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2/13/2006 NOTE: THIS INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED BEFORE THE TRAGIC DEATH OF ISRAEL RAMIREZ, BUSTA RHYMES' BODYGUARD. What's up Busta? Everything is good. How do you feel about the way "The Big Bang" came out? I'm real pleased with the way it came out. The shit is crazy. What did you want to give people with the album? New, refreshing, thorough, substantial, quality Hip Hop music. Do you feel like the time off has helped you? Patience is definitely one of my greatest weapons with this album. I was real patient and took my time. You're under high scrutiny with Dr. Dre overseeing the situation. I definitely think taking some time off and kicking back has allowed me to make the best Hip Hop album people have heard in the last couple of years. Was it a long process recording this album? It doesn't take us long to record songs. It depends on the concept of the record and how much is going into the record. For the most part, I recorded so many records for this album because I had so much time to work and be creative that I think the time that it took to make the album, even though it was about three years, it went by quick. How did you decide what made the album and what wouldn't? The obvious decision-making process was to see what songs would survive the test of time. There are songs that I made three years ago and songs that I made now that I had to choose from. Some songs that I loved survived the cut, and a lot that I made back then didn't. It's really about what songs feel the most powerful. When we listen to everything, we do a scaling-down process every couple of months. You have to keep the hottest 20 songs, and we might change that up. We try to keep it at 20 because I don't think I'll put more than 15 songs on the record. The process of scaling-down lets you see what songs have that uncompromising, dominant, powerful effect that will set a new standard in terms of quality of music. How involved was Dr. Dre in this process? He definitely was involved throughout the whole process in a major way. He let me do me because he respects my creative point of view on things. That's why, after all of these years, we decided to come together. He has his legacy and I have mine. We respect each other's legacy and we respect each other's work. We came together to not compromise each other's work, but to add to it. Dre let me do my thing, but he was part of the decision-making process on every song. When I felt a song was done, he would listen to it and give me his input. When we got towards the end of the album, Dre came to the table and lent his contributions production-wise, lyrically, and sonically with the way he hears things. He'd have me go spit verses over and different lines. We would try a few different things to make you feel that you have the latest, greatest Busta Rhymes shit. Dr. Dre definitely lent his genius to the album in every way, from production to spitting on a record with me, and he mixed the album. The quality of the sound is crazy because when Dre mixes an album, it's has a crystal-clear, bass-heavy bang to it. The phrase "The Big Bang" relates to the beginning of time. Do you see this as being a new beginning for you? Oh yeah, absolutely. Everything is new. New money, new cars, new cribs, new record label, new people to promote my shit. It's a whole new transformation and rebirth. It feels so fucking great to be in a position like this. Everything feels like all of the dots are connected and I couldn't be more excited with how things are going with this project. You've always been able to keep your name out there on remixes and features, but you've been quiet on those lately. How come? I wanted to be quiet when I was working on my album. I only did the Pussycat Dolls' song and the Ying Yang Twins' "Whisper" remix. I do the remixes when it's time so that people can have choices in how they want to hear me, and I have to constantly remind motherfuckers how hot I am. You have to slap motherfuckers around a little bit that you're one of the best that ever did it and continues to do it. How important is versatility? It's majorly important to me. I can never be boxed into one particular area. I rep the game the way I feel it should be repped. That's the most important thing. I'm not going to do shit that sounds like what everybody else is doing. Then you're bunched up with everyone else and they can't tell you apart. It's always been a beneficial factor for me and I've always used it to my advantage. Being versatile and freaking many different styles makes it more difficult for the motherfuckers trying to compete to keep up with you. I have fun with that shit. Will we see you doing more reggae joints soon? Oh yeah. I have joints with Elephant Man sitting in the stash box and I got a joint with Sizzla in the street right now. We just want everything to hit the streets at the right time. How did you get down with Raekwon for his "Only Built for Cuban Linx 2"? I am a major fan of him and Wu-Tang. I'm a major supporter of the whole Wu-Tang movement. Rae and I have a great friendship and it was a collaboration of the minds coming together and helping each other establish what quality Hip Hop is. New York has to represent in a certain way. We have to change the way it's being represented. I'm trying to lead by example. I hope that if people think I'm doing something right, they would come to the table. Motherfuckers are usually so much on their own dick that nobody's trying to help each other get it popping. Raekwon doesn't need my help to get it popping. His skills are so fucking sharp. Look at what he has in the streets sizzling right now. Raekwon is my peoples and everyone in the Wu-Tang is my peoples. It was good to be able to rep with him. It's good to collaborate with another artist. I'm supporting his project from the sideline. I'm making myself accessible to what he needs because I'm such a fan. We're working together to create a masterpiece. What's up with Flipmode today? They're still with me, but we have different members. If I'm going to be new in every aspect that I'm moving, then Flipmode has to step up and be new as well. We have Chauncey Black from Blackstreet, and we have a new artist, Labba, from Brooklyn. We still have Spliff Star and Rah Digga. M.Dollaz is in the clique too, but he's doing some time right now. He'll be home before the end of the year. Look forward to hearing everyone on a new Flipmode project. How have the ladies reacted to your new haircut? I've been getting a great response from everybody. Motherfuckers are finally getting to see the kid. The hair was always a trademark of Busta Rhymes, but right now, I'm trying to give the world me in my rawest form. I need people to really get a clear and thorough understanding of who Busta Rhymes is as a man and an artist, and as a major contributor to the game. Do you have any plans to grow the dreads back? I'm enjoying this. I'm going to keep this for a while. We know you're a big car guy, what's your favorite car right now? I would have to say the Phantom. How would you compare "The Big Bang" to your other albums? I don't compare it because it's not like anything I've released in the past. It supersedes everything that I've ever released. What do you want to say to everyone out there? "The Big Bang" is an album that is going to give you a substantial and thorough representation of what quality Hip Hop is supposed to sound and feel like. You're going to get a clear understanding of what made Busta Rhymes the person you've come to know and love. I've gotten real personal on this project to let people connect with me. For the record, I have Stevie Wonder on the album, the late, great Rick James on the album, the late, great ODB on the album, the late, great Notorious B.I.G., Raekwon, Q-Tip, Eminem, and Dr. Dre. Production is from Dr. Dre, Timbaland, The Neptunes, Mr. Porter, Jay Dee, Green Lantern, Swizz Beats, and Just Blaze. It's a real serious project. Ain't nobody fucking with "The Big Bang." When I drop this shit, I'm going to bang the streets real big. Be real clear on what it is. Busta Rhymes is going to reestablish who's the throne-holder of this rap shit.

By Brian Kayser

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