Busta Rhymes sets J Dilla tribute album Dillagence 2 for August 25

Busta Rhymes announced Dillagence 2, arriving August 25, 2026, an album built entirely on unreleased J Dilla production. He shared the news in an Instagram video showing Dilla's mother, Ma Dukes, nodding along to one of the album's tracks during a March listening session.

The album is the first major project drawn from a vault of more than 300 unreleased Dilla beats the producer entrusted to Busta before his death, and serves as a sequel to 2007's Dillagence, the DJ Mick Boogie-hosted mixtape that first paired Busta's rapid-fire delivery with Dilla's production. Busta hosted a private New York listening session in February where early snippets hinted at a Lil Wayne collaboration.

Busta and Dilla worked together on songs including "Still Shining," "Turn Me Up Some" and "Show Me What You Got" across six of Busta's first seven solo albums. "I've always tried to represent and uphold the legacy of the late, great J Dilla," Busta said. "I think Dilla is probably top three best producers in the world."

Dilla helped define Detroit hip-hop as a founding member of Slum Village and produced for A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, The Roots, The Pharcyde and Common, whose track "The Light" is among his most celebrated works. He died of cardiac arrest on February 10, 2006, at 32, from complications tied to lupus and a rare blood disease he had battled for three years, releasing his final album Donuts just three days before his death.

Dillagence 2 is due August 25, 2026, and lands in the release calendar alongside Busta's other recent work, including Play If You Want with E-40.