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. Bustaâs 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 âBorn Justice God Allahâ 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: âI used to work as a stock boy at a department store called Cheap Johnâs,â he says. âI knew that I couldnât 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.â Why?
âThey 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 âthis is definitely not the thing for me to continue to be doing.ââ
Busta adds, âI 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.â 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: âMt. Airy Grooveâ 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 Bustaâs 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 âAll of sudden Iâm hearing people in the streets talking about hos Bustaâs back. In my mind, he never left, and thatâs why I wanted to fuck with in the first place. Heâs got that drive, and he never stops trying to top himself. Anybody who knows Busta knows that heâs 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.
Been Through the Storm
Busta Rhymes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everything's still the same
Can't control how I feel
Sometimes it's hard to keep it real
You see the luxuries in life, with the fortune and fame
Like them Cadillacs with sunroofs man
So many ways to make a dollar
Huh, sometimes I think about my father
Tryin' to blend in with them city folk
Every day landlord knockin' down my do'
Wonderin' where my next blessing is comin' from
My momma and poppa, moved to the U.S. as Jamaicans
Struggled to get visas and green cards through immigration
Though my pop was po', stayed away from crime and malice
Hard living gave him hard hands and callous
As a youngin', peep how much they loved each other's space
His hard hands rubbin' against the pretty skin of my mother's face
Dig for treasure 'til his hands looked like hands of a junkie
So coarse, slap a mule and take the life from a donkey
On the other hand, mommy was the type to work two jobs
Never enough money, that's why I got your whole crew robbed
Got older, developed ways of grippin' the steel
Barely home for me to see her, or get a good cooked meal
Seek refuge in the alleged land of the free, lookin'
Blendin' in with city folk, down in Flat-bush Brooklyn
Feel a little of my pain, follow and sing to it
Homey I seen it all, if you ain't knowin' I been through it
In other words I
Got a little older, late teens, me and my crew would huddle
On the corner late nights, plottin' to escape struggle
Nights got cold and still would hustle in the same place
In front of Pancho Delis, now the freeze up on a nigga face
1987 Reaganomics ever curious
To visit other cities, out of town kick was serious
Guyanese jeans bounce, put whatever slinger on
Whatever slinger came back, quickly brought me right along
Nigga ran away from home
Doin different wild shit, just to put a pair of Filas on, 'Didas on
Wreck is all for the good, gettin' into shit
Like we innocent, actin' older than should
Walk around broke in the hood, watchin' all the rich niggas
These younger thugs who try to choke and try to get niggas
Thinkin' 'bout my mom and pop, while I'm monopolizin'
To hell with just gettin' by and economizin'
It's kinda hard bein' humble in the belly of struggle
Doin' things that probably get you in trouble
That's why we stay up on the block, gettin' money while we keepin' it safe
In front of churchgoers keepin' the faith
Mom and pop be worryin' for they son
Despite they struggle and their honest livin' look and see just what I become
A scavenger, in brute pursuit to be happy, another young'n that's wildin'
Across the line until somebody tryin' to cap me, oh shit
I been through the storm
Through the cold and rain
Everything's still the same
Can't control how I feel
Sometimes it's hard to keep it real
Yeah
Busta Rhymes's song "Been Through the Storm" is a reflection of his experiences growing up in poverty and struggling to make ends meet. The lyrics tell a story of his family's immigration to the US, his parents' hard work ethic, and the struggles he faced as a young adult trying to escape the cycle of poverty.
The first verse focuses on Busta's parents' struggle to make ends meet, with his father having calloused hands from digging and his mother working two jobs to support the family. Despite their hardships, they managed to blend into the community and provide for their family. The second verse is about Busta and his crew's struggle to escape poverty and make a better life for themselves. They hustled on the streets, trying to make money while keeping themselves safe. Busta reflects on his experiences and how they have shaped him into the person he is today.
Overall, the song provides an insightful glimpse into the life of someone who has been through the storm of poverty, struggle, and hardship. Busta Rhymes's powerful lyrics and delivery make it clear that he has a deep understanding of what it means to come from nothing and work hard to make something of oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
Been through the storm, through the cold and rain
I have faced difficult times in my life, including hardship and adversity
Everything's still the same
Despite my struggles, my life remains unchanged
Can't control how I feel
I often feel overwhelmed with emotions and unable to control them
Sometimes it's hard to keep it real
It can be difficult to be honest with myself and others about my feelings and experiences
You see the luxuries in life, with the fortune and fame
As someone who has achieved fame and wealth, I am exposed to the opportunities and advantages that come with it
Like them Cadillacs with sunroofs man
One example of the luxuries of life that I have encountered is driving a Cadillac with a sunroof
So many ways to make a dollar
There are endless ways to earn money, but not all of them are legal or ethical
Huh, sometimes I think about my father
I often reflect on the struggles and hardships that my father faced in his life
You see my poppa was broke, and my momma was young
My father was poor and my mother was young when they moved to the United States from Jamaica
Tryin' to blend in with them city folk
My parents had to adapt to city life and try to fit in with the local community
Every day landlord knockin' down my do'
My family lived in poverty, struggling to pay rent and avoid eviction
Wonderin' where my next blessing is comin' from
We often had to rely on luck and unforeseen blessings to make ends meet
My momma and poppa, moved to the U.S. as Jamaicans
My parents were born in Jamaica and immigrated to the United States
Struggled to get visas and green cards through immigration
The process of obtaining visas and green cards to stay in the United States was difficult and challenging for my parents
Though my pop was po', stayed away from crime and malice
My father remained honest and law-abiding despite his poverty and difficulties
Hard living gave him hard hands and callous
My father's difficult life led to him having rough hands and a tough exterior
As a youngin', peep how much they loved each other's space
Even as a child, I could see how much my parents loved each other and valued their own space and independence
His hard hands rubbin' against the pretty skin of my mother's face
Despite his tough exterior, my father was gentle and affectionate with my mother
Dig for treasure 'til his hands looked like hands of a junkie
My father worked hard every day to provide for our family, to the point where his hands were rough and worn
So coarse, slap a mule and take the life from a donkey
My father's hands were so rough and calloused that he could probably hurt a mule or donkey with a single slap
On the other hand, mommy was the type to work two jobs
My mother worked tirelessly to support our family, often working multiple jobs to make ends meet
Never enough money, that's why I got your whole crew robbed
Because we were always struggling to make ends meet, I resorted to criminal activity to support myself and those close to me
Got older, developed ways of grippin' the steel
As I grew older, I became more experienced with weapons and learned how to use them effectively
Barely home for me to see her, or get a good cooked meal
Because my mother was always working, I rarely saw her and rarely had a proper meal at home
Seek refuge in the alleged land of the free, lookin'
I came to the United States looking for freedom and a better life, but found that it was not always what it seemed
Blendin' in with city folk, down in Flat-bush Brooklyn
I had to adjust to life in the city and fit in with the local community, which was challenging at times
Feel a little of my pain, follow and sing to it
I hope that listeners can relate to and empathize with the pain and struggle that I have experienced
Homey I seen it all, if you ain't knowin' I been through it
I have experienced a lot of hardship and adversity, and have overcome many challenges in my life
Got a little older, late teens, me and my crew would huddle
As I grew older, I started hanging out with a crew and planning ways to get out of poverty and hardship
On the corner late nights, plottin' to escape struggle
We spent many late nights planning ways to escape our difficult situations and improve our lives
Nights got cold and still would hustle in the same place
Even in cold weather, we continued to work hard and hustle to make money
In front of Pancho Delis, now the freeze up on a nigga face
We often worked outside of Pancho Delis, even when the weather was freezing cold
1987 Reaganomics ever curious
The policies of the Reagan administration in 1987 influenced our lives and fueled our desire for economic freedom
To visit other cities, out of town kick was serious
We dreamed of leaving our current city and exploring other places, and took those dreams seriously
Guyanese jeans bounce, put whatever slinger on
We wore our Guyanese jeans with pride, and were willing to wear any kind of clothing that would help us blend in and fit in with our peers
Whatever slinger came back, quickly brought me right along
Anytime one of our crew members went out to do something, they would bring the rest of us along with them
Nigga ran away from home
At times, I felt like running away from my problems and my difficult home life
Doin different wild shit, just to put a pair of Filas on, 'Didas on
I engaged in risky and dangerous behavior to earn money so that I could buy the latest footwear, such as Fila and Adidas sneakers
Wreck is all for the good, gettin' into shit
We believed that our wild behavior was ultimately for the good, and that we were just trying to survive and make it out of poverty
Like we innocent, actin' older than should
Despite our risky behavior, we often acted like innocent children and tried to avoid getting into trouble with the law
Walk around broke in the hood, watchin' all the rich niggas
We were poor and struggling in our own neighborhood, while watching wealthy people live their lives in luxury
These younger thugs who try to choke and try to get niggas
Other young people in our neighborhood engaged in dangerous and violent behavior, and would attack and rob people for money
Thinkin' 'bout my mom and pop, while I'm monopolizin'
Despite my criminal behavior, I still thought about my parents and the struggles they had faced in their own lives
To hell with just gettin' by and economizin'
I was tired of just barely getting by financially and wanted more than just a life of poverty and hardship
It's kinda hard bein' humble in the belly of struggle
It can be difficult to stay humble and grounded when facing constant adversity and hardship in your life
Doin' things that probably get you in trouble
My behavior often put me in danger and could have led to me getting into serious trouble with the law
That's why we stay up on the block, gettin' money while we keepin' it safe
In order to stay safe and protect ourselves, we often worked and earned money in our own neighborhood
In front of churchgoers keepin' the faith
Despite our criminal behavior, we often worked in front of churches and tried to maintain some sense of faith and morality in our lives
Mom and pop be worryin' for they son
Despite my criminal behavior and risky lifestyle, my parents still cared for me and worried about my safety
Despite they struggle and their honest livin' look and see just what I become
Despite my parents' honest living and hard work, I still became involved in criminal behavior and dangerous situations
A scavenger, in brute pursuit to be happy, another young'n that's wildin'
I was chasing after happiness and success in the only way I knew how, even if it meant engaging in dangerous and criminal behavior
Across the line until somebody tryin' to cap me, oh shit
I went too far in my criminal behavior and put myself in danger of being shot or killed by someone else
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: MICHAEL J. CLERVOIX, ROBERT BRANDON SMITH, FELIX CAVALIERE, CARMEN MOORE, DEMETRIUS DEVONE VINES, TREVOR SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lamarcraven2314
I always thought Busta Rhymes shouldâve been nominated for award for this song the song still touches my heart to the day because everything heâs saying about his family his mother dad working hard his dadâs hands so torn up from work he still wants to touch his wifeâs face some of the most beautiful words Iâve ever heard from Busta Rhymes
@NoonIE909
Agree
@khuzwayongwenyama4785
A song that anyone who understands struggle can relate with. Timeless song
@DarkKnight-xp1jg
One of his best rhymes.
@motinav123
'Ś©Ś©'Ś©'Ś©Ś©'Ö°
@jefferylee1337
can listen to this on repeat all day
@geoffrayguy1421
Bonjour de France, ce son est une pure merveille, un joyau inestimable tellement il est rare. Magnifique, incroyable, merci Mister Rhymes
@DaveDaDude
Busta Rhymes - The Big bang album one of my favorite Busta albums! Straight fire
@Styliesinceninedeuce
Just take a second to marvel at how amazing this song is. The beat is so well layered with drums, piano licks, violins, synths, Dre's wash out mix and repeat all introduced by a harmonica solo. On top of it is Stevie Wonder straight singing and Busta Rhymes just killing it talking about the struggle to live. Then the track does a total 180 with a whole orchestra in the background as Stevie takes you out of the song. This had to be a reference for the now buried myth of Detox. Way too complex and if Dre released this one that means there are like 100 plus other tracks at least like this in his vault of material. Just saying.
@willcommon6164
Well said. And agreed.