New Music Mondays: Busta Rhymes & J Dilla - "SPAZZZ"

At his peak, the beat master known as J Dilla was responsible for creating a niche sound in hip-hop that warped soul, funk, jazz and rap into an eclectic mix all his own. His work alongside acts like A Tribe Called Quest, Slum Village, De La Soul and Busta Rhymes amongst many others are some of the genre’s most elite recordings, and none will soon forget his final solo offering with Donuts, released just three days before his untimely passing on February 10, 2006.

20 years later, Dilla’s legacy is revisited once again by one of his greatest collaborators as Busta Rhymes unveils plans for their upcoming second joint album, Dillagence 2.

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Although not currently available on streaming in its entirety, the first Dillagence mixtape that arrived in 2007 made for a bittersweet gift at a time when his loss was still fresh on the minds of many. Tracks like “Other Side Of The Road,” the Scarface-sampling and Raekwon-assisted “Baggage Handlers” and standout single “Lightworks” with Q-Tip and Talib Kweli are testaments to how extensive Dilla’s ear was when it came to crafting beats. On Busta’s part, his impeccable lyricism was a match for every left-leaning sample thrown his way, and track-for-track delivered a flow that was just as mind-boggling.

Dillagence 2 is looking to be just as magical of a mix, with the lead single “SPAZZZ” showing us that Busta still has the rhymes and Dilla’s vault still sounds fresh. Busta revealed to GQ back in 2020 that he’s in possession of over 300 unreleased J Dilla productions. “I’ve always tried to represent and uphold the legacy of the late, great J Dilla, through all of my albums,” he told the outlet, giving him further props by adding, “I’m a huge fan of Dilla, I think Dilla is probably top three best producers in the world. To me, my top three favorite producers ever are Dr. Dre, Q-Tip, and J Dilla.”

The track comes paired with a video depicting Busta in all his high energy glory and a blue alien figure that we can only assume is the embodiment of their out-of-this-world collaborative nature.

Look out for Dillagence 2, the upcoming collaborative album by Busta Rhymes and the late J Dilla, to arrive on August 25 led by the first single, “SPAZZZ.” Keep scrolling to also hear a few of their past collaborations worth adding to your playlist: