit "Hot Girl Summer," which hit No. 5 and No. 11, respectively.

Haiti's Michael Brun Talks Debut LP 'LOKAL,' Friendship With J Balvin & Diplo & His Legacy As Global Artist

Busta Rhymes

Busta Rhymes

Photo: Flo Ngala

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Busta Rhymes On 'Extinction Level Event 2', Growth busta-rhymes-being-beautiful-space-bringing-together-generations-hip-hop-artists

Busta Rhymes On Being In A "Beautiful Space" & Bringing Together Generations Of Hip-Hop Artists On 'Extinction Level Event 2'

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With 'Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God,' Rhymes' first album in 11 years, the world has finally begun to process what his music has been telling us all along
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Dec 8, 2020 - 4:11 pm

There is really no comparing legendary New York rapper Busta Rhymes. With his dizzying flow, mind-blowing lyrics and commanding voice, he's been shaking up hip-hop culture since 1991 when he stole the show on A Tribe Called Quest's iconic posse cut "Scenario."

With Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God, his ninth solo studio album out now, the global consciousness has finally begun to process what his music has been telling us all along: The system is broken and disaster is imminent. While 2020 has brought overwhelming death and suffering worldwide, it has also come with much needed reevaluation of the way things are. Similarly, the 22-track opus (the Deluxe Edition delivers 30 tracks!) is a hard-hitting cinematic firestorm of destruction; a reflection of our chaotic reality, but not without moments of vulnerability, love and celebration. Rhymes not only showcases his seemingly unlimited creative and vocal power, but that of other greats, including Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, and Rick Ross .

The album comes 11 years after 2009's Back On My B.S. partly because it took the rapper a "a long time to figure out the right support system to nurture and nourish the life and the success" of it. Eventually, he found a home for the album at San Francisco's EMPIRE records. But time does not faze Rhymes at all. "You can't put a timeline on greatness," he told GRAMMY.com. 

A few weeks after its critically acclaimed release in October, we caught up with the bad ass New Yorker himself to learn more about the creative process and the long journey behind it as well as the collaborators and the spooky album art. We also asked about his legacy and what he sees as the biggest difference between now and 1998 when he released Extinction Level Event: The Final World Front. Spoiler alert: not a lot has changed.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

You unleashed Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God on October 30. What has the response of fans and critics so far felt like for you?

 Can you tell me what you've been hearing?

I've heard good stuff, that it's hard. For me, it's crazy that it's your first album in 11 years. It feels like you haven't missed a minute, you're just right back in.

Thank you so much. I've been hearing the words classic and masterpiece. For the first time, it's resonating so abundantly in such a short period of time, in just two weeks. This is the third week now and it's just an incredible feeling to hear this as the general consensus. There is just no way to really describe how incredible it is. So, I am floating on all of the plane of energy right now.

This year is crazy and the themes of the album—destruction, plague, chaos—feel very real. I'm really curious about the timeline of the album and what was going through your mind as you were working on it. I'm also wondering what was the spark that first got you back in the studio.

I never left the studio, that's the thing. This has been a narrative of mine since my solo career began, which is why my albums have been called The Coming, When Disaster Strikes, Extinction Level Event: The Final World Front (E.L.E.), Anarchy, Genesis and It Ain't Safe No More. This is just another chapter to the same book of E.L.E., so to speak. I went into this album with the intention of it being an Extinction Level Event 2, but I didn't confirm that probably until about four and a half to five years into the recording of the album once I knew I had the pieces that substantiated and warranted it being called that. I'd never done a sequel album in my entire career.

It was going to be the Extinction Level Event 2 way before COVID-19. I bought the album artwork two and a half to three years prior to the COVID shutdown. I include all 10 pieces of art in the album packaging of the CD booklet, and same with the vinyl. I met the young lady, an artist by the name of Chanelle Rose, through Swizz Beatz and the No Commission movement, which is pro-artists—the mantra is "for the artists by the artist." Swizz curated this initiative and always would introduce me to different incredible artists. When he introduced me to Chanelle Rose's work, it was about four years ago. I fell in love with what I was seeing from her immediately, and I bought the 10-piece collection from her. It took her a year to make it; one piece takes two months because she draws it with a ballpoint pen. It's just incredible what she does, I couldn't believe it.



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When I saw these big skeleton figures with these masks on them, obviously, at the time when I purchased the art collection in it, there was no COVID issue. It was speaking to me in a whole 'nother way about what the corrupt politicians should truly look like when you strip the flesh off of them. They're all in masks, and they all have these agendas that have never really benefitted my people. The insensitive evil and wickedness that plays a significant role to the oppression of my people and a lot of other people. That has been the ongoing narrative since the beginning of time, since the United States was born. The masks always deceived the sh*t they're doing to everybody else, that they're protecting themselves from. That's metaphorically what the pictures said to me.

I thought that those were the perfect images for Extinction Level Event 2 and then the irony of it is COVID happened and now everybody's being [told] to wear masks. That felt prophetic. That reassured me all the more to why I needed to really dive into bringing the album home as we were going into the second phase of the recording process. 

Read: "Loops Of Funk Over Hardcore Beats": 30 Years Of A Tribe Called Quest's Debut, 'People's Instinctive Travels And The Paths Of Rhythm'

That's really such a journey. When did you first start working on the songs for this, and when did you wrap up?

I started in 2009, and I wrapped up sometime in August 2020.

How do you feel like you shifted during the process of making this project?

I think for the first time in this career of mine, I've gotten to a place of comfort where I've been able to feel good enough about sharing things on a personal level and in a vulnerable way that I've never had prior to this album. It took years for me to get to that place and once you find that it's a very fulfilling thing to be able to share. You help remind people that they're not alone in these realities that a lot of us are never and will never be exempt from going through. It also reminds people that it's okay to talk about it. I think a lot of the times, especially as Black men, we don't get the opportunity to really be allowed to share when we're hurting or when we are afraid or when we are in need of help.

I think even more so now than ever, with everything that everybody is going through, we need to make a conscious effort to show people it's okay to say, "I need somebody to help what I'm going through right now." Or "I just need some support. I'm a little insecure about something. I just need someone to listen." I wanted to share a lot of that. I think that comes with maturity, with growth, with being a man, and understanding what it is to be a man as opposed to thinking you're one. A lot of times people think they're grown men and they still have a lot of learning left to do before they can actually walk in that space. They tell you that you were a man legally when you're 18. That's such a lie. 

I'm just in a really beautiful space, still a work in progress. I think we never completely figure it out. While we're learning as we go along, we still also got to be great listeners and that's where I'm at in my life. I'm always willing to learn, and to teach and share, and that's what I'm trying to give through this music and through this album, Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God. We need to have a good balance of informative content, and we also still need to remember what it is to laugh, live, love and learn and have some fun. We need to recharge because being in the battlefield dealing with this crazy sh*t every day, we need to go back home relaxed and refueled so we can get back in to it with the energy and strength that we need to continue to fight the good fight.

Related: Mortal Man: Author Marcus J. Moore Talks 5 Years Of Kendrick Lamar's 'TPAB' & His Forthcoming Book, 'The Butterfly Effect'

On the album, you brought in some of the younger rap and R&B greats, like Kendrick Lamar, Rapsody and Anderson .Paak. What was it like working with them and was it an intentional mentorship sort of decision?

I definitely didn't do it because I was mentoring any of them. I did it because I'm a huge fan of all three of them. They would give me sh*t that I felt like I was hugely inspired by. They're such incredible talents. I mean, when Rapsody and I did ["Best I Can"] together [about a troubled relationship between a father and a mother], she gave me the song with the track and the verse all ready. She created the whole creative direction, which was genius because I'm the one with the kids and she doesn't have any. It was just beautiful to see her look at things from a perspective of being on the outside looking in, but being so close to the situation in real life. That she can actually illustrate a perspective about this reality, that is one that has never been illustrated in this way on a record—since the beginning of hip-hop's birth and conceiving, we always hear about how the fathers are deadbeats.

I grew up without my father, but you never hear about how a woman is apologetic for all of the vindictive things she did to a man that's trying to actually be a damn good father. Through all of the humiliation and disrespect, he actually still sticks it out and makes sure that nothing comes between him and his child. That's important and needs to be heard and it's a reality that a lot of fathers needed to hear and a lot of women needed to hear. It creates a dialogue that I think is needed.

Kendrick Lamar is my favorite MC in the world. Anderson .Paak is one of the most brilliant minds that I've ever met as an MC and as a R&B artist, as a performing artist. All three of them are like super powers to me. I wasn't trying to mentor them because they are so great. If there would be any mentoring that would be needed, it would have to come from them. 

And to have an opportunity to work with them and with my alumni of artists and artists that are elder statesmen to me, like Bell Biv Devoe and Rakim. I wanted to show the world that I got three incredible generations of our culture on one body of work. Look how incredible and amazing we all can sound together, as long as we continue to bridge these gaps. That's what I was trying to do, show the world that we are the timeless greats. You can't put a timeline on greatness.

"You can't put a timeline on greatness."

That's real. What do you see as the biggest differences between 1998 when you dropped Extinction Level Event: The Final World Front and now?

The biggest difference between then and now, to me, is technology. A lot of the sh*t I was talking about then and a lot of the issues that we faced as a people then, none of that has changed now. We're still in the same horrible crisis of a situation as far as Black and brown people are concerned. I think the difference, in a way, now is that it is a little more directly affecting white people in a negative way. Because of this COVID thing and the narrative of it and the shutting down of the entire planet, it has now compromised the comfort level of every nationality and race. 

Unfortunately, the reality is a lot of things that were the same then have probably even gotten worse now. We didn't have social media in 1998. [Now, on social media] you can watch Black people getting killed every two to three days and there's no accountability. The worst part about it is that we didn't have these phones where we could watch this person getting killed on film, on repeat, from an uncensored Instagram post. We only saw it on the news. The kids are seeing this around the clock. It's an unbelievably unfortunate crisis as a result of technology and the systematic f***ery that has been implemented by design, by the powers that be. So again, this never changed, this is what it's been since the beginning. It's just magnified with how it's being put in our faces and how it is completely shifting the conscious and the subconscious thought processes. It has given birth to generations of valueless perspectives on life, as the generations are born into seeing this sh*t as a normalized thing. It's horribly unfortunate.



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What do you hope your legacy will be?

That's a good question because I got so much left to do. [Laughs.] I don't know, because I have huge plans to do so many things outside of music that will contribute in a major way to the legacy I would love to leave. But as far as music is concerned, I want my legacy to be that I am held in a godly regard when it comes to being an artist; A significant contributor to the culture and a true MC and a profound climate shifter of the culture. And one of the best to ever do this sh*t. If I left out anything, I'll let you fill in the blanks. [Laughs.]

Pull Up On The Best Rap Song Nominees | 2021 GRAMMYs

Megan Thee Stallion at Rolling Loud L.A. 2019

Megan Thee Stallion at Rolling Loud L.A. 2019

Photo: Scott Dudelson/Getty Images

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Rolling Loud Virtual Festivals Coming To Twitch rolling-loud-announces-virtual-festivals-weekly-content-new-twitch-channel

Rolling Loud Announces Virtual Festivals & Weekly Content On New Twitch Channel

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The massive hip-hop event launched their brand-new Twitch channel today, Sept. 1, where they will be airing three virtual fests
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Sep 1, 2020 - 1:59 pm

Today, Sept. 1, Rolling Loud, "the Woodstock of Hip-Hop," launches their brand-new Twitch channel, where they will stream three virtual festivals, the first of which will take place on Sept. 12-13. The channel will also feature weekly rap-centric original programming, including "The Leak," previewing new music from hip-hop's rising stars, and "Got Bars?," a six-month freestyle competition.

https://twitter.com/RollingLoud/status/1300618618821111808

Our #LOUDSTREAM next weekend is free.99. We're all going to Rolling Loud now 🔥🔥🔥

— Rolling Loud (@RollingLoud) September 1, 2020

Check out our WATCH LIST: Free Online Livestream Concerts To Catch During Coronavirus Quarantine

The live virtual concerts, dubbed Loud Stream, will bring the massive fest's high-production value and stacked lineups directly to your living room—for free! "Complete with state-of-the-art production and the star-studded lineups that Rolling Loud is known to bring, each digital festival will present over five hours of live performances each day of the event," the press release explains.

The lineup for the first Loud Stream will be announced closer to Sep. 12, and the dates for the following two events will be announced later.

"At Rolling Loud, our core business lies in exchanging energy with fans. The artist puts out the energy, the fans give it right back to the artist—it's a complete power exchange. That's what a concert, and more specifically Rolling Loud, is. We trap energy and the trap is boomin'. When we planned to bring Rolling Loud to the virtual experience, we needed to find a partner that could help create that energy exchange and understand the core DNA of Rolling Loud. It only made sense to partner with Twitch—a service that thrives off of live engagement with fans and champions a diverse collection of creators," Tariq Cherif, Co-Founder/Co-CEO of Rolling Loud, said in the release.

"Streaming on Twitch transports viewers into a live concert atmosphere and creates an experience for artists to interact with fans in ways only possible on Twitch," Will Farrell-Green, Head of Music Content at Twitch, added. "As in-person concerts are put on hold, we're working to create an incredible backstage environment that fans can access from anywhere in the world."

https://twitter.com/RollingLoud/status/1300513626542026754

Make sure you tap in with us on Twitch every week. We'll have special guests, new music previews, Rolling Loud giveaways, competitions, all that 🔥https://t.co/znkUb2RqIR pic.twitter.com/ifY7m89a1S

— Rolling Loud (@RollingLoud) August 31, 2020

The 2019 Rolling Loud festivals, held in Los Angeles, Oakland, Calif., New York and Miami, featured Future, Migos, Travis Scott, Kid Cudi, YG, Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat and many more powerhouse rappers across their lineups.

At the time of this writing, the 2021 in-person events are currently slated for Feb. 12-14 in Miami and July 6-8 in Portimão, Portugal, both of which were rescheduled from 2020 due to COVID-19.The Florida fest will be headlined by A$AP Rocky, Scott and Post Malone, while the debut European one will be led by Rocky, Future and Wiz Khalifa.

Poll: From "WAP" To "Big Booty," What's Your Favorite Megan Thee Stallion Feature?

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