Busta Rhymes Chats Working With YMCMB Artists & Upcoming Song Featuring Drake

Rolling Stone recently caught up with Busta Rhymes at Premier Studios in Midtown to chat about the YMCMB crew, working with artists on the label, an upcoming Drake collaboration, and more.

Busta says that he is inspired by the talent of watching artists like Lil Wayne, Drizzy, Shanell, Mystikal, and Nicki Minaj work. He also confirmed which artists on the record label he has worked with, and announced that he has a J. Dilla produced-song which will appear on his upcoming project featuring Drizzy Drake!

Hit the jump to read the Rolling Stone interview with Busta Rhymes.

You joined Lil Wayne’s YMCMB family in 2011. What has YMCMB done for you, and what could they do better?
Number one, I’m inspired by the Weezy and the Drake talent. Part of the reason I’ve been able to do this for so long is because of the excitement you continue to feel since day one, other motherfuckers being dope. Like, you feel you could be just as dope or better. You aspire to do that; you use these guys as inspiration. And it’s all respect! Respectable competition. I’m a fan first. When I see Drake, when I see Wayne work, Shanell – she hasn’t put out an album yet, but I’ve watched her work – I’m a super-fan of that. Mystikal, I’m happy they signed him! [Pause] I even think Nicki’s incredibly brilliant. Beyond that, I love what they represent as a movement, and I love the camaraderie that we’ve had. Me and Bird and Wayne, Slim, have always rocked with each other for the past 12 to 15 years! I just think the respect organically built throughout the years has been consistent. That alone has done a lot for me, at this stage of my career. I’ve done stuff with people I didn’t really have that great relationship with, and gotten amazing results. Now, to rock with motherfuckers that you really cool with? Can you imagine the results that be coming from some shit like that?

There are currently 30 members of Young Money. You’ve worked with a bunch: Lil Wayne, DJ Khaled, Lil Twist, Bow Wow, Jay Sean, Ace Hood, Tyga, PJ Morton, Gudda Gudda…
Shanell, you could add her to the list. Fred Durst, you could add him to the list, we’ve got some shit together. Mystikal, we did about three records together. The whole fucking client roster! [Laughs] Tyga, too.

And yet, we’ve never heard you do anything with Drake – why is that?
Um… and you haven’t heard anything with me and Nicki. “Roman’s Revenge (Remix),” that was something I did on my own. It wasn’t like an official remix, so technically, we haven’t gone in to do a record neither. So, Drake and Nicki, we haven’t gone in, no.

Is that something that’s potentially in the works, or… ?
Yeah, of course. It usually happens when the times are right or when the idea is right.

Have they approached you before and it just didn’t work out?
No. We’ve talked before. I’ve had several conversations about doing records with Drake, we’ve actually been in the studio trying to fuck around. Same with Nicki. It just… when we start an idea, sometimes you get distracted. The stars just hasn’t aligned yet for that to actually happen. I think also, schedule. They’ve been shaking consistently for the last two, three years, putting out an album a year. They’ve been touring, ripping and running. And then when they’re down, she’s busy taping this American Idol shit and all of that; Drake is working on a new album. It’s just hectic, hectic schedules. You can definitely look forward to something eventually coming together, us collaborating. I have something that’s actually halfway done with Drake on a J. Dilla beat. It’s incredible.

And that’s for your project?
Yeah. So hopefully we get to finish this the right way so we can share it.