One of the most rewarding things about Busta Rhymes' tenth studio album Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath Of God (a project that made our own top five of 2020) has been the reaction it has elicited from many of his peers. It hasn't been uncommon for Busta to be handed flowers by emcee after emcee, a testament to the impact the iconic rapper continues to make to this day. Not long ago, Bus-a-Bus took a moment to connect with a fellow legend, albeit in a different field altogether, linking with Dave Chappelle for a celebratory meeting of the minds.
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"KINGS AMONST KINGS," captions Busta, sharing a screencap from his FaceTime conversation with Chappelle. "SALUTE MY BRO’S @jarobiwhite & @davechappelle & THANK Y’ALL FOR CONSTANTLY FUELING ME WITH INCREDIBLE ENERGY ESPECIALLY AS OF LATELY THE MULTIPLE CONVO’S ABOUT #ELE2THEWRATHOFGOD FOREVER HUMBLED!"
While the contents of Busta and Chappelle's conversation remain unknown, and will likely stay that way, it's refreshing to see this culture of celebration continuing to flourish among the game's veterans. Especially with so many rappers putting out excellent work in their forties and beyond, a defiant reinvention of the narrative that hip-hop is a young artist's game. At this stage in the game, Busta Rhymes' ELE 2 is a triumph on a variety of levels, a veritable timeline of the many styles of Flipmode's finest.
Are we really surprised to see it endorsed by Dave Chappelle, who clearly helped provide Busta with guidance throughout the album's construction?