Instagram/@bustarhymes
Describing Assata Shakur as an activist, Busta Rhymes said: “For Black empowerment, she fought throughout her entire life.” Busta then posted several pictures on Instagram from the various events showing her legacy; alongside a video of him speaking about human connection and community re-building. In response, followers flooded the board with humorous reactions, reflecting on Shakur’s impact as well as the state of society now.
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For a short span of time, with great energy and in keeping with the message, Busta paid tribute to Assata Shakur, calling her a royal empress and thanking her for a life lived completely for the “betterment, empowerment and upliftment” of their people. Crown emoji and dove emoji were used to accord utmost respect to this iconic figure and peaceful transition as well, respectively.
Also with this caption came a video of Busta giving an intense monologue about a feeling nowadays widely shared: that of alienation. “…People are alienated from each other to the point where people are afraid to have eye contact with other people,” he said. He described loss as “loss of good morning, loss of smile, loss of human interaction”; it is simple yet significant. And then the cure becomes an illness, Busta said: curing this loss will be through any grassroots ‘door-to-door, people-to-people’ organizing where you have to physically engage real persons and not faceless masses.”
The comments section quickly flooded with love for Assata Shakur and agreement with Busta. One comment, simply read: “Long live auntie Assata Olugbala Shakur,” and was met with a digital fist bump to share the reverence amongst many others. Another comment states that she is a hero and that her voice will never be silenced, suggesting the long-term impact of her work.
Real talk came when one follower replied to Busta: “This how I’m feeling right now in my community 🥺‼️ Gotta do this alone.” The raw admission of being alone hit hard, and in a follow-up reply, they expressed a deeper dimension: fear that their mere presence as a Black person intimidates others, even when their intentions are peaceful. It starkly reminds the audience of composite social anxieties Busta’s video touches on.”
One comment looks at things more practically by throwing a challenge at all the artists paying tribute. “All yall Rappers posting Assata how bout yall put some bread up together and make a Movie about her life,” suggested the user. This opened up a legitimate argument-that there are ways of respecting a legacy far beyond just talking about it on social media.
The very relatable comment was another user riffing off Busta’s point about the loss of connection: “This is so real I’m always wondering this all the time what happened to our values,” pointing to the technology. They paint a world where phones and headphones act as barriers between actual instances of friendly interaction, turning eye contact into an awkward affair. This is something just about everyone will relate to in their day-to-day lives.
Somewhere amidst all these reflections surfaced the question revealing how history has been misted over for this younger generation: “Is she related to Tupac?” For the records, Assata Shakur is Tupac’s step-aunt, which only goes to cement her place in his lineage of revolutionary thought.
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Busta Rhymes, with his ferocious flow, took a moment of silence as he powerfully paid tribute to Assata Shakur and addressed the erosion of community. Given his fiery past and current urgency, his relevancy in this time is a testament to the depth of his call for genuine human connection. It is a reminder that Shakurist community building begins with saying “how you doing” and that this is the same work Shakur continues to inspire-her legacy working toward creating a world full of meaning and associations. The artist also recently collaborated with Papoose on a new track, and their song “Firebomber” featuring Lil Wayne has been gaining traction. Fans have been participating in the viral Counting Green Challenge inspired by their music.
