Bushwick Bill was not one to be starstruck. Once, he walked straight up to Michael Jackson and struck up a conversation, completely unfazed. This intriguing encounter was recounted by Bill’s son, Lil Bushwick, on the B High TV podcast.
According to Lil Bushwick, both the Geto Boys and Michael Jackson had shows in Japan around the same time. During their travels, Bushwick Bill approached Jackson as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Even the Geto Boys’ DJ and Big Mike attested to the story, noting Bill’s nonchalant demeanor.
Lil Bushwick shared, “He’d just do that, that’s just him. That’s just how he was. He didn’t see nobody different. He didn’t care who you was and that’s why everybody recognized who he was because he was that it-factor in every room he was in.” Despite not knowing the exact details of their conversation, his son emphasized that there was mutual respect and affection between the two artists.
Years later, in 2019, Bushwick Bill faced a tough battle with an illness. Shortly after revealing his diagnosis to TMZ Live, he had plans for a final Geto Boys reunion tour. However, just a day before it was set to start, Bill canceled the tour, fearing that his health would fail him on the road. According to his son, Bill was admitted to the hospital on May 23, 2019, with walking pneumonia exacerbated by chemotherapy.
Lil Bushwick recalled, “My dad was so sick, but he was literally just trying to put shows together and work. Right after chemo sessions, he’d head straight to the studio. I was in the studio with him for like 23 hours sessions. While I was falling asleep tired, he’d get on me and be like, ‘You got to be up. We got to work.’ He was that determined to finish that project. The man barely slept.”
Ultimately, Bill made the difficult decision to stop chemotherapy as he felt it was doing more harm than good. “He felt his body getting weaker and worse,” his son explained. A hospital visit confirmed his fears; he had walking pneumonia. Bushwick Bill believed that had he gone on the tour, he would have died on the road, making the tour’s title, ‘The Beginning of a Long Goodbye,’ eerily accurate.
The commitment Bushwick Bill showed towards his music and his fans remained evident until the end. His larger-than-life personality and fearless attitude were not just traits remembered by his family but by the artists who knew him, including the legendary Michael Jackson.
Bushwick Bill’s legacy is one of boldness and dedication, from confidently approaching Michael Jackson to relentlessly pursuing his music even in the face of illness. His story remains an inspiration for many.
