North Carolina Artist Draws Mural Of Iconic Rapper Busta Rhymes
Iconic rapper Busta Rhymes just received accolades at the BET Awards for Lifetime Achievement. He’s been in the business for well over 30 years. Now, a North Carolina artist is giving him his flowers by drawing a giant mural of the rap great.
Award-winning sculptor, artist, and illustrator Dare Coulter is the woman behind the artwork. The mural has gotten national attention, but its home is in downtown Raleigh, NC. The mural is on the wall outside of the “Irregardless” restaurant, which is located at 901 W. Morgan Street. Two restaurant owners commissioned Coulter to complete the project.
Coulter says she was moved to create the mural after seeing a photo of the rapper kissing his son headed off to college several years ago. Busta made that post on his Instagram account back in 2017. According to Durham, NC’s The Triangle Tribune, the mural shows Busta embracing his son as a tribute to Black fatherhood. Painted on the bottom right-hand corner of the mural is, “I hope you turn out better than me” is painted.
The artwork was commissioned by the restaurant owner, Lee Robinson, and the building’s owner, David Meeker.
Coulter told the Tribune, “All of my work focuses on positive imagery of Black people—depictions of joy, depictions of family, depictions of love. For me, that photo is the epitome of that.”
Among her other notable work: she has illustrated nine children’s books, including Kwame Alexander’s “An American Story”; a commissioned painting of Nina Simone for the National Trust for Historic Preservation to raise funds to restore the singer’s childhood home in Tryon, North Carolina; and a 200-foot mural in Greensboro honoring Black cowboys.