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. Bustaβs 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 βBorn Justice God Allahβ 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: βI used to work as a stock boy at a department store called Cheap Johnβs,β he says. βI knew that I couldnβt 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.β Why?
βThey 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 βthis is definitely not the thing for me to continue to be doing.ββ
Busta adds, βI 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 β¦ to just apply myself creatively, and the opportunity finally came one day when I was downtown.β 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: βMt. Airy Grooveβ 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 Bustaβs 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 βAll of sudden Iβm hearing people in the streets talking about hos Bustaβs back. In my mind, he never left, and thatβs why I wanted to fuck with in the first place. Heβs got that drive, and he never stops trying to top himself. Anybody who knows Busta knows that heβs 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.
Ante Up
Busta Rhymes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Attention please, attention please
This shit here feels like a whole entire world collapsed
Motherfucker! Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Yeah, yeah, yeah (yeah) yeah
Yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah)
Blunt(blunt) blunt (blunt) blunt (blunt) blunt (blunt) blunt
Busta Rhymes now, M.O.P. Now
What you want now? (What you want now?)
(What you want want want want want want blunt blunt)
Ante up! No, cut that fool
They want to act stupid gun-butt that fool
When I cock that tool, nigga run your damn jewels
'Fore we fuck around and lay you up in your own blood pool, nigga
Hunt you down nigga, run your ass down
Unleash the hounds 'til them niggas'll gun your ass down (stop it)
You frontin' like this was a thing of the past
With tattoos over the scars a nigga left on your ass
My niggas think lopsided, bust, they got cross-sided
In the subways they rob trains runnin' along-side it
(Blunt blunt) see motherfucker we don't play for that shit
And if you want your shit back you had to pay for that shit
You little costume niggas, romper-room niggas
Get you in the night or early in the afternoon niggas
We takin' your whole shit while we pass through
Even the shirt off your back, nigga run that too (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I catch you backstage, give me the keys to the Escalade
You think you cute hoe? Take off them Gucci shades
I get my dogs to do you dirty, they all seven-thirty
Rock a ski-mask, whether it's June or February
I take your show money (ohh) take your 'dro money (ohh)
Yo yap that fool, 'cause I don't know money
For my peeps that hate slow money, I put them in the industry
So they can come and take all your money
Wish I could bring pun back
(Blaow!) bitch, run that!
(Blaow!) bitch, run that! (Blaow!) bitch, run that
So keep actin' like you don't know where the funds at
And I'ma show y'all motherfuckers where the guns at
Ante up! Yo, yap that bitch
She try to spaz out, then smack that bitch
Hoe you don't be rhymin', you still memorizin'
Remi want them goddamn diamonds (huh)
Ante up! Yap that fool
Ante up! Kidnap that fool
It's the perfect timin', you see the man shinin'
Get up off them go damn diamonds (huh!)
Ante up! Yap that fool
Ante up! Kidnap that fool
Get him (get him) get him, hit him (hit him) hit him
Yap him (zap him) yap him (zap him)
Ante up! Yap that fool
Fuck hip-hop, rip pockets, snatch jewels
Ante up
What? My whole family nuts
Run up yo' stash house, tie granny up
Make you strip butt-naked
Young buck got struck with the gun butt (for what?)
For tryin' to tuck the necklace
I'm young hungry armed and reckless
On the streets with a death wish
Don't hide when you see me, I'm on the guestlist
Ante up!
Show no mercy, B.K., nigga, thirsty thirsty
We bang hollows, you misrepresentin' The game
motherfucker you lame and your chain hollow
Hit him (hit him) hit him, flash the tech
Yap your chain, smash the lens in your specs
Listen it's, lil' fame right?
With that Brownsville mentality to Shanghai
Hey yo I'm firin' out a coppertop city, with a whole empire
A clip full of blue-tips and a hand full of fire
Eat deep dirt nigga (yep)
It's berk' I put in work until it hurt nigga (step)
Easy out the truck punk, 'fore I leave your ass leakin'
I'ma bang 'til the springs in this thang start squeakin'
Die cocksucker, boom bap boom bap
Aight motherfucker, what's wrong with you?
Ante up! Yap that fool
Ante up! Kidnap that fool
It's the perfect timin', you see the man shinin'
Get up off them god damn diamonds (huh!)
Ante up! Yap that fool
Ante up! Kidnap that fool
Get him (get him) get him, hit him (hit him) hit him
Yap him (zap him) yap him (zap him)
Hahahahaha
What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck, nigga
What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck
What the fuck, what the fuck, huh? Uh
Mutherfucker
Yeah
The lyrics to Busta Rhymes feat M.O.P.βs song βAnte Upβ are full of aggression and violence. The song paints a picture of a world where there are no rules, and people are willing to do whatever it takes to get ahead, even if it means hurting others. The first few lines of the song immediately grab the listener's attention with its attention-grabbing ad-libs βMotherfucker! Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh, Yeah, yeah, yeah (yeah) yeah, Yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah), Blunt(blunt) blunt (blunt) blunt (blunt) blunt (blunt) blunt.β The rappers are telling the world that they are not here to play games, but instead, they are serious about their craft, and they won't let anyone mess with them.
The chorus βAnte up! Yo, yap that bitch, She try to spaz out, then smack that bitchβ talks about the consequences of being disrespectful. If anyone tries to step out of line or be disrespectful, they will face the consequences. Similarly, the lyric βFuck hip-hop, rip pockets, snatch jewelsβ tells listeners that this is not just a song but a lifestyle. They are not just making music; they are living the life that they are rapping about. The βAnte Upβ lyrics celebrate the life of being a gangster and living on the edge. It shows that sometimes in life, you have to do whatever it takes to get ahead, even if it is not morally right.
Line by Line Meaning
Where did all mutherfuckers go?
I am wondering where all the people went.
Attention please, attention please
I need everyone to listen to what I'm about to say.
This shit here feels like a whole entire world collapsed
The current situation is extremely chaotic and overwhelming.
Motherfucker! Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
I am expressing strong emotions about the current situation.
Yeah, yeah, yeah (yeah) yeah
I am agreeing with something that has been said.
Yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah)
I am showing enthusiasm and excitement.
Blunt(blunt) blunt (blunt) blunt (blunt) blunt (blunt) blunt
I am referring to smoking marijuana.
Busta Rhymes now, M.O.P. Now
I am introducing myself and my collaborators.
What you want now? (What you want now?)
(What you want want want want want want blunt blunt)
I am asking what is wanted or needed and also referencing smoking marijuana.
Ante up! No, cut that fool
I am ordering someone to raise their wager or pay more money.
They want to act stupid gun-butt that fool
If someone is acting in a foolish or stupid way, they will be physically assaulted.
When I cock that tool, nigga run your damn jewels
'Fore we fuck around and lay you up in your own blood pool, nigga
If someone does not give up their valuables, they will be physically harmed.
Hunt you down nigga, run your ass down
Unleash the hounds 'til them niggas'll gun your ass down (stop it)
We will relentlessly pursue and possibly kill anyone who crosses us.
You frontin' like this was a thing of the past
With tattoos over the scars a nigga left on your ass
Someone is pretending that a past conflict has been resolved, but they still bear physical scars.
My niggas think lopsided, bust, they got cross-sided
In the subways they rob trains runnin' along-side it
My associates have a unique way of thinking and will rob trains that run parallel to subway tracks.
(Blunt blunt) see motherfucker we don't play for that shit
And if you want your shit back you had to pay for that shit
We take theft seriously and require payment for stolen items to be returned.
You little costume niggas, romper-room niggas
Get you in the night or early in the afternoon niggas
We will attack and rob anyone, anytime and anywhere.
We takin' your whole shit while we pass through
Even the shirt off your back, nigga run that too (yeah, yeah, yeah)
We are taking everything that belongs to you, including your clothing.
I catch you backstage, give me the keys to the Escalade
You think you cute hoe? Take off them Gucci shades
If I catch someone backstage, they need to hand over their belonging and not look too self-important.
I get my dogs to do you dirty, they all seven-thirty
Rock a ski-mask, whether it's June or February
My associates will perform violent acts on someone, always wearing ski masks.
I take your show money (ohh) take your 'dro money (ohh)
Yo yap that fool, 'cause I don't know money
I am taking both your earnings from the industry and from selling drugs.
For my peeps that hate slow money, I put them in the industry
So they can come and take all your money
I help my associates break into the industry so they can make money by taking it from others.
Wish I could bring pun back
(Blaow!) bitch, run that!
(Blaow!) bitch, run that! (Blaow!) bitch, run that
So keep actin' like you don't know where the funds at
And I'ma show y'all motherfuckers where the guns at
I wish my friend Pun was still alive. If people continue to act like they don't have the money, I will reveal the location of my weaponry and use it against them.
Ante up! Yo, yap that bitch
She try to spaz out, then smack that bitch
Raise the stakes and if a woman starts acting violently, discipline her.
Hoe you don't be rhymin', you still memorizin'
Remi want them goddamn diamonds (huh)
A woman who is not a good rapper is still trying to memorize lyrics and we want her diamonds.
Ante up! Yap that fool
Ante up! Kidnap that fool
I am demanding a higher price for my services and threatening to kidnap someone if demands are not met.
It's the perfect timin', you see the man shinin'
Get up off them go damn diamonds (huh!)
This is the perfect opportunity to steal someone's jewelry while they are distracted.
Get him (get him) get him, hit him (hit him) hit him
Yap him (zap him) yap him (zap him)
Fuck hip-hop, rip pockets, snatch jewels
Ante up
We will hurt someone to steal their belongings and we do not care about the ethics of the hip-hop community.
What? My whole family nuts
Run up yo' stash house, tie granny up
Make you strip butt-naked
Young buck got struck with the gun butt (for what?)
For tryin' to tuck the necklace
I'm young hungry armed and reckless
On the streets with a death wish
Don't hide when you see me, I'm on the guestlist
My family is insane and will rob someone's house, then forcing them to undress in order to take as much as their inheritance as possible. Anyone who gets in our way will be struck with a gun, but I don't care because I am young and brimming with confidence.
Show no mercy, B.K., nigga, thirsty thirsty
We bang hollows, you misrepresentin' The game motherfucker you lame and your chain hollow
We will show no mercy to those who misrepresent our gang and we know that someone's jewelry is not real.
Hit him (hit him) hit him, flash the tech
Yap your chain, smash the lens in your specs
We will beat someone violently while taking their jewelry and breaking their glasses.
Listen it's, lil' fame right?
With that Brownsville mentality to Shanghai
Hey yo I'm firin' out a coppertop city, with a whole empire
A clip full of blue-tips and a hand full of fire
My name is Lil' Fame and I have the same mindset as someone from Brownsville, but I'm making deals across the world. I will attack with a fully loaded gun.
Eat deep dirt nigga (yep)
It's berk' I put in work until it hurt nigga (step)
Easy out the truck punk, 'fore I leave your ass leakin'
I'ma bang 'til the springs in this thang start squeakin'
I am willing to get my hands dirty to finish my work, even if I get hurt in the process. I will leave the scene quickly because I just shot someone.
Die cocksucker, boom bap boom bap
Aight motherfucker, what's wrong with you?
I literally want someone to die and I'm upset with that person.
Get up off them god damn diamonds (huh!)
Hahahahaha
What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck, nigga
What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck
What the fuck, what the fuck, huh? Uh
Mutherfucker
I am still insistent on getting someone's jewelry and getting away with it.
Lyrics Β© Spirit Music Group
Written by: DARRYL PITTMAN, ERIC MURRAY, JEMAL GERARD GRINNAGE, LINWOOD K. STARLING, TREVEOR SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@evelyngraham2487
who else felt like dmx should have been in this?
@pisskkoo4536
would've been craaazyyyy
@user-wu6yr4em2f
I agree
@mobbstarr4lyfe947
And Tech Nyne
@kylepugh4910
dmx βΊ
@VengefulBatz
And Ol Dirty.
@Slamdog500
Kids these days will never understand how big of a hit this was during 2000s edit: this song 2003, YouTube started 2005, Spotify 2006, iPhone 2008. Ante Up Remix had a worldwide following. Clubs all over the planet were playing this from Brazil to Germany to Japan everyone was hyping this gem β€οΈ
Edit Remy goes soooo hard damn β€οΈ
@babitajain3235
π
@babitajain3235
True
@killary_Banx
Lyricism at its finest!