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Busta Rhymes Hopes 'Chemo' Is Cure For Ailing Music Biz

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by Sarah MacRory, N.Y.  |   November 20, 2009 5:53 EST

Less than a year after releasing his eighth studio album, "Back on My B.S.," New York rapper Busta Rhymes plans to shift the state of the music industry, which he says is "dying like cancer is killing it," with his brand new effort, "The Chemo."

"I called the album 'The Chemo' because it seems like the industry and music overall is dying slowly," Busta told Billboard.com of the Flipmode/Universal Motown project, slated for an early 2010 release. "The cancer that's stricken the business is killing the music, not only from a business standpoint, but also the value of the content and the creativity behind it. I just want to start the first stage of chemotherapy treatment that needs to take place and hopefully inspire others to do their part and contribute to different stages of the cure."

Still, Busta recognizes those artists who are taking a stand against the "dying industry" by putting out "great music," stating, "Jay-Z put out an incredible album this year and Lil Wayne put out an incredible album last year." Others he commends include Jadakiss, Drake and Trey Songz.

Busta's also played a role this year with the release of "B.S.," which debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and reached No. 2 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, selling 135,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Although a single hasn't been selected yet, Busta says fans can expect new music to hit the radio waves and blogosphere next month. So far, features on "Chemo" include Chris Brown, Trey Songz, Wyclef Jean, Sean "Diddy" Combs and his collective, Dirty Money.

Busta recently signed a "very lucrative business deal" with Venom Energy drinks, a beverage under the Dr Pepper Snapple Group. The opportunity, which includes nationwide advertising, branding and promotional opportunities, was proposed to him through his management team at Violator Management, says Busta, adding, "the most appealing thing about the situation was just the room they were leaving for the nature of the relationship between Venom and Busta Rhymes to just grow."

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