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.
Case Of The P.T.A.
Busta Rhymes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh man, oh man, oh man, oh man
Yo, yo, yo, I can't understand
Why the parents and the teachers
And everybody trying to o the kids
The young generation yo,
What's the deal bro, Charlie Brown, man
I don't know what the deal is
You have to ask my partna Dinco D
Yo yo tell us D tell us D
Mass confusion g, I don't know what's up
Hey yo man
(it's just another case of that old pta)
Huh man
[Dinco D]
In school I wrote notes and took quotes from Shakespeare
And other types of rhymes to show you that I (care)
But things like together forever to you my only one (only one)
It was special I can say it was another one
You would say someone's knocking at my window
(Knock knock)
Someone's ringing my bell
(Ding dong)
It's about two in the morning
(Hey yo g, what the hell's going?)
(it's just another case of that old pta)
But never the less here goes to show my potential
And even though our love was three-dimensional
One (me) two (you) three (your pops) now what am I to do
I had to transform into educated lad
Going around doing chores for your dad
Playing a duck, wearing sweaters and shoes
Chilling with pop just listen to the blues
And talking to your mom about a love for her daughter
Suggesting to me that I just oughta
Watch myself
(Inch by inch)
Watch myself
(And use some sense)
So I did
(Hey)
It didn't do a damn thing
But a case to complain, so now I sing
(it's just another case of that old pta)
[Busta]
Roar Busta Rhymes the mighty infamous
Always misbehaving and mischievous
Causing aggravation I'll never pause
Pushing out spit balls through plastic straws
(In class)
In gym I got caught at last
For lighting up the courtyard grass
(Hey)
Teacher, teacher, go to the flesh
(Busta Rhymes liked to killed the complex)
Hey yo
In class, kicked it to this girl Cheryl
(what?)
The teacher try to tell me I was Pharoah
(NO NO NO)
I'm not with detention no no with suspension
A child's wickedy wild the Calbridge Hill styles
Teach us just a knowledge to go talk to my mommy
Now when she gets home, she's gonna wear out the body
I hate this relationship, the mom and teacher
When she reaches home hey yo she knows that I reached ya
Ok, of today I am the new school, pray
Between my momma, teacher, and my dad hey yo
(it's just another case of that old pta)
[Charlie Brown]
Yo teachers hate me the girls don't take me
Because I'm C Brown
(Class clown)
Getting still sometimes I chill yo
Depending on the day and (HOW I FEEL)
Sometimes I leave an apple that's rotten and (BROWN)
No where to be found
Poll tax on sheets, five days a week
Arrive in the lunchroom, I gotta get some sleep
But I didn't do it
(You did it)
I'm suspended
(You was with it)
And now it's time to pay for the crime
That I never got caught like Judge Wapner
(Bam! take on the court)
A room of teachers, parents, and preachers
A principal and one kid dress in sneakers
Case of brown versus the board
(Order order)
Yo twelve, verse one is a slaughter
I pleaded my case
Face to face
It was a waste
And everyone was in place yo
He announced me guilty you have
(Three hundred sixty four days)
Of detention to serve
(Some nerve)
I felt this could be from (Pissed)
The head of the board said "case dismissed"
As I walk out the room I hear them say
(its just another case of that old PTA)
The lyrics of Busta Rhymes and the Leaders of the New School's song "Case of the PTA" detail the frustrations and rebellion of young people against the parental and educational authorities. In the song's verses, each rapper takes turns sharing their experiences of being misunderstood, punished, and criticized by parents and teachers. Charlie Brown laments that he doesn't know what's happening and is suspended, while Dinco D tries to prove his love and meets criticism from the girl's mother. Busta Rhymes admits to being mischievous, getting suspended and facing disapproval from both his teacher and his mother.
The song was released in 1991, and it reflects the era's societal conflicts between the young generation, their parents, and their educators. At that time, hip-hop had become the voice of black and urban youth, challenging the institutions' status quo and expressing their dissatisfaction. "Case of the PTA" was an example of how hip-hop could tackle social and political issues while remaining entertaining and danceable.
The song's themes have influenced other rap songs in the years since its release, with artists exploring similar topics of rebellion and disadvantage. The track's unique approach to self-expression has also earned its place in hip hop's canon of legendary protest songs.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh man, oh man, oh man, oh man
Expression of frustration and disbelief
Yo, yo, yo, I can't understand
I don't understand what's going on
Why the parents and the teachers
Expressing confusion as to why the adults are acting the way they are
And everybody trying to do the kids
The adults are interfering with the children's lives
The young generation yo
Referring to the upcoming generation of young people
What's the deal bro, Charlie Brown, man
Asking what's going on, addressing Charlie Brown
I don't know what the deal is
Charlie Brown doesn't know what's going on either
You have to ask my partna Dinco D
Charlie Brown suggests asking Dinco D for an explanation
Mass confusion g, I don't know what's up
Dinco D is confused, doesn't understand what's going on either
Hey yo man
Interjection to bring attention before continuing
(it's just another case of that old pta)
Commenting on the situation as being typical of the PTA
In school I wrote notes and took quotes from Shakespeare
Talking about studying literature in school
And other types of rhymes to show you that I (care)
Memorizing poetry to demonstrate care or appreciation
But things like together forever to you my only one (only one)
Referencing a love note he wrote in school
It was special I can say it was another one
Suggesting it was a unique, one-of-a-kind expression of love
You would say someone's knocking at my window
Referencing a common phrase about someone knocking on a door or window
(Knock knock)
Mimicking the sound someone makes when knocking on a door or window
Someone's ringing my bell
Mimicking the sound someone makes when ringing a doorbell
(Ding dong)
Mimicking the sound someone makes when ringing a doorbell
It's about two in the morning
Set up for a joke situation late at night
(Hey yo g, what the hell's going on?)
Asking what's happening
But nevertheless here goes to show my potential
Even though he was doing things like writing love notes in school, he still had potential
And even though our love was three-dimensional
Continuing with the love note metaphor
One (me) two (you) three (your pops) now what am I to do
Assuming a potential love triangle
I had to transform into educated lad
He had to change his behavior to be viewed more positively by adults
Going around doing chores for your dad
Doing things to try and impress his love interest's father
Playing a duck, wearing sweaters and shoes
Dressing up like a duck to entertain his love interest's family
Chilling with pop, just listening to the blues
Spending time with his love interest's father, listening to music
And talking to your mom about a love for her daughter
Interacting with his love interest's mother, discussing feelings toward her daughter
Suggesting to me that I just oughta
Giving advice about his behavior
Watch myself
Telling him to be careful with his actions
(Inch by inch)
Slowly but surely
(And use some sense)
Apply common sense to his behavior
So I did
He followed the advice and tried to be more responsible
(Hey)
Interjection to draw attention back to the story
It didn't do a damn thing
Despite his attempts to improve, it didn't make a difference to his situation
But a case to complain, so now I sing
He's singing about his situation because he has nothing else to do about it
Roar Busta Rhymes the mighty infamous
Introducing himself with an exaggerated self-description
Always misbehaving and mischievous
Acknowledging his reputation as a troublemaker
Causing aggravation I'll never pause
He won't stop causing trouble
Pushing out spit balls through plastic straws
He's making fun of the school environment and his own behavior within it
(In class)
Clarifying that these things are happening in his classroom
In gym I got caught at last
He was finally caught doing something he shouldn't be doing in gym class
For lighting up the courtyard grass
Inflaming and damaging the grass in the school courtyard
Teacher, teacher, go to the flesh
Teachers getting physically hurt
(Busta Rhymes liked to kill the complex)
Another exaggeration of his behavior
Hey yo
Interjection to bring attention before continuing
In class, kicked it to this girl Cheryl
He's describing a past situation where he flirted with a girl named Cheryl
(what?)
Asking for clarification or reiteration
The teacher try to tell me I was Pharoah
The teacher scolded him for his behavior, calling him out by name like a pharaoh
(NO NO NO)
Protesting the teacher's assertion
I'm not with detention no no with suspension
He doesn't want to get in trouble again
A child's wickedy wild the Calbridge Hill styles
Describing his wild and unruly behavior
Teach us just a knowledge to go talk to my mommy
Modeling the idea that you need your parents to solve your problems
Now when she gets home, she's gonna wear out the body
His mom is going to be very upset about his behavior
I hate this relationship, the mom and teacher
He doesn't like that his mom and his teacher seem to be working together against him
When she reaches home hey yo she knows that I reached ya
He's acknowledging that his mom knows he's in trouble again
Ok, of today I am the new school, pray
He's starting to try harder and do better, with prayer for success
Between my momma, teacher, and my dad hey yo
Referring to the people in his life who are in charge of him or discipline him
Yo teachers hate me, the girls don't take me
He's disliked by teachers and girls at school
Because I'm C Brown
Referencing his name, causing him to stand out or be disliked
(Class clown)
Describing himself as the class clown
Getting still sometimes I chill yo
Despite his wild behavior, sometimes he can be calm and relaxed
Depending on the day and (HOW I FEEL)
His mood varies from day to day, affecting his behavior
Sometimes I leave an apple that's rotten and (BROWN)
He sometimes does things to be funny or mischievous
No where to be found
His pranks and tricks can't be traced back to him
Poll tax on sheets, five days a week
According to Genius, this line is unclear
Arrive in the lunchroom, I gotta get some sleep
He's tired and needs a nap
But I didn't do it
He's claiming innocence for something he was accused of doing
(You did it)
Someone is accusing him anyway
I'm suspended
He's in trouble and not allowed to attend school
(You was with it)
Someone is accusing him of being involved in the situation
And now it's time to pay for the crime
He's facing consequences for his actions
That I never got caught like Judge Wapner
Referring to a TV show where people were tried and caught for their crimes, unlike him
(Bam! take on the court)
Making a sound effect for the judge's gavel hitting
A room of teachers, parents, and preachers
A room full of adults who are judging him
A principal and one kid dress in sneakers
He's singled out as the one in trouble
Case of brown versus the board
Referencing a court case where he's being judged
(Order order)
The judge is making an order for order and quiet in the courtroom
Yo twelve, verse one is a slaughter
Referring to a jury of twelve who are all judging him and not on his side
I pleaded my case
He tried to explain himself and defend his actions
Face to face
He spoke to the adults judging him in person
It was a waste
His defense was not successful
And everyone was in place yo
Everyone was there and present for the judgment and punishment
He announced me guilty you have
The judge announced him guilty
(Three hundred sixty four days)
A year-long punishment
Of detention to serve
He has to serve his punishment in detention
(Some nerve)
Expressing frustration and disbelief at his punishment
I felt this could be from (Pissed)
He's angry and upset about the situation
The head of the board said "case dismissed"
Someone in charge decided to dismiss the case and let him go
As I walk out the room I hear them say
People are talking about him as he's leaving the judgment room
(it's just another case of that old PTA)
People are dismissive of his situation as just another example of the PTA's actions
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRYAN HIGGINS, JAMES JACKSON, TREVOR SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@RancidKari
This song was in the Boondocks Unaired Pilot !
@amuroray9115
Yup. People are probably trying to find the name of it
I just watched it
@RD-wg9em
Brought me here, glad it did
@person849
I love how happy these videos were.. No sexual distractions either. Just real lyrics, flow and beat.
@lateshiachilds3640
Same here
@amerokeewiya1320
Yessssss
@y3404
theyre literally talking about girls in the song
@nodnarb2151
@@y3404 they're not being vulgar of the point.
@frankromero965
This was better real music still lives on thank u no mumble rap keep it real!!
@johngarrett9418
Busta Rhymes really came into his own as a standout in this group. Hands down.