Today (November 24), Busta Rhymes has released his 11th solo album. Blockbusta follows a three-year break from Extinction Level Event 2 (aka E.L.E. 2), an album that some Busta fans—including Ambrosia For Heads–considered a classic album well-into his 30-year career. For Blockbusta, Busta returns to a major label, Epic Records, where he reunites with power executive Sylvia Rhone. At this year’s BET Awards, where Bus’ took home the Lifetime Achievement Award, he rejoiced about the relationship, pointing to Rhone’s 1990s Elektra Records support when Busta transitioned from a member of Leaders Of The New School within the Native Tongues to becoming a solo superstar.

On Blockbusta, one song in particular captures that message and spirit. “THE STATEMENT,” produced by Timbaland and Angel “BabeTruth” Lopez, revisits the last 30 years of Busta Rhymes growth and dominance. It is the album’s opener too. B.R. begins, “How many times do I gotta remind you n___as that I’m one of the greatest? / And I will just rewrite the pages of every history book while they askin’ me, ‘Save us’ / From all of this other bulls__t that they be listenin’ to while you just amaze us / And me and my n___as just step inside the building and they just get on their knees and they praise us / They kiss a ring and then they just might just argue and then fuss / You the only God we trust / Imperial Busta Bust, I be f**kin’ s**t up just because, wait / I appreciate your patience, but all you n***as should face it / There’s no one that’s greater than me.”

Busta Rhymes Opens Up About His Near Death Experience

He has legacy in mind with the song. “Thirty years later f__k s__t up like we still in basements / We want all you haters to see / P__s on your face, give you facelifts / Now shut up and cater to me / Pricelessness, bitch, I’m the nicest, I make all you haters agree / Watch the way I’m runnin’ circles around on these n___as / Know why they so afraid of me / I’m only here to inspire you and set s__t on fire / And give you what you came to see.” Busta usually stays out of controversy, and he lays down industry survival tactics in the song. And while the Brooklyn, New York representative takes no shots at others, he welcomes all comers at this season of his career. “I ain’t got no time to waste it / What I do, you can’t replace it / Impossible to appraise it,” he touts, before closing the song with “See, most you n___as out here think that you cool / I’ll give you s__t from my ancestor / And it don’t matter how much you imagine / Try me if you think you better, better.”

The 19-track Conglomerate/Epic Records album also features involvement from Pharrell, Swizz Beatz, T-Pain, Burna Boy, and others.

Busta Rhymes Has Made A Classic Album 30 Years Into His Career

AFH‘s playlist also includes new music by past Busta collaborators and affiliates Westside Gunn, M.O.P., and Rick Ross.

#BonusBeat: A 2020 episode of Ambrosia For Heads’ What’s The Headline podcast that declares Busta Rhymes’ ELE 2 a classic: