About this episodeBusta Rhymes discusses the release of his album 'Diligence 2,' highlighting a strategic Tuesday drop to avoid …AI summary
Busta Rhymes discusses the release of his album 'Diligence 2,' highlighting a strategic Tuesday drop to avoid industry noise and a deep collaboration with the J Dilla estate, including a last-minute beat swap for the track 'Run Them Down.' He emphasizes the importance of legacy, financial literacy for his children, and the value of maintaining creative control through his own label while leveraging distribution partners like Empire.
Key takeaways 6
Release Strategy: Busta Rhymes chose to release 'Diligence 2' on a Tuesday (an 'off-cycle' day) rather than the industry-standard Friday to ensure the project receives standalone attention and isn't lost in the weekly flood of new releases.
J Dilla Estate Collaboration: The album features nearly 300 beats from J Dilla's archive. The collaboration required intense logistical coordination, including bringing Ma Dukes, Ila Jay, and Dilla's daughters to New York for the listening session to secure their blessing and involvement.
Crisis Management in Production: A sample clearance issue for the track 'Run Them Down' occurred just Sunday night before the Tuesday release. Producer Kareem 'Riggs' Riggins stepped in to create a replacement beat, allowing the song to be saved and released on time.
Financial Literacy & Estate Planning: Busta Rhymes stresses the importance of financial literacy and estate planning, citing his own father's experience with probate and trust issues. He advises artists to proactively manage their assets and intellectual property rather than leaving it to chance.
Creative Sanctuary: The recording studio is described as a 'sanctuary' where Busta Rhymes finds peace and freedom from business politics, noting he has an 11-year backlog of unreleased music from between 2009 and 2020.
Intergenerational Music Discovery: Busta Rhymes learns about new artists like Cash Cobain and Zetti Wills through his children, using them as a filter for contemporary trends while maintaining respect for their artistic merit.
Notable quotes 4AI-generated: wording and quote attribution may be wrong. Use the play link to verify.
“I don't want to just put out music when everybody else is putting out music. I need my [ __ ] [ __ ] to be off to being passed. Yeah. queen.”
▶ 1:23Explaining the strategic decision to release the album on a Tuesday to stand out from the industry norm.
“The fulfillment that I get from making music is some [ __ ] that I can't even explain. It's like... that's probably the closest thing to absolute freedom that you experience.”
▶ 40:53Describing the studio as a sanctuary free from business disagreements and lies.
“I ain't leaving [ __ ] for you [ __ ] Think this [ __ ] gonna get evaporated. All this hard work... Somebody here got to figure out this financial [ __ ] right? There needs to be that financial literacy...”
▶ 29:59Advice given to his children about managing wealth and avoiding probate issues after his father's passing.
“It's like I want to make sure that I acknowledge everybody's contribution because there's been such a incredible group of people that helped make this magic happen.”
▶ 24:00Highlighting the collaborative nature of the album, crediting producers like Kareem Riggins, Black Milk, Kev Brown, and The Count.
Chapters & Sections (28)▼
0:03Album Release Strategy and J Dilla Estate Collaborationchapter3
2:29J Dilla Estate Collaboration and Beat Scramble
4:01Studio Crisis and J Dilla Estate Collaboration
5:31Celebrating 35 Year Music Anniversaries
7:10Brooklyn Summer Events and Music Industry Legacychapter2
9:52Legacy and TikTok in Music
11:18Longevity and Creative Independence
13:07Collaborating with Kids and Discovering New Musicchapter2
14:45Learning New Artists From Kids
16:23Appreciating D'Angelo and Youth Music Culture
17:46Album Collaborations and Production Detailschapter2
19:38Artist Reactions to Album Collaborations
21:06Album Production and Producer Collaborations
22:44Album Production Credits and Live Performance Energychapter1
26:04St. Thomas Carnival Performance Experience
27:57Financial Literacy and Estate Planningchapter3
29:59Financial Literacy and Estate Planning
31:34Overcoming Discomfort in Estate Planning
33:19Digital Legacy and Password Management
36:28Dilla Tribute and Music Passionchapter3
38:53Intrinsic Love for Music Creation
40:38Intrinsic Fulfillment of Music Creation
42:03Music Studio as Sanctuary and Freedom
43:42Album Delay Reasons and Label Supportchapter2
45:05Need for Label Support and Smart Spending
47:48Diligence 2 Visuals and Team Shoutouts
49:36Dillagence 2 Album and Biopic Developmentchapter1
51:17Biopic Challenges and Storytelling Perspectives
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