Audio: Busta Rhymes & Mick Boogie, “Step Up”

story THE FADER

“Step Up” is one of the many unreleased J Dilla collaborations Busta Rhymes unearthed for his Dillagence mixtape with Mick Boogie, and, aside from being a good song on its own, it provides plenty to nerd out over. Busta interpolates Greg Nice’s verse from Gang Starr’s “DWYCK” (cue: FADER…FADER…FADER…FADER) while Dilla cuts the same sample as Gang Starr’s “Step in the Arena” for the chorus. Step in the Arena, Nice & Smooth’s Ain’t a Damn Thing Changed and Busta’s debut with Leaders of the New School all came out in 1991 when Dilla was 17 and making beats on tapedecks. Download Dillagence for free here.