Busta Rhymes opened up on those who ‘rely’ on others to write their lyrics.
“The way I was raised, number one, you could never be classified as Top 10, Top 5, or top anything if you had assistance with your pen,” Busta said. “Period. You automatically disqualified, I don’t give a f—k how great you think you are. That don’t make you any less of a dope MC. No it doesn’t. You can still be dope. Ni—as are still more than capable of writing their own s—t, but they have to stick to the script of writing their own s—t. Once you get an assist with your pen, it’s like Lance Armstrong. Once you get an assist that ain’t coming from an organic place? That disqualifies everything. The same rules apply. I’ve never said a word out of my mouth that was written by another man. In my entire 29-year career.”
Kanye West is often considered one of the greatest rappers of all time, but he relies on ghostwritten rap all the time. Dr. Dre is best known for his production, but the doctor himself relies on ghostwriter rap.
Diddy is probably better known as an entrepreneur, but he’s been using ghostwriters for nearly his entire career.
Snoop Dogg also ghostwrote some of Dr. Dre’s early lyrics, but even the Doggfather himself relied on ghostwriting in Malice in Wonderland.
“I got a couple of my little homies that’s putting pen to paper. I be letting my homies get on by writing and expressing they thoughts through me,” he said.