Busta Rhymes may have undergone a physical transformation in recent months, but one thing that has remained the same is his love for Janet Jackson.
The megastars teamed up for his 1999 single “What’s It Gonna Be?!” which appeared on his fourth studio album, “Extinction Level Event: The Final World Front.” The rapper is weeks away from making his Essence Festival debut and the start of the “Out of This World” tour with co-headliners Missy Elliott and Ciara.
In a new interview promoting his upcoming appearances, Busta recalled how the Billboard Hot 100 chart hit fell into place after Jackson revealed in a Hot 97 interview that she wanted to work with the New Yorker. “I almost crashed,” he told the hosts.
“I’m one of those real Janet fanatics from her Penny days to when she was Willis’ girlfriend on ‘Diff’rent Strokes’ to, you know, ‘Poetic Justice’ Janet to Janet when she was the little sister coming out and just being the jokester with the Jackson 5,” the artist continued, explaining how he always had an affinity for the entertainer.
“I had this crush on her, and when I got the opportunity to do the song with her, I was like that nervous crush, you know like when you too scared to ask, you don’t even want to do nothing to mess it up.”
Busta went above and beyond to create the perfect studio atmosphere for Jackson, mentioning how he and his team researched her favorite flowers and candles and decorated the recording space for her. While their chemistry won fans over in the music video, he admitted that he never asked her out, instead opting to keep matters professional.
He also revealed that being smitten with the “All For You” star led him to hold separate songwriting and recording sessions, so they only shared the same space while filming the video.
“I still got a crush on Janet,” he said as she clutched his chest. But he can’t explore it because “my queen ain’t really feeling that at this point in time,” referring to a certain special lady in his life.
The “Look at Me” now rapper’s tender approach to working with the legendary act moved a fan to comment he was “such a thoughtful, gentle giant.” Several others wrote about their excitement to see Busta perform in the near future as well as about their appreciation of his discography. However, comments took a turn when people began to speak about his appearance.
One individual wanted the “backstory on the shirt?!” Busta wore with white ripped jeans and a shirt depicting what appeared to be a beach-like setting with palm trees and a galaxy of stars and planets.
A response to the individual read, “You’re thinking it’s the shirt. While I’m looking hard at his hairline, thinking what dye is that.”
On “The View” YouTube clip, someone else wrote, “His hair is ridiculous but I love Bustaaaaa.” And a third remarked, “Painted skull cap- check Shoved Piano Keys Teeth- double check.”
Last year, while on the first leg of her “Together Again” tour, she invited Busta to perform their hit record during her Madison Square Garden concert. It was the first time the two artists performed together. In an Instagram post acknowledging the moment, he wrote, “@janetjackson I love you and thank you for making a dream come true on the 25th anniversary since the release!!”
These two photos of Busta Rhymes are 20 days apart.
— journalist jawn (@dirtywhiteups) June 24, 2024
Ozempic: 0
Oxtail: 1 pic.twitter.com/zctjoh30hK
Four months later, fans were shocked to see he had dropped a substantial amount of weight. By early June, several social media users had begun to pick apart his appearance, with many taking special notice of his jet-black hair and perfectly lined-up hairline.
His exterior took another hit when speculation about him using weight loss drugs to slim down was scrutinized when his newly flat midsection appeared bloated. “Busta saw all them ozempic jokes and got up off of it,” wrote a commenter when a photo of his ever-changing physique appeared on 2 Cool 2 Blog.
Busta has not directly addressed Ozempic claims but previously spoke about sticking to a strict diet and workout plan to achieve his more trim figure. As for his hair, he has not dished on his tricks to appear forever young.
