Busta Rhymes and Janet Jackson have delivered plenty of unforgettable moments together, but none is more iconic than their 1998 collab “What’s It Gonna Be?!” One of hip-hop’s most unforgettable collaborations started with preparation, patience, and the courage to act when the opportunity finally called. What looked effortless on screen actually came from nerves, strategy, and a financial risk few artists would take, reminding fans of one of rap’s flashiest videos. A bold gamble, careful preparation, and perfect timing turned Janet Jackson and Busta Rhymes’ collaboration into a lasting hip-hop classic. (Photos: Janetjackson/Instagram; Busta Rhymes/YouTube ) ‘His Hair Is Ridiculous’: Busta Rhymes Confesses His Crush on Janet Jackson, But Fans Can’t Stop Talking About His Wild Hair In a clip from the “All the Smoke” podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, the rapper described the shock of hearing his name spoken on air in Hot97 radio interview. “Angie [Martinez] asked Janet what rappers she had never worked with that she would like to work with. She said, ‘Busta Rhymes.’ I almost crashed my car. I pulled over — I’m on the Belt Parkway — I pulled over and immediately called Mona Scott-Young,” he recalled during a resurfaced interview from 2024. Busta told Mona Scott-Young, then co-founder of his management company Violator, to connect him with the “Rhymthm Nation” singer because he had the “perfect song”—even though the track and lyrics weren’t ready. When she agreed to record in another state, he meticulously prepped the studio with her favorite flowers, fragrances, and candles hours in advance. They shared a brief greeting after the singer’s security searched every room, “looking for wire taps and bugs everywhere. “I bounced. I didn’t want to be around her to do some stuff wrong,” as he thought, “I’m not f—g ths moment up, not even on accident,” Busta shared. @mattbarnes Busta Rhymes sits down and shares his perspective on what it was like working alongside Janet Jackson and what that collaboration meant to him both personally and professionally. The rap legend reflects on the creative process of joining forces with one of the most iconic entertainers in music history and what made the experience so unique and memorable. Busta looks back on the partnership with deep admiration, offering fans an inside look at what it was like stepping into the world of one of pop and RB's most celebrated and influential artists. ♬ original sound – Matt Barnes “And then, when it came to the video shoot, that ‘Terminator 2’ movie came out and I saw that s—t, I said, ‘Yeah this is it.’ All that liquidy, make you wet s—t, wet dream all that talk. Call Hype Williams, I said, ‘This is what we doing big bro.” The scale of the production stunned even seasoned executives, and the final budget climbed past $2.4 million by the time the video was released in 1999, making it one of the most expensive music videos ever produced. The special effects were done by a company named Digital Domain, which Busta accused of “overcharging” due to the success of the special effects used in the Oscar-winning “Titanic” movie. “There was no negotiating with them. You were robbed,” the rapper explained, adding, “I mean the finished project was phenomenal.” Jackson offered her own glimpse into the demanding process in a 2021 interview. She revealed that while preparing for the futuristic look required patience and endurance, explaining that it took roughly 11 hours to get fully styled for the shoot. She even explained the infamous lick in the video, “And there’s one point in the video where I stick my tongue out, and everyone thought that I was going to lick him. But my beauty mark had gone from my beauty mark on my face to down by my lip, and I didn’t want it to ruin the take. So, I was licking it off of my lip, and I had put it on my tongue at that point.” 27 years ago, Busta Rhymes Janet Jackson released 'What's It Gonna Be?' pic.twitter.com/URxCeOvpUn— Culture (@notgwendalupe) March 8, 2026 Jackson also talked about the elaborate wardrobe, dramatic visuals, including stylists adding big black cock feathers on her lashes, black lips, and cock rings all up and down her dress, as well as on her acrylic fingernails. “The mockup [from stylist June Ambrose] lasted but the original outfit has weathered away because of the materials and because of the time [and] being so old.” Amid the discovery of Jackson and Busta’s remarks, fans flooded social media with admiration for the level of intention behind the project. “Busta is a genius,” one person declared, while another offered a lesson in perseverance, writing, “Imagine if he’d second-guessed himself… Stay confident, stay prepared.” Others focused on the details that showed how seriously he approached the collaboration. “It’s him being intentional, researching her favorite flowers, candles, and fragrances and dressing the studio up for me,” one commenter wrote. A different fan pointed to the bigger picture, noting, “Busta’s career is earmarked by seizing his opportunities at every turn,” while someone else summed up the nostalgia of the era with a simple reflection: “The 90s were just different.” Busta previously described himself as a “Janet fanatic,” tracing her career from her days as Penny, Willis’ girlfriend on “Diff’rent Strokes,” to roles in films like “Poetic Justice” and beyond. He explained that working alongside Jackson felt both exciting and intimidating, with many fans noting how his enthusiasm has never faded over the years. The payoff was undeniable. “What’s It Gonna Be?!” climbed the charts, earned a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, and cemented its place in pop culture history. ‘Imagine If He’d Second-Guessed’: Janet Jackson and Busta Rhymes’s Iconic Collab Is Back — But Fans Are Just Learning What It Took to Pull It Off  ...read more read less