Busta Rhymes is opening up about the heavy sadness he faced during the coronavirus lockdown — and how he eventually pulled himself out of it.
In a new sit-down with Hot 97’s Nessa, the hip-hop icon revealed that those dark emotions played a major role in him becoming “out of shape” and “fat.” Once he started dropping weight, he says the transformation went far beyond his body — it shifted how he handled his relationships, family, and business, thanks in large part to Pharrell and Swizz Beatz.
“You got to be willing to listen to those that you confide in, that you’re looking for advice and for guidance from,” Busta said (around the 4:10 mark in the video). “And sometimes, you might talk to people about what you’re going through that you trust with that vulnerability, that actually will give you some incredible guidance because they really love and care about you, and they not going to stand by and watch you die.”
He added, “Two people that was extremely instrumental in this transformation and this realignment… and [helped me] get back to being at peace and happy and full of joy was Swizz and Pharrell.”
Busta continued: “For like eight months, these muthafuckas would be on the phone giving me some of the realest talk that I was afraid to hear about me… my children… my woman… and my business. And sometimes when you having those conversations, it’s hard to hear.”
In 2023, Busta made waves for his health and wellness transformation, ultimately shedding more than 100 pounds.
The 53-year-old has been open about what pushed him to make the change. In a 2023 interview with Men’s Health, he revealed that he experienced what felt like an asthma attack while having sex with his then-wife — an incident he described as a “mindfuck.”
He later dropped another 37 pounds during The Final Lap Tour with 50 Cent and Jeremih. “I’m sexy,” he told the crowd on tour. “I lost 37 pounds on that fuckin’ tour. I wasn’t asking if y’all thought I was sexy or not, I just wanted you muthafuckas to understand I’m sexy, period.”
