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On Friday night (Nov. 24), four superstars in Black music gathered in Harlem, New York City for a night of shared conversation and memorable performances. Rolling Stone welcomed a cadre of Grammy nominees and winners — Busta Rhymes, Brittany Howard, Doechii, and GloRilla — to its “Musicians On Musicians” event with each artist creating memorable moments and offering mutual respect.
“Musicians On Musicians” is a Rolling Stone editorial franchise that pairs cross-generational artists for conversations about their life and craft. But this year is the first time the magazine hosted an event at the historic Apollo Theater. A sold-out crowd filled the seats to see what each of the artists had to share and for them to showcase the live performance chops that have earned them such thriving fan bases.
Longtime journalist, author, and podcaster Touré conducted two 15-minute interviews on stage before each artist delivered live performances backed by a live band headed by the event’s musical director Louis Cato, bandleader for The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
The first conversation of the night paired rising rap star Doechii with veteran singer/guitarist Brittany Howard. The two women spoke with Touré about maintaining their sense of self after pouring their hearts into powerful live performances for their audiences and their versatility to float between genres. Doechii explained how her self-described “theater kid” background has played a role in the dramatization and character-building that makes her music so special.
“There’s so many different emotions that I feel, you don’t have to emote in one way, especially in hip-hop. There’s so much room for you to be animated,” she said. “I like to create characters. I feel inspired by Busta Rhymes and the way he was able to incorporate theater in his music. I think hip-hop always has those few rappers that come in and disrupt things, and that’s what I plan to keep doing.”
Howard recounted memories of her first Grammy win (she’s won four as a member of Alabama Shakes and one as a solo act), helping Doechii prepare for her experience after receiving three nominations at this February’s ceremony. She also shared what she sees as improving the status of women in music.
“I’m seeing a lot more women in all different positions of the music industry, including recording and touring,” Howard said. “And it makes me so happy because when I was younger, there were so many different aspects of music I wanted to do, and I kind of talked myself out of it because I was like, ‘Well, the guys aren’t going to let me, whoever’s running the studio, they’re not going to let somebody like me do this.’ It was kind of like a defeatist attitude because it was just what I had seen. It did feel like a boys’ club. Now it doesn’t feel so much that way anymore.”
Howard then gave rousing performances of her Grammy-winning single “Stay High” and her cover of Nina Simone’s “Revolution.” She belted her signature thunderous vocals and danced around the stage as Cato and the band energetically backed her. During the interview a few minutes earlier, Howard said, “On stage, I feel like I’m 20 feet tall;” the audience saw exactly what she meant.
She was a strong act to follow, especially since microphone issues marred Doechii’s first song. But she quickly recovered, making for arguably the strongest performance of the night. The Tampa, Fla. native was fresh off of her nationwide Alligator Bites Never Heal Tour, and she brought the same excitement, lyrical dexterity, and eccentricity that made those concerts such a compelling cultural moment this fall. The audience had clearly been there to see her, and they were all on their feet, giving rapturous applause for her performances of “BOILED PEANUTS,” “NISSAN ALTIMA,” and “DENIAL IS A RIVER.”
The second half of the event featured Busta Rhymes and GloRilla speaking to Touré about their respective experiences in the music industry. Glo beamed while recalling memories of Rihanna posting a video of herself singing her song “TGIF” to husband A$AP Rocky. She shared her respect for Busta’s ability to pull off his signature double-time raps. She also expressed gratitude for how her music has resonated with people.
“The fact that I get to minister to people in my music,” VIBE cover star said after Touré asked what she loves about being an MC. “I like the fact that people take my music and my lyrics as affirmation.”
Busta acknowledged reggae artists Lieutenant Stitchie and Papa San for inspiring his speed rappin’ and honored artists like Big Daddy Kane, Parrish Smith of EPMD, Chuck D, and other legends for mentoring him as a youngster. He said he plans to offer mentorship to GloRilla and mentioned Coi Leray and BIA as other women he’s supported. He also beamed how GloRilla is the latest in a long history of Memphis, Tenn. natives’ significant contributions to Hip-Hop and revealed how he plays “TGIF” to get hyped at home.
“I hope that we can hold onto this GloRilla for as long as possible before she evolves into her Beyoncé level. We see ourselves in her,” Busta said. “She is unfiltered, she’s not politically correct, and she’s the truth. And the beauty is when you are untainted by the industry, her music speaks to my soul like that. And it don’t hurt that she’s super sexy on top of it.”
GloRilla showcased the promise Busta saw a few minutes later, as she was the first to perform after the interview. She brought a pair of dancers to accompany her onstage and captivated the audience with choreographed performances of her hits “Yeah Glo!,” “TGIF,” and “HOLLON.” The audience remained on their feet for Busta, who longtime hypeman Spliff Star joined for a medley of the classics from his storied career.
Busta Rhymes demonstrated the fast rapping that Glo loves so much with “Look At Me Now,” raised the energy with his verse on the remix of MOP’s anthemic “Ante Up,” and smiled ear to ear while performing “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See” and his Janet Jackson-assisted hit “What’s It Gonna Be.” He then encouraged the audience to dance to his newer song, “Do The Busabus Pt. 2.” After giving a brief speech of gratitude, he closed the evening with a performance of “Pass The Courvoisier Part II.” By the time the show ended (around 10 p.m.), the audience had gotten a night full of superstar performances, revelatory conversation, and admiration among peers.
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