Thirteen Prayers: Kamasi Washington's Favourite Albums | Page 9 of 14 | The Quietus

Baker's Dozen

Artists discuss the 13 records that shaped their lives

8. Busta RhymesWhen Disaster Strikes…

Busta, kind of like Billie Holiday, really affected the way I phrase. When I was young, I was into hip-hop but as I got a little older, I started getting into jazz, playing sax. I had really let hip-hop go to a degree and I only listened to it while I was with my friends. After I got this record, that’s what brought me back to being a hip-hop fan and I started buying it again.

Busta’s flow and delivery is so dope. I used to mimic it on sax. Sometimes I build up those repetitive rhythms in a solo. There’s such a power to his rhythmic cadence. You feel the whole gamut of the human being when you listen to it.

I’ve never worked with him but I’d love to. We were on tour together once when I was playing with Snoop. We did the Rock The Mic tour and he would kill it every night with nothing but him, a DJ and a turntable.

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