A resurfaced video of rapper Busta Rhymes criticizing mask mandates and COVID-19 safety protocols has social media ready to get the rapper all in check.
Over the weekend, Busta performed at the annual Summer Jam concert hosted by the Hot 97 radio station, but it was a performance from nearly three months ago that has the “Dangerous” emcee trending this week.
In a 2-minute and 19-second clip that has since made its way around social media, Busta is heard going on a rant during a brief intermission of his performance as the surprise headline at the Seoul Taco’s 10th-anniversary block party in Missouri.
“This is my second show in front of human life in the last 15 f-cking months,” the New York native said to hundreds of people cheering in the crowd. “COVID can suck a d–k. All these little weird-ass government policies and mandates, suck a d–k.”
Then, similar to the ideology shared by others anti-maskers, Busta implied government involvement in the deadly pandemic that has already claimed 630,000 lives in the U.S. alone.
“Stop trying to take our civil liberties away,” the rapper shouted. Zeroing in on the mask mandates, “It’s called the god-given right of freedom, right? No human beings supposed to tell you, you can’t even breathe freely. F-ck your mask. Some of y’all might feel differently but f-ck your mask. I can’t rhyme to you with a mask on. You can’t eat food with a f-cking mask on. We can’t even see each other smile with a mask on.”
As of late, only ten states or territories, including the District of Columbia, Louisiana, and Puerto Rico, all have some sort of mask mandate for their residents regardless of vaccination status. In addition, California, Connecticut, Illinois, and New York have rules in place for unvaccinated individuals, while 42 remain without mask mandates.
The “Touch It” rapper later claimed that the mask stifles people’s “energy,” including his vibrations used to flirt with women. “All of that energy gets blocked when our mask is on, and energy is important,” he argued. “We are all conductors of f–king good energy.”
His remarks garnered him stark criticism from people on social media, including political commentator Joy-Ann Reid who, “as an O.G. @BustaRhymes fan,” called the incident “disappointing.” She continued, “Black Americans are dying disproportionately from COVID. And they’re being bombarded with disinformation on social media and from influencers who are NOT DOCTORS OR SCIENTISTS. Below are the right questions. #getvaxxed #maskup.”
Another Twitter user commented, “I refuse to watch that Busta Rhymes anti mask/Vax video. Just knowing that he said that dumb sh-t in front of a crowd of people is enough to shake my head. I’m not surprised tho.” They added, “It’s actually what I’d expect from him on the issue. Doesn’t make it any less disappointing tho.”
“Busta Rhymes is dumb AF for this,” wrote Philadelphia Magazine editor Ernest Owens wrote. “The reason why you’re ‘back outside’ is because people like me are wearing masks and getting vaccinated to help bring these numbers down compared to last year. Had we followed your advice from the jump, more people would be dead.”
“Taking Busta Rhymes off my Spotify playlists is my activism for the day,” wrote a fourth.
Busta ended his rant with a fauxpology, stating, “I wanna see your face, f-ck your mask.”
