Busta Rhymes Talks Extinction, "End Of The World"

Newly signed Cash Money Records' rapper Busta Rhymes has provided an update for fans awaiting his delayed E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event) 2: End of the World solo album and his thoughts on the Internet's growing popularity.

Stating his LP is near completion, Busta said slated guest features include Lil Wayne and Rick Ross.

In a conversation with Billboard.biz earlier in the day, he said he's in Los Angeles for a week finishing up an album that's "85% done" before heading to Miami and spending Thanksgiving with his family. When asked if his album will have any new producers, he mentioned Sham Joseph. Collaborations include Lil Wayne, Missy Elliott, Rick Ross and Chris Brown, among others. Rhymes also discussed the shift of industry gatekeepers. "Since the Internet started to play a bigger part in music, the new tastemakers are going to be the people, and not as much the radio DJs. The people are going to articulate who's the sh-- and who's not the sh--." (Billboard Biz)

Busta unleashed the album's first single, "Why Stop Now" this week exclusively via Google Music.

After dominating 2011's charts and cleaning up award ceremonies with his feature on Chris Brown's "Look At Me Now", Busta Rhymes and Breezy join forces for this cut from Busta's forthcoming LP E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event) 2: End Of The World entitled "Why Stop Now". But that's not the biggest part of things, the rap legend has joined forces with Google's new venture Google Music to not only release the track for free (download it here), the new E.L.E album will debut exclusively on Google Music. (Soul Culture)

Last year, producer Nottz spoke to SOHH about producing Busta's LP.

"We did the first joint on Busta's new album," Nottz revealed. "I also did the first joint on Dre's Detox. It's going good. With Busta, I really, really think this album is dropping soon. You know it's going to be Extinction Level Event Part II, so that's what it is. It's just like anybody who does a part two to a record, you know that's gotta be banging. It's gotta be banging way better than the first joint. And from what I've heard? Oh my God. It's crazy. Busta. That dude is so amazing man. He really be having records. Records, records, records, records. It's crazy man because the dude is so consistent." (SOHH)

This week, Busta officially announced his signing to Birdman's Cash Money Records.

"This whole experience that's getting ready to happen is probably going to be one of the most defining moments in hip-hop and probably in entertainment overall," said Busta. "This alliance with the Conglomerate and YMCMB and me and Bird and Wayne, the whole family, it's something that's been a long time coming because we just always had a respect level and a genuine and organic friendship for a very long time. It goes back in the day because me and Bird used to spend a million dollars a year on cars alone just to compete at the Funk Flex car shows and talk sh*t to each other and live it up and have fun." (Derick G)