Ice-T Interviews Chief Rocka Busy Bee, Talks Wild Style, Pioneering Swag & More (Audio)

Many Heads know the importance and impact of Chief Rocka Busy Bee Starski. The Bronx, New Yorker was among the Rap voices who was relevant and top-notch, dating back to the 1970s. Ice-T, who would break through beginning with Breakin’, calls the MC born David Parker a “Cornerstone of Hip-Hop,” introducing him to the latest Final Level Podcast show.

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As was the case with Kool Keith and Mobb Deep, Ice-T has a casual discussion with the Rap pioneer for the first half-hour. The MCs discuss the recent “Eaten Alive” television special, where a brave scientist filmed himself being eaten by an anaconda. Busy Bee admits that he’s an avid Animal Planet viewer, which may seem funny, coming from such a historically ferocious MC.

By the 36:00 mark, the discussion leads to the famed Wild Style. Busy Bee points out that his role was unscripted, in addition to the fact that he served as a Hip-Hop conduit to Charlie Ahearn in making the famed film about graffiti, rapping, breaking, and Hip-Hop in the early 1980s New York City scene.

By 38:00, Busy Bee makes a proud observation. From his portrayal in the film, the BX icon claims to have been the first MC with, what he calls “swag.” The film afforded Busy Bee an opportunity to show himself with girls, money, and smokin’ weed (or “cheeba”) years before Rakim, 2Pac, Lil Wayne, or Drake. Busy states that the portrayal was not glamorized, as that was really how he was livin’ in the Disco Fever days of party-rockin’.

At 49:00, Busy Bee breaks down one of Rap’s most legendary battles of its first 15 years: Busy Bee versus Kool Moe Dee. The moment is re-told with candor and color, as Bee also has some funny anecdotes about slyly coaching a young Roxanne Shante, who Busy Bee wanted to lose by disqualification at an important battle.

In one of the funnier moments, around 51:00, Busy Bee chides Ice-T about his segments in the Art Of Rap being relegated to the bonus footage. Ice takes the heat, and points out a host of MCs—including another Bronx native, Jim Jones, that were also forced to go bonus due to run-time constraints.

For the “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” Heads, at 61:00, Ice-T provides some inside information about the upcoming season, and what to look for from old cast members and new.

The Final Level Podcast is a powerful source of light in Hip-Hop, and the O.G. Ice-T can add another gift to his vast skill-set: interviewer.

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