Busta Rhymes Goes Off On Essence Festival Crowd: “F*ck Your Phone!”

BY Caroline Fisher
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50 Cent Performs In Milan
MILAN, ITALY - OCTOBER 22: Busta Rhymes opens for 50 Cent at Mediolanum Forum of Assago on October 22, 2023 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Sergione Infuso/Corbis via Getty Images)
According to Busta Rhymes, he's not used to people sitting down at his shows.

Recently, Busta Rhymes graced the stage at the 2024 Essence Festival in New Orleans. Unfortunately, however, not everyone was on the same page throughout the show. At one point, the NYC-born performer paused his set to call out crowd members for sitting down and filming on their phones. He didn't hold back, making it clear that he's not from an era where that was acceptable.

"A-yo, f**k them camera phones, too. Let's get back to interacting like humans. Put them weird-a** devices down," he shouted. "I ain't from that era. Them s**ts don't control the soul. F**k your phone." Obviously, he wasn't having it and wasn't afraid to let the audience know.

Busta Rhymes Gets Heated As Fans Use Phones, Sit At Essence Festival

"I will put every one of y'all out until y'all a*ses is up," he also added. "Thirty-three years of doing this s**t, I ain't use to ni**as sitting down at my show, I don't give a f**k!" The outburst has managed to spark a debate in The Neighborhood Talk's comments section, as commenters share their takes on the unexpected moment. While some think Busta Rhymes was in the right to call out the crowd, others think he took things too far. Some are also arguing that a majority of his fans are older, and simply aren't looking to stand through an entire concert.

"We not in YOUR era anymore big dawg, people paid to see you calm down," one Instagram user says. "What he has to realize is that his main demographic is older as well!!!" another writes. "They like to sit at concerts because they are older." What do you think of Busta Rhymes cursing out fans at Essence Fest for sitting and having their phones out? Does he have a point, or did he simply overreact? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

About The Author
Caroline Fisher is currently a News Editor at HotNewHipHop. Her time at HotNewHipHop began in 2023 when she began writing about music and pop culture full-time. Since then, she has helped cover major stories including the YSL RICO trial, Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s explosive feud, Diddy’s ongoing legal battle, and awards shows such as the BET Awards. Being from Chicago, she also got the opportunity to attend Summer Smash 2024 and review Chief Keef’s historic homecoming show. She additionally covered sets by Flo Milli, Playboi Carti, Bktherula, and more.

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