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 For Busta Rhymes, his role in Gus Van Sant’s latest movie Finding Forrester wasn’t just about acting, but about personal reflection. The founding rapper of the Leaders of the New School describes how much of the conflicts experienced by the film’s sixteen-year-old character (played by Robert Brown) parallel his own creative growing pains. Rhymes, who plays big brother to Brown in Finding Forrester, also talks about diversifying his music, his continuing affair with his audience, and the kinds of acting roles he hopes to dabble in next. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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BUSTA: |
Hi. I'm smokin' a cigarette, if you don't mind. I know it's against the law here. But I'm gonna break this rule today, God damn it! [Busta lights up] Okay. Again, I'm apologizing. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Cool. Don't even go there. That's fine. Hey, you're really into this movie thing lately. You're surprising everyone. And it's always a deeper character. What do you think of yourself when you look at Finding Forrester? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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BUSTA: |
I think this is probably the first film that I can honestly say makes a conscious effort to separate Busta Rhymes the rapper from Busta Rhymes the actor. Most of the times I would get film opportunities where I'm Busta Rhymes the rapper as a character in a film, because it's written for me to give off and personify that same element, or that same energy. Like I'm given lines in a script where they want me to yell, rant and rave, like how I do in my music sometimes. And that's not really what I'm looking for. You know, to get my foot in the door I would have to make the sacrifice and do some of those things. Which I don't have a problem doing, because I appreciate the fact that people love what I initiated as a personification. And just overall a vibe that they can love. But as an actor, I want to establish something new and fresh, that people can appreciate and love just as much, if not more so. And I just try to make sure that I build something there that can also secure the food on the table, if and when I decide to not be Busta Rhymes the rapper no more. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
So who is your William Forrester? [Forrester, played by Sean Connery, is a novelist who realizes that young Jamal (Robert Brown) has a gift for writing and encourages him to pursue it.] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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BUSTA: |
My William Forrester I would have to say probably was Chuck D from Public Enemy, back around 1991, '92. I was first starting my rap career with a group called Leaders of the New School. I got a record contract with Elektra Records; '89 is when I signed. And I met Public Enemy in '86. And they put us through about three years of the same kind of unique approach to showing us how to learn how to do things that William Forrester did for Jamal in Finding Forrester. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Did Public Enemy make it as challenging for you as it looks in the movie? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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BUSTA: |
Yeah, that's what I'm trying to say. It was kind of discouraging at some points. The way they would do things, it would feel almost as if they didn't want us to be around. Like we were getting on their nerves. And it was pretty much just a test of the faith and the dedication, and the commitment and the dire sacrifice that they wanted to see whether or not we were willing to make, to even be worthy of being a part of their affiliation. And I respected it a lot later on. But at the time, I thought they were...assholes. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
How are these movie experiences changing for you? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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BUSTA: |
My manager and my acting coach, they get the scripts and read them. And they make sure that I don't have to go through the process myself of going through a million and one scripts that aren't as substantial as the ones that they hand pick carefully for me. I tell them what I want, and I make sure that there's a clear understanding across the board of what I'm trying to reach. You know, what my goals are, and the destinations that I'm really trying to end up at. They do a damn good job at making sure that I get there. And I just love to be a part of what I can learn from. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
These people are your eyes and ears. But what do you tell them you're looking for in a role? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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BUSTA: |
I tell them that I'm looking for action, drama, movies that definitely break the stereotypical types of films that my demographic gets the opportunity to be affiliated with. I want to break those rules a little bit. Like I don't want to be the cliché rapper guy that comes from, you know, the hip-hop culture and gets into film. And then be in a bunch of shootin' gun movies. Not that anything is wrong with that, because I'm gonna be doing some of that too. But ultimately I just don't feel that's all we're capable of. There's so much more that we're capable of offering. And there's so much that I just want to experience hands on, whether or not the world experiences it the way I do. I want to be able to say that I had two months to learn from a Sean Connery, from being around his sensei experience, and level of doing things. And I want to be able to be around a Gus Van Sant. You know, I want to be around that caliber of and that quality of people, so that I could take something with me from those experiences to apply to the next ones. Not that you don't get experiences in everything that you can apply to the next, but there's just certain kinds that really help make the difference in what you go through, and what the next person goes through. That helps you get to the next place. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
What did you take away from playing Rob Brown's big brother in Finding Forrester? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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BUSTA: |
I was able to take away a lot. Because with him being sixteen, it was just incredibly crazy to me for this to be his first film. And to be able to so accurately obligate himself to his time commitment, and his script and all of his lines, and having to study so much. Also, being in the same room rubbing elbows and going toe to toe, line for line, scene for scene with Sean Connery. I've never been in a situation where I've had that much responsibility in any of the films that I've acted in thus far. So I had to ask a lot of questions from Rob Brown. Like what did he do to be able to carry out his responsibility as professionally, as comfortably and as naturally as he was doing. Like just studying all of them lines. I was seeing pages at times, where the whole page was just Rob's dialogue. You know what I'm saying? Sixteen years old, Sean Connery, first film, time commitment, not being able to do some of the normal things that a sixteen year old would do because you gotta do so much for this film. So I just really respected the discipline that he had, and I started to label him the 2001 Sidney Poitier! I just felt like by all means man, the inspiration that I was given just being around him to obligate myself that much more, was undeniable. Because I just was like damn, if a sixteen year old dude could put it down like this, there is no excuse for me to not be able to do it just as efficiently, if not more so. And if not, I'm going to make sure that I reach to that point, because certain abilities on that level are blessings. And everybody is blessed in different ways, and it's quite obvious that Rob's blessing came a lot sooner than a lot of people's. Or at least he identified with his blessing a lot earlier than other people, and that's a good thing. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
You should hear what he said about you! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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BUSTA: |
Really? Wow... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
He said that more so than meeting Sean Connery, you were the highlight. He was freaked out. And when you said to him, "Hey, wassup?" he just did not want you to know how uncool he felt under the surface. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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BUSTA: |
Hmm... I guess that's why I call him the 2001 Sidney Poitier. Because he was not acting like the sixteen-year-old fan that I met. He was acting like this older dude for whom it really was nothing, because I'm large too, and I respect and love what you do. In fact, let me show you how much I know about you. And he'd kick a verse from one of my songs just to make sure I knew that he was a fan. But there was no, like, oh gosh. There was none of that. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Rob said you were his favorite musician. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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BUSTA: |
Wow. That's crazy. That's crazy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Do you think movies will ever completely lure you away from rap? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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BUSTA: |
I don't know, but what I do know is I have to be a happy man at the end of the day. So I'm gonna do what I love first. And I'm gonna do what makes me feel happy and makes me feel good and makes me feel whole. You know what I'm saying? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
What if that disappoints people? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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BUSTA: |
If they're disappointed in the process, like every other situation in life that we get disappointed with, we shake it off and we bounce back. And we learn to just appreciate whatever life is at that moment, and accept it. Fortunately, the demise of my rap career is nowhere in the vision distance of being able to see, but by far it's still my first love. But I'm learning to find a comfort zone and a niche in acting where I'm growing new appreciation, value and love for it as I go along. So I can't sit here and say that one day I'm not gonna love to act more than rap. Especially being that I've been doing it for a long time. You know, it just sparks a new fire when you get put in a different situation that you can be put in as an actor. As opposed to rapping, you have to kinda carefully and gradually take people into the new places that you want to go. Because most of the time the audience is just so stubborn with wanting to get what they always loved you for, that when you start to change on 'em, they feel like you ain't being loyal to what you was to them. Or what they were to you. And in acting, you ain't got to worry about that. I could be a scarecrow in one movie, and turn around and be Arnold Schwarzenegger in the next. And it's all good. When you're making music, you gotta constantly feed them what they want to eat, and gradually give them taste tests on the stuff that you want to introduce them to feeding on. And hope that they embrace it just as willingly as if you were doing any kind of character in a film, as long as you do your part sufficiently in a film. And sometimes that gets a little tiring, because you want to give people so much more that you know you have to offer, but they just might not be ready for that. It's a little stifling, but ultimately that's probably what makes the difference in a lot of artists that you might classify as cliché, and a lot of artists that we might classify as the geniuses and the stars. That's because you takes those chances and break those rules anyway. And just nose dive head first without a parachute, and allow things to happen the way they're going to happen and just let it all play itself out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Everyone wants you to guest on their records. Do you worry about over-exposure? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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BUSTA: |
When I'm releasing an album, I definitely cut back on guest appearances, because I want people to focus on my project. And I want people to go and get what they look for when I cameo appear on every other project, for my project. So that I benefit in every way that I can when I put that much time and dedication into putting together an album, man. That's probably about it. Any time outside of that album, I'm trying to bounce on as many records as I possibly can. And I don't discriminate as long as the song is good. I'll do a song with everybody from the Boys Choir of Harlem all the way down to Jim Carrey. So there's not even a problem. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
We did get to see a glimpse of you rapping in Finding Forrester. Who wrote that? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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BUSTA: |
That wasn't written. It was spontaneous and it was just done right there. Because we were ad libbing, it wasn't script, it wasn't a dialogue that was written in script. They told us to just act like we would act if we was in our own homes, and how we usually or naturally would do it if this was a situation that we were really in. So everything just was flowing right there. And I think that all was attributed to just the chemistry that we had between each other, me, Rob and Stephanie. She as the mother character made us feel so real, like we were really her kids. Because even off the camera, she was dealing with us like we were her kids. She stayed in character, on and off camera. She would joke around with us like she was mom. She would send us to do things like she was mom. And it just kept at that element around, and that energy, that whole feeling. So it was there naturally, it just happened right there on the spot. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
How do you deal with doing interviews? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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BUSTA: |
I don't have problems doing interviews. I think it becomes a problem when you have boring journalists that come around and ask bullshit questions, and it's all the same. Not that any question is bullshit, but there's just sometimes when you're doing an interview and it's not an interview that's based on what the people need to know, it becomes a problem. Because I think sometimes there's a fine line to walk. As a journalist, to know that you're here to do a specific thing and not be nosy at the same time. You know what I'm saying? Not try to overstep your boundary and start digging into business about someone that really isn't your business, and that really isn't the world's business. Because ultimately we're still people. And we still have a sacred element in our life that we need to maintain, as a sacred, private element in our lives so that we can preserve the being-grounded person element of the celebrity that you carry. But the interview thing is not a problem. I just feel as long as it's kept in its proper perspective, and we're giving the people the information that they need and that they should have, it's all good. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
So what would you call what we're doing here right now? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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BUSTA: |
I'm smashin' it right now! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
What makes an interview comfortable for you? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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BUSTA: |
I guess just like in any situation, when you're around people and they make you feel cool, that's the comfort zone right there. If you're around people that's, you know, lookin' at you strange and moving in a way that it just doesn't fit the normal way of moving or activity that we all identify with to be comfortable, we're gonna not feel comfortable. And I'm pretty sure we've all at some time or another been in a situation where you feel a little out of place. Or you feel not as comfortable because your environment may not be embracing you in the way that you try to have them embrace you, or things of that nature. So just as long as we respect each other as people and we all maintain a mutual respect that we can all appreciate, it's never a problem. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
What do you do on your down time? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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BUSTA: |
I just saw the original Shaft on DVD last night. And the reason why I looked at that was just because I never really sat and watched the whole thing. And I'm watching The Matrix on DVD right now too. Yeah! January 2001
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