Busta Rhymes – “Calm Down” (Feat. Eminem)
Busta Rhymes and Eminem evolved from powerhouse underground MCs into two of the most consistently entertaining forces in late-’90s MTV, and both of them have continued to score radio hits over the years while flexing rapping with wild technical panache. Now they’ve teamed up on “Calm Down,” a six-minute song from Busta’s upcoming E.L.E.2 that’s been described as a battle track by producer Scoop DeVille. The two rappers don’t really go back and forth here, though; instead, they each take one lengthy turn unspooling twisty lyrical acrobatics over a loop of the horn into from “Jump Around” (itself a sample of Bob & Earl’s 1963 single “Harlem Shuffle”). This thing is very entertaining, but Eminem still insists on using homophobic slurs, so that’s no fun. Listen below.
E.L.E.2 (Extinction Level Event 2) is due out this Friday, the 4th of July, on Cash Money. “Calm Down” is on sale now at iTunes.