Hey! What's going on, everybody?
Welcome to The Daily Social Distancing Show.
I'm Trevor Noah.
Today is Tuesday, the eighth of December,
which means Christmas is only 17 days away.
And if your kids are sad
because they can't go see Santa at the mall this year,
remember, you can recreate that experience at home.
Just have them stand in line in the living room for two hours
and then tell them Santa took a lunch break
and they have to leave.
It's the same thing.
Anyway, coming up on tonight's show,
Trump finally leaves the Oval Office,
we look at the top tech of 2020,
and Busta Rhymes is our guest on the show.
So let's do this, people.
Welcome to The Daily Social Distancing Show.
? ?
ANNOUNCER: From Trevor's couch in New York City
to your couch somewhere in the world,
this is The Daily Social Distancing Show
with Trevor Noah.
? ?
Let's kick things off with Mount Everest.
It's the reverse Grand Canyon.
Everyone knows that it's the highest mountain in the world,
but it turns out that, like Seth Rogen,
it's even higher than we thought.
NEWSWOMAN: If you were planning to scale Mount Everest
anytime soon, it just got a little bit taller.
After more than a decade of dispute and controversy,
China and Nepal have finally agreed
on how tall the peak actually is.
They agreed to add about a meter.
The world's highest summit now climbs 29,032 feet.
That means it is almost three feet taller now.
Yeah. It turns out Mount Everest
is almost three feet taller than we thought it was before
and, technically, almost four feet taller
when you factor in its new afro.
And here's my question.
Who is stretching the measuring tape
all the way up to the top of the mountain?
Because when I measure anything over 20 feet,
it always lets go and then flies back at my hand.
I can't imagine this person's bravery.
So it turns out Mount Everest isn't just taller.
It turns out that it keeps growing taller,
partly because of all of the dead bodies
from failed climbers that keep piling up
but also because the tectonic plates beneath it
are pushing into each other,
pushing the mountain up.
So, as mountains get older,
they get bigger.
But as people get older,
they tend to shrink.
I guess that's just one more way
that mountains and people are different.
Mountains...
are bigger...
than people. Huh.
And can I just say, measuring mountains?
I didn't even know that that was a job.
Measuring mountains sounds
like the worst possible job in the world.
Do you have to climb up to the snow and then do you--
Like, I'm glad my mom didn't know
that measuring mountains was a job when I was a kid,
'cause she would have definitely used that to punish me.
"Trevor, you didn't clean your room
"when I told you to clean it.
"You know what your punishment is.
You're going to measure..."
"No, Mommy."
-"...the..." -"Don't say it!"
"...mountain..."
"Please!"
"...again."
(wailing)
Speaking of things that scientists
still can't figure out--
Donald J. Trump.
He's only president of the United States
for another six weeks,
but that's still plenty of time
for him to embarrass everyone in super random ways.
NEWSWOMAN: President Trump abruptly walks out
of a Medal of Freedom ceremony,
leaving the recipient shrugging and... at a loss of what to do.
-Thank you. Thank you very much. -(shutters clicking)
Thank you, everybody. Appreciate it.
-Thank you. -(applause)
REPORTER: Mr. President, one more question
about the inauguration.
Thank you very much.
REPORTER 2: Anything on Bill Barr, sir?
(exhales)
-MAN: Congratulations, sir. -He's gone.
(chuckling)
(laughs)
Yo, guys,
Trump has checked out from the presidency.
Right now, he's got that energy of a T.J. Maxx employee
on his last day.
You know, when you're walking in, like,
"Scuse me, do you have this in a large?"
"Nope, try Kohl's."
"Uh, do you want to check in the back?"
"I already did."
I mean, this guy walked out of a Medal of Freedom ceremony
in his own house!
He just left the dude in the Oval Office.
Isn't that guy the president now?
That's how this works, right?
And, look, maybe if it was a different president,
you'd be like, "Wow, there must have been
some national emergency."
But you know Trump doesn't have shit to do.
He's like, "Oh, boy. Hannity starts in 20 minutes.
"Got to get ready for Hannity.
"Hannity. Hannity. Hannity's on.
It's The Hannity Show. I can't wait!"
You know, for a dude who refuses to leave office,
Donald Trump is awfully eager to leave his office.
Who knows? Maybe that's how Trump will concede.
You know? Trump will get distracted
and forget what he's doing and then just wanders off
and then, boom, Biden forgets what he's doing and wanders in.
Peaceful transition of power.
But, once again, the big story is the coronavirus pandemic.
You know, it's the reason you give
for why you haven't had sex in nine months.
So let's check out the latest news about the pandemic
in another episode of Keeping Up with Corona.
? ?
Let's begin with the United Kingdom,
America's estranged dad.
Today, the U.K. began giving its people the vaccine.
Yeah. Officially.
Starting with a 90-year-old woman.
Which is great for her.
Although, on the other hand,
she's the only person in the whole country
who's now safe to go out.
So she's just gonna be out hitting the club, like,
(English accent): "Whoo! Where are all my party girls at?
Seriously, where is everybody?"
Meanwhile, in the United States,
it might take a little longer for everyone to get vaccinated,
because somebody--
and I'm not saying which president--
well, he done (bleep)ed up.
NEWSMAN: With cases of COVID surging across the country,
we're learning millions of Americans may now have to wait
months longer to receive a vaccine
because the U.S. opted to get fewer doses from Pfizer
than it could have.
The U.S. bought enough to vaccinate 50 million Americans.
By contrast, the European Union bought enough
for 100 million people, with an option to buy more.
Now ABC News confirms a New York Times report
that, over the summer, Pfizer offered to sell
the U.S. government additional doses
but the Trump administration turned them down.
Now Pfizer says it might not be able to get the U.S. more doses
until June of 2021.
Whew!
That's the art of the deal right there, baby.
Pfizer thought that they could pull a fast one on Trump
by offering to sell him lifesaving vaccines,
but my man Trump was like, "No deal."
So now Europe is stuck with all those vaccines,
and that means more corona
for everyone here in America, baby. Wait.
Seriously though, this may seem
like it was a dumb decision by Trump,
but if you take a moment to think about it,
you'll realize that it was a really (bleep)ing dumb decision
by Trump.
And let's be very clear about something.
Even with a vaccine, social distancing
and wearing masks is still extremely important.
And that's why people need to keep following
public health guidelines. And I know,
I know a lot of Americans are like,
"All these rules are government oppression.
"They're taking away our freedom.
"It is my right to go to Walmart without a mask
"and to legally marry my gun.
"My gun's name is Mark. That's right. My gun and I are gay.
Did I challenge your stereotypes?"
But I got to tell you this.
If Americans think
that the rules in this country are too strict,
Americans need to see how social distancing is being enforced
in some other countries around the globe.
For example, if you're upset because, oh,
people give you dirty looks when you go outside without a mask,
imagine if, instead of that,
the police pulled up in their cars
and then roasted you over the P.A. system.
Because that's what's going on in South Africa,
where videos like this one are going viral.
(reverb)
Yeah. That's right. In South Africa,
the police and the military
are being tasked with enforcing the lockdown,
which is basically a recipe for disaster.
Oh, and in case you're wondering, yes,
the South African version of Law & Order
is a very different show.
"In the criminal justice system,
"the people are represented by two separate
"yet equally important groups,
"the police who roast your ass hard
"and the district attorneys who stand behind them, going,
"'Damn, son, he got you good.'
-These are their stories." -(Law & Order clang)
Here's an interesting fact.
That cop is also South Africa's top hostage negotiator.
-(walkie hisses, squeaks) -(with accent): Hey!
Hey, why you kidnapping that guy?
Let him go! What would your mother say about you, huh?
Look at you with that funny haircut.
Look like you (bleep) a lawnmower, yeah?
Then you lost. Huh? Just go home.
But as harsh as South Africa's mask justice might seem,
what they do in Rwanda can be even worse.
Man, that is intense.
Rwandans are being forced to attend night school
if they broke some COVID rules.
Imagine that. If you don't like watching Dr. Fauci come on TV
and ask you to wear a mask for 30 seconds,
if you lived in Rwanda, you'd be forced
to listen to Dr. Fauci all night
in a cold stadium!
The only way that could be more boring is
if there was also a baseball game going on at the same time.
Although, one benefit of teaching about COVID rules
in a sports stadium is that you can use the kiss cam
to test how much everyone has learned.
Joseph, you and Keza are on the kiss cam.
Why don't you kiss?
No, you shouldn't have kissed. It was a trap.
You must come back tomorrow night, huh?
By the way, I love how that guy pulled down his mask
to show how he broke the rules by pulling down his mask.
It's a good thing he wasn't arrested for public indecency.
I was arrested for exposing myself like this,
and everyone was so upset, just like everyone is right now.
And finally, to any American who's upset
because they can't go to the gym to work out during COVID,
imagine if, instead of that,
you were forced to work out in front of all your neighbors.
NEWSMAN: Like many countries
battling the coronavirus pandemic,
India is in lockdown.
The police here have resorted to physical punishments
for those who breach it.
At one point, police are seen ordering locals to do squats.
Some were made to do press-ups at the side of the street.
(shouting in native language)
Goddamn, guys.
That is humiliating and unnecessary.
I mean, what happened
to just shouting at people to wear a mask?
Forced exercise is so extreme.
And let me tell you something now.
I would rather staple a mask onto my face
than have to exercise in public.
That's like all your grade-school nightmares
coming back to life.
You couldn't be bothered to wear a mask,
and now all your friends know you can't do five push-ups?
On the other hand, it's a good alternative
for people who can't afford a gym membership.
Just pull down your mask,
and the next thing you know, you got a personal trainer.
In fact, if they keep this up, people from all over the world
are gonna be flying to India
just to take advantage of this policy.
Oh, my God, Deborah, you look amazing.
What are you doing?
Let's just say I ignored a few rules in India.
What? What does... what does that even mean?
All right, we're gonna take a quick break,
but when we come back, Ronny Chieng will look back
on the technology that made 2020 so amazing.
And Busta Rhymes is still joining us on the show,
so stick around.
Welcome back to The Daily Social Distancing Show.
2020 is almost over, and we can all agree
that it has pretty much been a perfect year.
I mean, did anything bad happen?
No. I can't think of anything.
And, so, for the rest of the month,
we'll be remembering all of 2020's best moments.
Today, Ronny Chieng takes a look back
at the year in technology.
(fanfare plays)
2020 has been a year
where people have depended on technology more than ever.
I mean, I don't know how I would have made it
living through the pandemic in 1918.
What were you supposed to do back then while quarantining?
Read? Ugh! Gross.
Listen to a gramophone?
Music sucked back then.
It was all guys with weird voices
singing about how their sweetie loves apples or whatever.
The biggest tech product this year by a mile was Zoom.
And if it took a pandemic to get rid of Skype,
then I say, worth it.
Skype was great if your goal was to not have a meeting.
And some people complain
that Zoom charges you for longer sessions.
But you know what? I say, thank God.
The only thing getting me through a call with my family
is knowing that's there's a 45-minute escape hatch.
I mean, I'd pay a premium for even shorter sessions.
Is there a five-minute plan, Zoom?
Because if so, shut up and take my money.
But 2020 didn't just bring us Zoom.
It also brought us Zoom terrorism.
NEWSWOMAN: Zoom. So many of us are using it to stay in touch.
But now, some are having major issues,
as Zoom meetings are getting hijacked
in a new trend called "Zoom bombing."
NEWSMAN: Zoom bombings range from pranks to pornography.
It even happened during a streaming news conference
in which pornography popped up on the screen
as health authorities
and elected officials discussed the pandemic.
At first, it just seemed like people were checking in,
and then, very quickly, it devolved
into a lot of pornographic images
being dumped as screen... screen shots.
Yeah. Of course Zoom meetings got hit with dick pics.
Each new form of technology
is just another way to send dick pics.
I mean, if you look close enough, you can see the dick
Neil Armstrong drew on the moon.
-? ? -One small dick for man.
One giant dick we all have to see at night.
Inspiring.
2020 also left us with more free time
than ever to improve ourselves,
like learning a new language or baking your own bred.
But thankfully, video games were there
to save us from all that crap.
Nintendo saw a big boost in sales
as more people need to be entertained at home
because of the pandemic.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons--
26 million copies have been sold of this wildly popular game.
Yes, 2020 gave us the video game Animal Crossing,
which let us create our own perfect little world
while the real world was going to shit.
Although, we all ended up making the same mistakes
in Animal Crossing that we did in real life.
You start the game free and happy on an unspoiled island.
But then, three raccoons convince you
to become a land developer.
One things leads to another,
and let's just say my residents were not happy
when I let BP start fracking on my island.
But, hey, sorry, guys.
Daddy's got to get those turnips somehow.
(inhales sharply) Whew.
So while technology did a lot of great things for 2020,
just like everything else this year, it got politicized.
We've got breaking news this morning.
The Trump administration announcing
it will block downloads of Chinese-owned apps
TikTok and WeChat starting Sunday.
Yeah, President Trump tried to ban TikTok.
And you know what? I'm with Trump on this one.
It's a horrible app.
TikTok is more responsible
for convincing white people they can dance
than the DJ throwing on "Cotton Eye Joe."
White people used to be ashamed to dance,
and now they all think they're Jabbawockeez.
But if Trump was smart, he wouldn't ban TikTok.
He'd just get on TikTok.
It's a perfect showcase for how he dances.
? Y, M, C, A... ?
Ugh! This makes me want to follow his advice
of injecting bleach, but into my eyes.
But tech companies got the last laugh in 2020,
because while Trump was trying to ban TikTok,
Twitter and Facebook were trying to ban Trump's bullshit.
Facebook has taken action against what it calls
harmful misinformation from President Trump.
The company deleted a post by the president
that included a false statement about children and the virus.
And Twitter hit President Donald Trump
with a warning label on one of his tweets about vote-by-mail,
saying the post violated the company's rules
around elections.
I'm glad they finally get around
to fact-chucking Trump's new lies.
But don't expect credit for standing up
to the president after five years of this shit.
That's like claiming you beat up The Rock when he's 90 years old.
That's not winning a fight. It's elder abuse.
Okay? I'm just saying, social media companies
should've been fact-checking Trump earlier.
He's spread so much damaging false information
over the years.
From saying Obama's a secret Muslim born in Kenya
to claiming Meryl Streep is overrated.
She is the greatest living actress.
And I know all about good acting, okay?
After my critically acclaimed performance
in Crazy Rich Asians.
Shut up, Twitter.
But many people would say the greatest tech news this year
is that we have several vaccines in development
that actually seem to work.
And, of course, we all know
the people who need to get a vaccine first are the elderly.
Like my grandma,
Ronnyella Chieng.
No, that is not me in a wig, okay?
I just take after her.
Now, give her the vaccine-- preferably in her right arm,
because I'm left-handed.
But just in case the vaccines don't work out,
there's still the option of hitting the eject button
on this whole planet.
NEWSWOMAN: A giant leap for Elon Musk's SpaceX.
The company has launched four astronauts into orbit.
Elon Musk says he is highly confident
he is gonna put people on Mars by 2026.
The key to achieving this goal is SpaceX's development
of its Starship rocket.
The vehicle's being built to launch cargo
and as many as a hundred people at a time to the Moon and Mars.
Yes. Private citizens without astronaut training
will be able to travel to space.
Which means I can finally add the balls
to Armstrong's Moon dick.
Everyone always forgets the balls.
So 2020 was a bullshit year,
but at least technology made it a little bearable.
And, hey, we made it through.
It's almost 2021.
Things can only get better from here.
(sighs) Goddamn it.
Thank you so much for that, Ronny.
All right, when we come back, I'll talk about race
with the best-selling author of the book,
So You Want to Talk About Race.
Huh. That makes sense.
And then Busta Rhymes will be joining us on the show.
Stick around.
Welcome back to The Daily Social Distancing Show.
Earlier today, I spoke with acclaimed writer,
Ijeoma Oluo.
We talked about her new book,
Examining White Male Supremacy in America,
and so much more.
Check it out.
Ijeoma Oluo, welcome to The Daily Social Distancing Show.
Thanks for having me.
You wrote a book entitled So You Want to Talk About Race.
This was in 2018. It was a hit.
People loved it.
But I think it is fair to say that 2020 saw a resurgence
of not just the book, but the conversations of the book,
in a really interesting and unique way
because of what the country was going through
post George Floyd.
What do you think it is about America
that that book will stay consistent,
-unfortunately, for a while? -You know, I think a lot of it
is, is that people are very afraid
to have honest conversations about race.
Um, it's been such a fraught, you know, subject,
and unfortunately, that means that people put it off,
until they feel like they can't anymore,
especially white people.
And so what happens then is, something happens,
like the, you know, horrific killings of George Floyd
and Breonna Taylor, and people realize,
"Oh, we have to talk about this,"
and my book is, you know, one that talks
about how to make that a little easier if people turn to it.
And it's sad, because I want people to talk about this
so we can move on to action.
And, you know, this is one of the earlier steps,
is figuring out what's going on and talking about it.
And I would hope, in 2020, we would be further along,
but we're not-- that's why I do the work.
There's also no denying that your writing
has, I mean, made a lot of people feel uncomfortable.
A lot of white people, a lot of white men,
in particular, uncomfortable,
and that was before your current book,
Mediocre, which is about the dangers
of white male mediocrity.
Talk me through what that means.
Absolutely. So, this was a book
kind of written out of frustration.
If you write on issues of race and gender in America,
especially since 2016, you see all these think pieces.
You know, "Why is Chad so angry?"
"Why is this white man so upset?"
And what I wanted people to look at was the political structure
behind the time that we're in.
I wanted people to understand that this rise in, like,
you know, hate-filled, racist, violent,
white male political ideology is by design.
And so I wanted people to look at that,
because we have to change how we act and what we value
as a society if we want to solve this problem.
So that's really what we're looking at
is a history in America
of how we have actually made it beneficial,
or at least seem beneficial, to white men
to act like the only definition of success
is power over women and people of color,
and, really, what it's cost us over multiple generations.
When you... when you look at this conversation, though,
I mean, obviously, there's so much resistance.
There are a lot of white men who are like,
"I have nothing, so how dare you say that I have
"any of this mediocrity or this power that comes with it.
"How can you say... I don't see any of this power.
"I live in West Virginia. I have no... no money.
"I have barely any food. Where is this 'white power'
that you are speaking of?"
How do you try and... and-and--
if you even do try-- explain that to white people
in those situations?
'Cause oftentimes, I find that will be some of the base
that is riled up, where they're told...
"You have this 'privilege' and these positions,"
and they go, "But I don't see it"?
Absolutely. And I think it important to recognize,
first and foremost, privilege is relative. Right?
So if you're standing... if you're an average,
everyday white man standing in a room with Oprah Winfrey,
chances are, in many areas she has more privilege than you.
But if she is standing next to a white millionaire
or billionaire, chances are she has less privilege.
It's situational, depending on where you're at.
But I think it's really important to recognize
that white supremacy in this country
is a pyramid scheme.
So it's really the idea:
You play along, and you will have more,
you will have more than black people,
you will have more than women.
-Right. -And often it doesn't work out that way.
And that's part of why we see the anger,
is that people bought into this system.
They're playing along. They've been promised.
And they voted accordingly, they spent their money accordingly,
that their greatness is coming, and when it doesn't,
who do they blame, often?
People like me. People like you. Because they've been told,
"You're supposed to be better off."
And so a lot of that anger that says, "I don't have that,
I don't have it," ignores the fact
that you weren't probably ever going to get it,
but you were promised that,
and that becomes a political problem,
and it becomes part of the violence
that often some white men end up supporting.
There's no denying, as America becomes more and more diverse,
the group of white men that we are talking about
are going to become more and more resistant,
'cause they're going, "Oh, I'm losing my grip on,"
as you said, "that promise of my place in America."
So how do we get to a place where we invite people
into the conversation, without pandering,
but still invites people in and going like, "Oh, no, hey,
"this is for everybody's benefit.
"It's not about you losing and me winning.
"It's about everybody winning
as opposed to buying into the pyramid scheme."
You know, it's definitely something I talk about
a bit in the book, right?
The real harm that this actually does to white men, this system.
Being told that, you know, your payout's coming,
and it never does, and the sense of failure
that often accompanies white men when they've bought into this.
But I think it's also really important to recognize
that I, personally, am not writing to create
kinder, gentler white men.
I'm writing because I am a black woman
being harmed by this system and the way it works.
But I do hear from white men who say,
"You know, you've named a thing I couldn't name.
"You've named a disappointment, a constant, you know,
-yearning for more that I couldn't name." -Right.
But I don't expect that, you know, a white man
who's angry and, you know,
is completely a political opposite from me
is gonna pick up my book.
But what I do expect is that people
who know something's wrong are gonna start looking
at our values, at our systems, and changing it.
And then the white men who come up in these systems
come up differently, right?
The way in which the power that this violence has is lessened.
And that's really what my goal is.
2020 was one of the hardest years for everybody.
For yourself, I feel like it was an extreme version.
You had a fire that burned down your home
and everything that you owned.
Um, you escaped
with only the clothes on your back with your partner.
The next day, you got a call from your son
saying that he had tested positive for COVID-19.
And in the midst of all of this,
you're dealing with the death threats that you get
and people calling SWAT teams to your house,
faking it and saying, like, "Oh, there's somebody with a gun"
and trying to SWAT you.
How do you process all of that,
and how do you exist in a state
of not being perpetually enraged or terrified
but also still being a human being
who writes and, I mean, informs so many of us?
I had to make peace with the fact
that, yes, my work can make me a target in many ways,
but being a Black woman in this country
can make you a target no matter what.
And at least I have a platform.
At least I can call it out.
And I believe that we can change these systems.
You know, when you know these systems
and you know these systems were built by people,
if you believe in people,
then you have to believe that we can change them,
and I've seen evidence we can.
And, you know, yes, absolutely, it's a huge battle,
but I believe in us,
and I believe that Black people are worth fighting for.
I believe that people of color are worth fighting for,
that women of color are worth fighting for.
I love what we create. I love that we're still here.
I am a survivor like so many other Black women are,
and that gives me strength.
I take strength in the fact that I am still here
and I can still do this work, and I absolutely believe
that we can make real, meaningful change to our systems
that can improve our lives.
Well, I will say this to you over and over again.
I'm eternally grateful.
I think everyone is who reads your books
because, um, they don't come from a place of hate
but rather a place of determination.
They come from a place of, um, of forcefulness
where you go, "Something needs to happen,"
and you-you present the ideas and the solutions.
So, um, thank you for taking the time.
Thank you for writing another amazing book,
and hopefully, we'll have you again on the show.
-Thank you. It's a real pleasure. -Take care.
Don't forget, Mediocre: the Dangerous Legacy
of White Male America is available now.
All right, stick around, because when we come back,
Busta Rhymes joins us on the show.
Welcome back to The Daily Social Distancing Show.
Earlier today, I spoke
with multiplatinum rap star Busta Rhymes.
We talked about his prolific career
and why we've waited 11 years
for a brand-new album.
What's going on, Busta Bust?
(chuckles) What's happening, brother?
Oh, man. A dream is what's happening right now for me, man.
Thank you so much for joining us.
Welcome to The Daily Social Distancing Show.
And thanks for having me.
It's-it's an honor and a pleasure.
I'm a huge fan, brother.
Are you kidding me, man?
All of the honor is mine. All of the pleasure is mine.
You are one of the greatest rappers of all time.
You are, in my world,
in my world, the greatest rapper of all time.
Um, and I'm excited to have you on
because we're talking about your brand-new album,
Extinction Level Event 2.
And can I say, on a personal level,
Busta, I'm-I'm...
Why did we wait 11 years for a new album?
11 years I've been waiting.
(chuckles)
Um,
I think the first, most important part
of the delay was, um,
not so much the creative
but more so
me just making sure that I was comfortable with them
that I was gonna put this body of work in the hands of.
You know, I'm at a point in my life
where, you know,
having the-the blessed opportunity
to be able to experience
what many different support systems felt like.
Right.
Being-being able put albums out
at six different record companies,
I've been able to learn a lot
as far as the difference
between when your support system is right
and when it's wrong.
-Yeah, I feel you. -And, you know,
a lot has changed since the last album
that I dropped at retail,
um, in 2009.
So, you know, just trying to navigate
and-and see and like
I was putting this body of work
in the hands of the right people
that were going to be deemed worthy to me
and to the standards of what I know I deserve
at this stage in my career
and what this project deserved.
What's been amazing has been seeing
how you've maintained Busta Bust's flow
and-and what makes you such a great rapper
whilst at the same time
changing what needs to be changed
for the times that we're living in today.
Because there's no denying, Extinction Level Event,
man, there was... there was a bounce,
and there was a joy to it, you know?
Every-every piece of it, you know? You know...
? We were keepin' it comin,' keepin' it movin' ?
? Keepin' it wylin', we gettin' the paper ?
? Let's keep the cheddar stacking and piling ?
? And now we happy and smiling 'cause now we living good. ?
You know what I mean? That's what it was.
-Wow. Wow. -2009.
That's what we were doing, you know?
That was 2009.
And then 2020 comes along,
and it's different.
It's like... It-it feels like...
It really feels like an extinction level event now
in a very different way, and you rap about that.
You know, you rapped about George Floyd.
You rap about police brutality. You rap about what's going on.
Talk me through how Busta Rhymes went
from the joy that we know Busta Bust has--
and there's still songs of joy in here--
but also talking about the current moment
that people are experiencing.
I think that it's always important
to be informative in the music.
I think we have a duty and a responsibility.
At least the way I was raised.
You know, I was fortunate to get my-my grooming firsthand
and, you know, my teaching firsthand
on how to be a well-rounded artist
from the likes of the incredible Chuck D
and Public Enemy and those type of guys.
Like, you know, when we was trying to do it
and when we was coming up, you know,
being informative in the music was-was important.
It was valued.
It was a significant part
of the way artists contributed to the culture
and to the art.
And, you know, it was something that was done with grace,
and it was success that was garnished
from being informative through your music.
You know, it was a standard.
It wasn't like... You couldn't just come out
and just put out a bunch of nonsense
and think that it was gonna help you establish credibility.
Like, you might have had a record that was nonsense,
and it might have been, you know, cool for a moment,
but, you know, credibility has always been important to me.
And it was also a key component
to what validated you as a... as a real artist
in the eyes of the public, the consumer
and your-your other peers as other artists.
You know, you've got the legends of hip-hop on this album.
You know, you've got the Q-Tips. You've got the Rakims.
But then one of the most, in my opinion, prolific tracks
is, um, "Look Over Your Shoulder"
featuring Kendrick Lamar.
And then on top of that,
you've got another legend, Michael Jackson.
And you-you've sampled...
I don't even know how you did it, but you, like,
you-you isolated his lyrics from the Jackson 5,
and it's crystal clear.
It's almost like he was there in the studio with me.
Walk me through how that song came together.
Nottz, which is an incredible producer from Virginia.
I was going through a bunch of music that I had
that I never got the opportunity to get to,
and I finally heard this track.
Nottz put it together in an amazing way,
and it just blew my mind when I heard it.
And I took the extra step
in getting my hand
on the actual original two-inch,
16-track multi of the original recording
-of the song. -Wow.
And Kendrick heard it.
And when he heard it,
in about a couple of days,
I got back that monster verse that he put on there,
and it was like, "All right,
we're sitting on a different type of gem with this piece."
And once I heard his version,
I heard the beat and just realized
the-the way the blend felt
with the Michael Jackson sample and Kendrick's verse
and the music and my verse,
I just was like,
"This is such a defining moment
in this body of work."
And, interestingly, this record didn't get done
until probably, like, eight or nine years
into the recording of the whole project.
So it was kind of like a testament to how incredible,
you know, patience can be.
Understand how to appreciate patience.
I kind of learned how to appreciate patience
through the experience of working with Dr. Dre
on The Big Bang album.
And I applied all of that to this album.
And I'm super grateful, 'cause again,
like, we was talking about earlier why it took so long.
I didn't necessarily choose to take this long.
But in the process of taking this long,
I was able to get all of these magical moments
on one body of work.
Everyone who's on it, every beat,
every moment feels like it was curated.
It feels like Bus-a-Bus exploded.
Everyone who's waited so many years
for Extinction Level Event 2
finally got what they waited for.
And as you said, man, the patience paid off.
Busta Rhymes, thank you so much for joining me on the show.
-I appreciate you, man. -I salute you.
Thank you... keep it going and keep it growing, my brother.
Thank you, my dude, thank you so much.
Extinction Level Event 2:
The Wrath of God is available now.
We're gonna take a quick break,
but we'll be right back after this.
Well, that's our show for tonight, but before we go,
please don't forget to support your local restaurants.
They are struggling to stay open during this pandemic
and if they don't get the help that they need,
they might be shut down for good.
If you want to help them even more than just buying food,
then please consider a donation to the James Beard foundation's
Open for Good campaign, which helps independent restaurants
to survive this pandemic.
Until tomorrow, stay safe out there,
wear a mask, and if you don't wear a mask,
you might want to practice your pushups.
Now here it is, Your Moment of Zen.
Mr. Kenyon is 91 years old.
And I'd like you to tell us
how you came to get the vaccine this morning.
How it happened.
I rang up, uh, Guy's Hospital.
And they said, "Well, come at half past 12."
Of course, I couldn't damn well find anybody to park my car,
so I was late, went off and had a rather nasty lunch,
and then came back and, um, they were ready for me.
How do you feel that you're now one of the first people
in the country to have received the first dose of this vaccine?
Thrilled, well, there's no point to dying now,
when I have lived as long as I have.