Busta Rhymes Says Phife Dawg "Got What He Needed Off His Chest" In Last Tribe Album

Photo Credit: Matt J Carbone

In a new interview, Busta Rhymes speaks on working with A Tribe Called Quest on the group's last album as well as the importance of older rappers reaching out and working with younger ones.

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The rapid-fire rapper, who recently appeared on a remix to Anderson .Paak's "Bubblin," said to The Daily Beast that he doesn't have any complaints about trap music and is a fan of it, but would like to see a healthier bond between the old and new generation of rappers.

"I come from a time where it was extremely important to garner the respect of the elder statesmen," he said. "...That bridged the gap between the new and the elder statesmen. A lot of muhfuckas running around complaining, talking shit about what these new dudes is doin', but the question really is what is you older dudes doing to help the new dudes? Outside of popping and shit and being mad at them all the time for what they not doing that you feel they need to do?"

"It's like you fuck around and could miss the opportunity to maybe cultivate the birth of the next Biggie or the next Pac when it wasn't no money involved," Rhymes added. "Don't miss that opportunity because you just about the bag. I think it's all about how you conduct yourself and show these young dudes that you're willing to embrace them with grace. It's a mutual thing though."

The rapper also discusses the last Tribe album and how he felt that the late Phife Dawg "got what he needed off his chest" on the project before his death.

"[The Tribe album] was bittersweet because our brother Phife wasn't able to be there with us," he said. "But Phife also made it his business to not leave us...He held out eighteen years to get his shit off before he went home. So I'm super grateful for that closure in his life."

Rhymes also spoke on why certain rappers are respected over others, making a comparison between Kendrick Lamar and Drake.

"Kendrick ain't got no records in the club — he taking all the Grammys home," the rapper said. "You might hear Future in the club. You might hear Drake in the club. But Kendrick took all the Grammys home. Chance the Rapper taking all the Grammys home. Childish Gambino. At the end of the day, people respect substance."

Read the rest of the interview here.

Source: The Daily Beast