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Busta Rhymes couldn't predict how his records would be received decades later — but then again, he never expected that, nowadays, most people would enjoy performing the same records with phones in their hands.
When Rhymes first released his classic “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See” in 1997, he couldn’t have imagined that not only would countless contemporary artists add their own modern twists to the song, but that concertgoers would upgrade their viewing habits with new high-tech Ray-Ban smart glasses. “Ultimately, we never make these records thinking you’re going to be able to hear them in 30 years,” Rhymes says. Rolling Stone “Not to mention the potential to make it the center of a future tech campaign you already love,” he emailed.
Ray Ban
Since its release that topped the Brands 100, Rhymes has revisited “Put Your Hands” once again for a brand-new campaign for Ray-Ban. To kick things off, the brand recently hosted a special “hands-free” experience to celebrate its latest smart glasses collection. Rhymes, Offset, and Little Simz performed at the one-night-only experiential event in Brooklyn, New York, alongside special appearances from Coi Leray, Rhymes’ son Trillian, and music from DJ Saige — all wearing Meta’s colorful glasses.
When it comes to smart glasses, the Ray-Ban Meta is pretty stylish. Despite the promises made by many tech-packed glasses in the past, the Ray-Ban Meta is capable of capturing up to three minutes of 12-megapixel photos and video on the go in a way that feels accessible and stylish (and less annoying than holding your phone while an artist performs). They also have five built-in microphones and open-backed speakers, allowing you to take calls and listen to music without headphones when the show is over.
Ray Ban
Now, nearly 30 years after the release of “Put Your Hands” (and after a lifetime of concert-watching creations), Rimes sits down with Rolling Stone To talk about how fans interact with live music, the key to putting on a great concert, and the future of music and artificial intelligence.
For the Ray Ban Meta campaign, what was it like revisiting the slogan “Put your hands where my eyes can see” nearly thirty years later?
Brazil: It was an amazing feeling. After all, we never make these recordings thinking you'll still be able to hear them in thirty years, let alone make them the centerpiece of a future technology campaign that you actually love.
How did you feel when you first heard Offset's version of the song?
I love it when someone uses a classic and doesn't compromise on the original recording. So I was very proud of Offset and Don Toliver. They did justice to the recording, took the classic that I was lucky enough to create and made it a moment that felt like it was their own.
Since you're not from the “record a concert on your smartphone” era, how do you think technology like Ray Ban Meta is changing the way fans interact with live music?
It changes things for the better. I don’t fix things that aren’t broken. Phones need to be held, and that hurts the consumer’s engagement with the moment. You know, we have to change with the times. I prefer to change with the times by not abandoning the foundation that made time eternal.
I think the best thing about Ray-Ban Meta sunglasses is that they have created a way for people to interact as human beings, especially when we come together to enjoy the moment. Finding a way to develop technology where you can capture moments without having to hold your phone in your hands allows people to interact freely. They create those timeless moments that help re-establish the magic of human interaction and the human aesthetics of partying and celebrating life. Not only is it a great product, but I love the product primarily for that reason.
What is the key to a good concert?
I'll give you my two points of view. The key to a great concert is artistWhen you're performing, you have to make sure that you light up the place before you even speak with your presence. Your clothes speak a lot not just from a fashion standpoint but from a personality standpoint. So, you know, I like to make sure that my clothes speak to people from that standpoint first and foremost. I think that's the number one key to being appropriate when you go out and you're on stage.
The amazing key to looking great when you're going out as a consumer, and you're just going out to enjoy yourself and be part of the celebrations, is finding the balance between being able to do that and being comfortable at the same time. So, you want to look fresh and be able to represent your personality, but be able to do it in a way that's comfortable, so that your outfit doesn't take away from your ability to enjoy the celebrations because you're putting so much effort into making a fashion statement that you're not thinking about your comfort in the process. You can't dance and it starts to hurt. I hear this all the time, when women walk into these events, they look amazing, and an hour and a half into the event, they're like, “My feet hurt.” So that really bothers me. Like you've put so much time into looking sexy that you can't even enjoy the event, because you have to look presentable now because you're not comfortable anymore. I think that's the key.
With the technological advancements in concert performance and concert viewing experiences, how do you feel about the use of AI technology in the music industry?
There is nothing more precious than human life. There is nothing more precious than human spirit. There is nothing more precious than human mind. There is nothing more precious than human energy. The connection of human mind, spirit, and energy is what creates the template for everything that makes life valuable. So, when you want to deal with AI and things like that, as long as we don't lose sight of the value of the human spirit, mind, soul, and energy, that's great.
But still, as we realize that AI is already here, there are no clear standards for how to protect the value of the human mind, the soul, the spirit, the energy—and that’s where my concern comes in. So, I think something has to be done, and I hope it does. I know that a lot of us artists are concerned, and our primary concern is protection. Because if intellectual property is valuable, and if the human mind, the soul, the spirit, the energy is the source of intellectual property creation, then intellectual property is valuable and we own it. It’s supposed to be, everyone Human beings are supposed to own their intellectual property rights, and it is very important that we own the root, the source that creates intellectual property – which is the human mind, spirit, soul, and energy.
So something has to be done to regulate and protect the primary source of intellectual property. Until that happens, there is cause for concern. Beyond that, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I think it’s part of evolution. But of course, it has to be done under proper oversight that prioritizes the protection of mind, body, spirit and energy.
