Busta Rhymes says the streaming economy still does not fairly value artists and producers, and he is calling for a system that respects the worth of musicians and their work.
Speaking on the Power Players with Brian Sozzi podcast, the rapper said the industry has not solved how to make money from streaming under current business practices.
“I don’t think we’ve figured [making money in streaming] out yet, unfortunately, in the way that business is being done today,” Busta said. “I’m talking about, like, us as artists, producers, amongst our peers. We’re all facing a very similar frustration with streaming. It’s imperative that they find a way to respect the value of the artist and the artist’s creation.”
How streaming royalties are calculated#
Under the dominant model, services such as Spotify pool subscriber fees and distribute payouts based on an artist’s share of total plays, rather than paying each musician according to individual listening history.
That structure tends to favor top-selling acts and major labels, including Taylor Swift and Universal Music Group, while independent and smaller artists receive per-stream payouts of less than one cent.
IP ownership and brand leverage#
Busta Rhymes said part of staying relevant is ensuring that audiences understand the value of both the music and the artist.
“Part of the evolution in understanding how to move and shake and continue to resonate is understanding how to make sure you do what you got to do so that people understand not only the value of your music, but the value of you,” the artist explained.
He added that owning and monetizing intellectual property (IP) allows an artist to earn outside of music and build a brand larger than any streaming platform.
“So that anywhere you go, even outside of music, you’re still able to monetize your IP. That’s important. Owning your IP, being able to monetize your IP, and being able to leverage the evolution and growth of your brand to the point where it is bigger than anything streaming.”
Spotify response and recent release#
Spotify disputed the suggestion that Busta Rhymes has not been fairly compensated, stating that it paid out more than $1 million in 2025 for streams of his catalog.
Busta Rhymes is known for his high-energy delivery, which distinguished him from many peers in the 1990s. His most recent release is Dillagence II, a collaborative project built on an archive of more than 300 previously unreleased J Dilla beats.
