Instagram/@bustarhymes
Ever since Busta Rhymes, the legendary rapper, has been celebrating the ten years of ‘Hamilton’ by putting Anthony Ramos-the original cast member-to the spotlight. Busta Rhymes shared a heartfelt post, sharing a video testimonial in which Ramos describes his role in the revolutionary musical and calls him a king. This tribute has sparked an intense wave of support for both of them and revived controversy side about the lasting effects of the Broadway hit.
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Never has Busta Rhymes gone about something without doing a bit of drama, and here is the perfect example! The artist went all celebratory for the Hamilton ten-year anniversary and gave a special shoutout to Anthony Ramos. The rest of Busta captioned it with: “THE BLESSINGS DON’T STOP SO WE WON’T EVER STOP!!!! NEVERRRRRR!!!” He thus named Ramos as “our bro and king” for witnessing what he called a “groundbreaking moment, culture, and history.” There is a video that goes along with it showing Ramos being quite open…a fly-on-the-wall view into the actor’s journey.
The video is powerful even by itself. Ramos proceeds to talk about his growing up: the financial strain his family underwent with his mother making just a few dollars. He begins to tread into heavier and more personal topics: Asking himself about insecurity, trauma, and healing, reflective of his fractured relationship with his father. He even recalls refusing to work with Jennifer Lopez so as not to stir up resentment from resurfacing painful family dynamics: “I’d rather be safe than sorry.” That very memory went on to enhance another one that is so powerful: “Are we as close as I wanted to be before he died? No. But are we as close as we could’ve been? Absolutely.” This moment of raw honesty hit nearly every viewer with a heavy emotional blow.
The online community immediately launched with positive and grateful feedback. So did the praise, “Spotlight on my Bori brother!! NY Boriquas stand up! @anthonyramosofficial is an amazing talent. Love being able to see his journey.” That comment certainly evokes the collective sense of pride within the Puerto Rican community for Ramos’s achievement.
“Kings recognize Kings @bustarhymes”- another person spelled out the mutual respect forged between both artists. This statement can be viewed as a very straightforward expression of the setup created after an elder icon elevated a younger one.
Ramos’ testimony, being so emotionally charged, clearly did resonate well with the so-called population. Someone singled out Ramos’ words about his father by literally quoting him: “‘Are we as close as I wanted to be before he died? No! Are we as close as we could’ve been? Absolutely!’” That uneasy acceptance of a fractured relationship went down as one of the biggest highlights.
Love spilt over for Ramos. “I love @anthonyramosofficial! Incredible talent all around! ‘Cry Today, Smile Tomorrow’, is my go to, pick me up song.” Said comment proved another layer of resonance, extending into his works beyond ‘Hamilton,’ resonating with people on squares where it counts.
Some short-lived local Brooklyn pride was heard from another post. “Love that Bushwick was represented in Transformers! I bought my first Transformers toy on Knickerbocker Ave in Bushwick Brooklyn back in 1985! Full circle moment!” This brings the far world of Ramos back home to the Brooklyn neighborhood and community, articulating that his success feels like a win for them.
Almost everyone celebrated collaboratively, but one user gave a minor technical critique in their direction: “Having a hard time hearing what yall talking about cause the background music is so loud…. First time experiencing this with the Pivot posts…. anyway let me go over to YouTube.” This note goes to show what a finely tuned audience consumers nowadays become even when operating in waves of praise.
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When Busta Rhymes comes through like this, it’s a big deal. It’s more than just an anniversary shout-out; it’s speaking for our underdog generation that’s come after and dug their feet in. Calling Anthony Ramos a king while airing his vulnerable story creates a legacy, a mentorship, and worthy acknowledgment of hard roads leading to greatness. Something in this post reminds us that behind every historic cultural moment, there are humans who bore witness to struggle and triumph. Thus the festivity of ‘Hamilton’ goes on; however, through the eyes in which this post is cast, it feels much more personal and much more human than it ever did. The rapper recently collaborated with Papoose on a new track. He also unleashed a fiery new track, Juice, with producer Grafh. This energy was further amplified when they ignited the viral Counting Green Challenge.