Born to parents Geraldine Green (1947) and Trevor George Smith Sr, and he has a younger brother, Paul Smith. His parents divorced when he 10 years old. Busta’s time during the year of 1983 was that of change, his parents got divorced and his way of thinking was altered, during that year he also changed his religious beliefs and re-named himself ‘Born Justice God Allah’ because of the supreme sorts of names that he now believed in and looked up to. He discovered hip hop music through listening to the Zulu Beats Radio Show, something influenced him from that show and three years later he would form a group. Busta also went to school in the United Kingdom, where he lived in Blackpool, Preston and Morecambe. Ended up graduating from George Westinghouse High School in downtown Brooklyn.
As a youngster he played basketball, football and soccer.
His Panamanian baby-sitter, Aunt Mitzi, made him listen to all the rap radio stations. So, He would sit there at 2 in the morning rapping when he was supposed to be sleeping. I just couldn't be too loud or Mitzi's poodle would start dancing around and barking. One night, the poodle barked and Mitzi took my radio away. So he said, "I don't need that radio. I'll write my own rap songs." Busta Rhymes later became part of a B-Boy crew with mainly latinos, a couple of white kids, and Busta, the only black one. When he was about 10 years old after he moved from Brooklyn to Long Island, where he became a member of the crew when it was a big contest happening which the leader of the crew, Johnny Juice watched. Busta just came up to him like, "Are you Johnny Juice?" and Johnny answered like "Yeah." and he said he wanted to be down with this crew. He started poppin' and Johnny said he was dope so he said "We're about to do this contest" and they wanted to put him down with them, but he didn't know the routines. But they put him down anyways and they lost the contest because they didn't know where to put him in the routine. The next contest they had was more of a battle, for the crown of best b-boys in Long Island and they had their crew there and they won. Busta destroyed these other guys, when he was poppin. Johnny Juice says "even if you listen to his rhymes now, you can tell by the way he rhymes and the way he moves around he's really dope on the popping shit".
Before his leap to stardom, Rhymes, was a rambunctious middle-class kid from Long Island who wrote "rap poetry" and dropped out of high school to pursue a music career. "I really thought he'd be a dancer," says his mother, Geraldine Green. "At family cookouts he would win all the dance contests. He was always a showman." He reminds his worst job: “I used to work as a stock boy at a department store called Cheap John’s,” he says. “I knew that I couldn’t really wrap my head around doing that kind of work. Even if your heart is not in something, your mind has to at least be able to be willing to do it. So, I took the job and I worked for about two weeks, and then I quit.” Why?
“They just had me doing too much. I had to line up the roach sprays on the shelves and make sure they were all in order, facing the same way, with the logos facing the front. The dishwashing liquids, the detergents, the boxes that they came in when they came from the actual shipping companies that they were manufactured at. After I lined them up on the shelves, I had to cut up the cardboard boxes, fold them up neatly and tie them up so that they could do the recycling thing with them. After a couple paper cuts too many, and hands that were calloused and ashy and bruised, I said ‘this is definitely not the thing for me to continue to be doing.’”
Busta adds, “I used that as inspiration to go into the studio all the time when I had a free moment. After work, during my lunch break, traveling back and forth to work … to just apply myself creatively, and the opportunity finally came one day when I was downtown.” At 17, Rhymes landed a six-figure record deal.
LONS signing with Elektra
His first name as a rapper was Chill-o-ski, but he thought it was a corny name, and Chuck D from Public Enemy gave him a new name, Busta Rhymes. He got the name from an american football player from the eighties, George "Buster" Rhymes, and people always asked him to "Bust-a-rhyme", so the choice was easy. In the end of the eighties he met Charlie Brown at Turtlehook Middle School and they formed Leaders of the New School with Dinco "The rhyme scientist" D and Milo In De Dance (aka The Cut Monitor). They were on Rush Management. They was signed to Elektra Records December 12th 1989. First Recorded Appearance: “Mt. Airy Groove” from the Rubaiyat compilation, Elektra 1990. A&R Dante Ross heard about Leaders of the New School from Hank Shocklee [Bomb Squad] and Chuck D [Public Enemy] and them.He says "I knew they were one of their burgeoning groups and I also knew they didn't have a record deal. I heard they were performing and I went to check them out. I had just got my A&R gig at Elektra. I went there, saw them perform, grabbed them right after the performance and told them they had a record deal if they wanted one. LONS released 2 albums, "A future without a past" in 1991, and "T.I.M.E." in 1993. In 1992 Busta's girl was pregnant, but the baby died right after he was born, and Busta had big personal problems after that, but he got great support from his group members. In 93 they where divided because of ego in the group.
A couple of other things that made him well known before his solo career was a couple of cameo performances, among them A Tribe Called Quest's remix of "Scenario" with Leaders Of The New School, and the "Flava in ya ear remix" with Craig Mack and Rampage.
It took Busta three years before he released an album for Elektra, in 1996 he released "The Coming" with the hits "Woo hah! Got you all in check" featuring Rampage and "It's a party" featuring Zhane. while recording his debut album, he left the studio to check on his new SUV. He'd recently purchased the Toyota Land Cruiser, a giant vehicle that gives the impression of driving on an elevated track, for $40,000. Rhymes took the elevator down and came out on Broadway, in lower Manhattan, at 11:30 p.m. His ride was gone. Furious, he marched back inside and closed the door in the recording booth. "There was nothing I could do at that point, so I just vented that angry energy into three songs," he says. Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check, one of the tracks he completed by morning, went on to become a street anthem and crossover hit, his first ever.
There was a short gap between the release of Busta’s first album and his second album, but it came sooner than people imagined it to. Busta was sceptical about bootleggers copying the new album so for reviewing purposes he only sent out album samplers. In 1997 he released his second album, "When Disaster Strikes", and after that, his popularity exploded. 1998 became a very good year for Busta, he started his own clothing line, BUSHI designs, and released his third album "Extinction Level Event (The final world front)" and Flipmode Squad's debut "The Imperial". Flipmode Squad at that point included Busta Rhymes, Rah Digga, Spliff Star, Rampage, Baby Sham & Lord Have Mercy.
1999 became a year with problems for Busta, he had to visit the courthouse a couple of times because of child support, and police stopped his car and found an unregistered gun. He lost the case about child support, and he got a 5 year probation for the other case. Now Elektra started to shut him down with less studio time and promotion for his next album. Busta didn't like that, and took his squad over to J Records in 2001 after his fourth release in 2000, "Anarchy".
J Records
His first album at J was "Genesis", with the hits "What it is" featuring Kelis, "Break ya neck" & "Pass the courvoiser part 2" featuring Pharrell and P. Diddy. Now he is CEO for Flipmode Records. In november 2002 he released his most fervent album so far, "It Ain't Safe No More" with the singles "Make it clap" featuring Spliff Star, and a remix of it featuring Spliff Star and Sean Paul. Other achievements in 2002 was the movie roles he had in "Halloween: Resurrection" and "Narc". In 2003 his SUV was shot up with 6 bullets while he was in the Violator offices, that happened just a month after a couple of people shot inside their offices. The collaboration with Mariah Carey & Flipmode Squad named "I know what you want" on "It ain't safe no more" became Busta's biggest hit so far.
Aftermath
In February 2004, Flipmode Squad joined Aftermath Records, New members was added to the squad: M. Dollars, Labba and former Blackstreet Chauncey Black joined them. In March he got a six month probation sentence after pleading no contest to a charge that he assaulted a woman during a concert in Fall River, Massachusetts, in December 2002.
In November 2005 the first official single off the album "Touch it" was released to radio. The video premiered in December. He is now the father of four children (born in 93, 99, 00 and 02). In February, while making the second video for "The Big Bang"- the "Touch it remix" ft. Mary J. Blige, Missy, Rah Digga, Lloyd Banks, Papoose and DMX, one of his bodyguards, Israel Ramirez, who recently started working security for Busta as his jewelry handler, was shot and killed shortly after midnight outside of the Kiss The Cactus Production studio in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn, NY. According to eyewitnesses, the shooting was a result of an argument that began inside the studio and continued outside.
The Aftermath chief Dr. Dre said before the release of The Big Bang that ”All of sudden I’m hearing people in the streets talking about hos Busta’s back. In my mind, he never left, and that’s why I wanted to fuck with in the first place. He’s got that drive, and he never stops trying to top himself. Anybody who knows Busta knows that he’s always gonna come with heat." His third video from "The Big Bang" was released 10th May, "I love my bitch". The video features actress Gabrielle Union and the Black Eyed Peas' Will.i.am, who produced the song, but Kelis who is featured on the song, was not in the video. The single also features Kelis, but she's not featured in the video. Also changed is his appearance, as he has cut off his trademark dreadlocks as part of a personal renewal. "Eight years of court appearances later and I was awarded custody of my children," he explained. "My hair was remindful of the unnecessary rocks in my career and life. So it was time to shed the locks... I've got my career and family right." "The Big Bang" was released 13th June. The fourth video was released in July, "New York shit" and the fitth video came out in August, "In the ghetto". The album was certified Gold in that month too. This month he was also charged with an assault after the Amsterjam Music Festival on Randalls Island, and he was ticketed after police saw him talking on his mobile while driving past a Manhattan police station.
On January 3rd 2007 he turned himself in to police custody after he allegedly attacking someone on Boxing Day. Lt. John Grimpel said a man told police that Rhymes, had punched and kicked him repeatedly after an argument over money. On May 3rd was arrested on a drunk driving charge by police in New York City. Officers stopped Rhymes at about 12:40 a.m. because the sport utility vehicle he was driving had overly tinted windows, officers then smelled alcohol on the rapper's breath and he was subsequently arrested. was released on $7,500 bail, set by Judge Tanya Kennedy. After a 8th May court appearance, he was free to drive. Rhymes' lawyer said a judge ruled against a prosecution motion to suspend the rapper's license following the driving-while-intoxicated arrest. He also turned down a plea deal that day that would have sent him to jail for one year, the Manhattan district attorney's office said.
Bus appeared in a Super Bowl finale commercial for Pepsi Max Diet in February. Busta Rhymes pleaded guilty on 23rd January to assault, two driving infractions and weapons possession, avoiding a trial and the yearlong prison sentence recommended by prosecutors. But Judge Larry Stevens disagreed with prosecutors that Rhymes deserved time behind bars. Instead, he sentenced him to three years' probation and 10 days of community service for beating a fan who reportedly spat on his car in August 2006, and then assaulting his driver, Larry Hackett, that December. Rhymes was also fined $1,250 for driving with a suspended license in 2006 and driving while intoxicated in 2007. "I just want to say that I'm very grateful to the judge, I'm very grateful to the system. I believe in the system. It hasn't failed me personally yet," Rhymes, dressed in a crisp black pinstripe suit, said outside the courtroom.
"I'm just glad that all of this is finally behind me and I can go back to doing what I do best - making great music and great films and being a people person," he said.
His 8th solo album "Blessed" was set for a release in July 2008. First he called it "When Hell Freeze Over" then he changed it to "Back On My B.S.", a title Pharrell helped him come up with, last it was changed to "Blessed" in April 08. Rhymes was added to Projekt Revolution 2008 (summer tour), He was joining Linkin Park, Chris Cornell, The Bravery, and Ashes Divide on the main stage. After the first week of touring he had to leave the tour because of business matters; Late July he left Interscope, because they couldn't agree with Busta how to handle the final version of the album.
Motown
In September 08 he his new deal was announced, with Motown/Universal. He then re-titled his album to "Back On My B.S." The first single was released in October 2008, called "Arab Money" featuring Ron Browz. 2 remix videos with different guests were later releases in February 09. The second single, "Hustler's Anthem 09" was released in Febuary too. The third single's video "Respect My Conglomerate" was released in March. "Back On My B.S." was released May 19th 09, and entered the Billboard chart at #5, after a lot of delays; 1st July 08, 9th Dec. 08, 10th Feb. 09, 24th March 09). In June, the video for "If you don't know" was released. The video for "World Go Round" will be released soon.
10 Gun Commandment
Busta Rhymes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's the 10 gun commandments, what yeah
My gun toting niggas
Big ratchet handle (yeah)
My illegal gun smugglers (yeah)
See, it don't take much to
Learn a nigga something burn a nigga fast
You fix a nigga behavior real quick
Yeah, I've been in this game for years
I had a whole lot of fun
Because of some of you pussies now
I collect a lot of guns
My crib like Discovery channel
All solar planet once I palm the ratchet
You and your peeps can catch it
Hombre uno, every time you leave your home
Pack a couple gats and go, yeah you know
You better believe especially me
Would already be in my waistline
Tucked never giving a fuck
Number 2, in the nighttime hitting the move
Don't you know it's best busting
Off when silencers are silencers
His whole block
Have niggas shitting their self as soon
As they hearing the gun cock
Number 3, best believe I keep the shotty
In the line I'm on the trench
I don't bleed on no park bench
Now your mom, fuck the fingerprints
Keep the buckets with the acid
The Glocks they shoot is plastic
Number 4, gun niggas heard this before
Better clean that man before
Your Glock jammed number 5
Never bust your gun where you sleep son
Unless you fighting to live
Or protecting your crib
Number 6, you beat your ankle
Give him a sample
Let the MAC rip him in half, make an example
7, if your team pussy don't call 'em
Or on News 11 to be reporting
The death of 2 dumb niggas, died so sudden
While one nigga really deserved it
The other died for nothing
And number 8, don't ever move stupid in broad
Make sure you got you a bitch to
Bring your gat in the club
Number 9, when you bag your gun real quick
Before a nigga fronting
She in the bathroom with your shit
'Cause once they see you harmless
'cause they know you're armless
I could promise your spirit a lift
Like it's caught in a harness
Number 10, you make sure you got a long clip
You miss a couple times
It could still shoot a nigga shit
If you ain't got no ammunition
Better lay low
'Fore you get clapped while our
Audience watch you die slow
Follow these rules, keep the ratchet
Fuck the knife
Move accurate, plot the rules
Add years to your life
Shots burning, it cook the skin, trust me
But leaving him popped first before
A nigga bust me
Put bullets where your blunt be
Blood leaking out your ass like
Bitches on their monthly
It's fucked up the way a
Son's mother probably cuss me
Gotta bounce, gotta run
Then go load my guns B ugly
The lyrics of Busta Rhymes's "10 Gun Commandment" shed light on the rapper's perspective on gun culture and the rules he believes one should follow when dealing with firearms. The song starts off by emphasizing the importance of being knowledgeable about guns, with the phrase "It's the 10 gun commandments." Busta Rhymes addresses his "gun toting niggas" and "illegal gun smugglers," acknowledging the presence of illegal firearms in his community.
He then goes on to describe how quickly a gun can alter someone's behavior, mentioning that it doesn't take much for someone to learn a lesson or change their ways once confronted with a gun. The lyrics also highlight Busta Rhymes's experience in the music industry and how he has accumulated a collection of guns for protection.
Throughout the song, Busta Rhymes provides a set of rules to follow when it comes to guns. He emphasizes the importance of being armed and ready, suggesting that one should always carry a weapon for self-defense. He also mentions the need for silence when using a gun at night to avoid attracting attention. The lyrics touch on the significance of proper gun maintenance and safety, such as regularly cleaning the firearm to prevent malfunctions.
Busta Rhymes warns against using guns where one sleeps unless it is a matter of survival or protecting one's home. He also advises against associating oneself with weak or unreliable individuals, as it can lead to dangerous consequences. The song concludes by urging listeners to follow these rules and handle guns responsibly.
Overall, "10 Gun Commandment" provides Busta Rhymes's perspective on gun culture, highlighting the need for knowledge, safety, and taking responsibility when dealing with firearms.
Line by Line Meaning
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
These are the 10 gun commandments that I'm about to explain through these lyrics
It's the 10 gun commandments, what yeah
These lyrics are about the rules and guidelines for handling firearms
My gun toting niggas
This is dedicated to my friends who carry guns
Big ratchet handle (yeah)
Referring to a large weapon and its grip
My illegal gun smugglers (yeah)
Acknowledging those who illegally transport firearms
See, it don't take much to
It doesn't require much effort to
Learn a nigga something burn a nigga fast
Teach someone a lesson or cause harm to them quickly
You fix a nigga behavior real quick
You can effectively change someone's behavior
Flickmode bitch
A way of emphasizing the aggressive attitude associated with gun use
Yeah, I've been in this game for years
I have been involved in the firearms culture for a long time
I had a whole lot of fun
I derived enjoyment from it
Because of some of you pussies now
Due to certain weak individuals
I collect a lot of guns
I have amassed a significant number of firearms
My crib like Discovery channel
My home resembles a scene from a nature documentary
All solar planet once I palm the ratchet
When I hold a gun, my surroundings become chaotic
You and your peeps can catch it
You and your friends can become victims
Hombre uno, every time you leave your home
Listen up, whenever you go outside
Pack a couple gats and go, yeah you know
Carry a few guns with you, as you're aware
You better believe especially me
You should trust my advice, especially coming from me
Would already be in my waistline
I would already have a gun concealed on my person
Tucked never giving a fuck
Securely hidden, without caring about consequences
Number 2, in the nighttime hitting the move
Rule number 2, when engaging in illegal activities at night
Don't you know it's best busting
It's most effective to start shooting
Off when silencers are silencers
Using silencers when they are available
His whole block
The entire neighborhood
Have niggas shitting their self as soon
Make people fear and panic immediately
As they hearing the gun cock
Upon hearing the sound of a gun being prepared to fire
Number 3, best believe I keep the shotty
Rule number 3, you can trust that I have a shotgun
In the line I'm on the trench
In the dangerous path that I follow
I don't bleed on no park bench
I won't passively suffer or show weakness
Now your mom, fuck the fingerprints
Disregarding the evidence left behind, even if it involves harming someone's mother
Keep the buckets with the acid
Having containers of acid to dissolve evidence
The Glocks they shoot is plastic
The guns they shoot are fake
Number 4, gun niggas heard this before
Rule number 4, gun enthusiasts are familiar with this
Better clean that man before
Make sure your firearm is clean and functional before
Your Glock jammed number 5
If your Glock pistol malfunctions, rule number 5
Never bust your gun where you sleep son
Do not discharge your firearm where you reside, young man
Unless you fighting to live
Unless you are in a life-or-death situation
Or protecting your crib
Or defending your home
Number 6, you beat your ankle
Rule number 6, kick your opponent's ankle
Give him a sample
Use small actions to demonstrate your power
Let the MAC rip him in half, make an example
Use a MAC-10 machine gun to tear someone apart and serve as a warning
7, if your team pussy don't call 'em
Rule number 7, if your associates are weak, don't involve them
Or on News 11 to be reporting
Avoid having their deaths broadcasted on the news
The death of 2 dumb niggas, died so sudden
The demise of two foolish individuals, who met their end unexpectedly
While one nigga really deserved it
While one person truly deserved their fate
The other died for nothing
The other perished without purpose
And number 8, don't ever move stupid in broad
Rule number 8, never act foolishly in public
Make sure you got you a bitch to
Ensure that you have a woman to
Bring your gat in the club
Bring your firearm into the club
Number 9, when you bag your gun real quick
Rule number 9, when you swiftly grab your gun
Before a nigga fronting
Before someone tries to confront you
She in the bathroom with your shit
Hide your firearm in the restroom with a woman
'Cause once they see you harmless
Because if they perceive you as harmless
'cause they know you're armless
Because they know you are without a weapon
I could promise your spirit a lift
I can guarantee that you will meet a tragic end
Like it's caught in a harness
As if your spirit is trapped and inescapable
Number 10, you make sure you got a long clip
Rule number 10, ensure you have a large magazine
You miss a couple times
If you fail to hit your target a few times
It could still shoot a nigga shit
It can still cause severe damage
If you ain't got no ammunition
If you lack ammunition
Better lay low
It's best to stay hidden
'Fore you get clapped while our
Before you get shot while our
Audience watch you die slow
The spectators witness your slow demise
Follow these rules, keep the ratchet
Adhere to these guidelines, keep your firearm
Fuck the knife
Disregard the use of knives
Move accurate, plot the rules
Act precisely, strategize according to the rules
Add years to your life
By following these rules, you can prolong your lifespan
Shots burning, it cook the skin, trust me
Gunshots cause severe burns on the skin, believe me
But leaving him popped first before
But make sure to shoot him first before
A nigga bust me
He has a chance to shoot me
Put bullets where your blunt be
Aim bullets towards where you typically hold your blunt
Blood leaking out your ass like
Blood flowing from your rear end similar to
Bitches on their monthly
Women having their menstrual periods
It's fucked up the way a
It's messed up how a
Son's mother probably cuss me
A mother likely curses me for causing harm to her child
Gotta bounce, gotta run
I have to leave quickly, I have to run
Then go load my guns B ugly
And then prepare my firearms in an aggressive and intimidating manner
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Michael Basso
That was sick
RELAPSERR
lol he sounded just like biggie at the beginning
ZAC ATTACK
Vladtv on the cover !!