Today (Nov. 27), entrepreneur-turned-podcaster Steven Bartlett published a new sit-down interview with Busta Rhymes, who is currently promoting his new album, BLOCKBUSTA. During the conversation, the New York legend was asked about his relationship with former manager Chris Lighty, who tragically died in 2012.
“Rest in peace to Chris,” Busta began. “Chris was all that I knew. Everything that I learned, after Chuck D and Hank Shocklee and them, I learned it with Chris. I learned how to make my money with Chris. My tax brackets changed with Chris. My lawyers changed ’cause [of] Chris. My booking agents changed with Chris. My touring experiences changed with Chris. My ability to tell my mother to quit her job and never have to look back to work for nobody, from 1995 to this day, all of that, I did it with Chris.”
Bartlett then asked Busta about the day of Lighty’s passing, which he described as “so f**king terrible.” “Long story short, I think his daughter was coming home from college and he had to go and meet her at Grand Central Station in Manhattan,” he explained as he became emotional. “So, he asked me for a ride to Grand Central Station. I give him the lift to Grand Central Station, and that’s the last day that I saw him.”
He then received a call from Lighty‘s assistant the following morning. Upon reaching his manager’s home, the reality hit him after the coroner arrived. “When we saw the van, and then they reversed the van into the driveway to get as close to the door of the house… And they went inside, and brought them black bags with them, them body bags. That’s when it got real. Everything changed when you saw the bags.”
Busta revealed that Lighty’s death was the reason he didn’t release music for nine years. He also spoke on how his mental and physical health took a toll during that time. You can check that out and more in the full clip below.