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.
Everything Remains Raw
Busta Rhymes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey! hey yo yo yo, yo! Let me fuck up your mind
On time, showing, you the, rhythm
As I get wreck and get raw
Yeah I be the man, coming off, that be raw
It's busta rhymes giving you much more
So
Knucklehead flow that make you act real dumb
Yo (yo), I burn your food like florence
Run up in your crib like my name was search warrants
Shut your mouth nigga don't you complain
Fix you up, mix you with cut like pro-caines
Ooh! Insane to your brain
Right on your subconscious, I leave my shit stain
I be the mostest with rhyme overdoses
Hot stepping over shit like ini kamoze's
Sick lyrics like multiple sclerosis
Focus, while I display flows ferocious
Weak niggaz just fall and keep tumbling
Distribute lyrics like I'm hand to hand herb hustling
Hardcore like quick draw mcgraw
Fuck what you heard you ain't heard this before
I make sure everything remains raw
Yo, when I step in the place I leave damages
Nuff bandages on pussy from miscarriages
Yo, watch me bring the newest recipe
Fuck you up quick and condemn you all with leprosy
Let me hit you with flows, that come various
Hahh, send you home and make you lie bout your alias
Ha-ha, niggaz can't see my routine
When I round up my flipmode niggaz and get cream
Hey, you! You know what the fuck I mean
Now I'm on the scene, stepping through like mean joe green
Now I'm making you feel the extreme
Till I black you out then turn on my real high beam
Oh shit, now I got your brains fried
Once you inhale smoke from my flow, carbon monoxide!
Use your imagination, let me take you higher
Rain hail snow earthquakes, earth wind & fire
Yo, hit the dirt, get on the floor
I'm that outlaw nigga living right next door
You should just roll out the red carpet
All movin targets, I got you open like supermarkets
(Word up, word up) yo yo, there's only five years left
While niggaz is scared to death they breathe they last breath
Days of my life goes on, word is bond
I make you feel my proton, neutron, and electron
Yo, I be the number one icon
Word to the holy qu'ran, I rock on and on
On and on, hey, on and on and on
You won't understand when I form voltron
Hahahaha, everything remains raw
I make sure everything remains raw
In "Everything Remains Raw," Busta Rhymes delivers aggressive and boastful rhymes over a hard-hitting beat that's reminiscent of the golden age of hip hop. The song opens with Busta declaring that he's going to mess with the listener's mind while showing them the rhythm. From there, he goes on to spit increasingly intense bars aimed at his competition. He boasts that he's the best, and that his rhymes are so sick they'll leave a lasting impression on the listener's brain.
Throughout the song, Busta uses metaphors and similes to compare himself to everything from a search warrant to the elements of nature. His lyrics are filled with internal rhymes and clever wordplay, and he delivers them with a frenzied energy that makes it clear he's not to be messed with. He closes out the song by repeating the phrase "everything remains raw," emphasizing that he's going to keep bringing the fire no matter what.
Overall, "Everything Remains Raw" is a powerful display of Busta Rhymes' lyrical abilities and his ability to command a beat. It's a classic example of the aggressive, raw style of hip hop that dominated in the mid-90s, and it still stands up as a high point of the genre.
Line by Line Meaning
Word up, let me just fuck with your mind, please
Listen up, I'm about to mess with your head
On time, showing, you the, rhythm
I'm precise with my timing and here to show you my flow
As I get wreck and get raw
I'm about to demolish this beat with my raw talent
Yeah I be the man, coming off, that be raw
I'm the man with the skills that can't be touched
It's busta rhymes giving you much more
You're getting way more than you bargained for with Busta Rhymes on the mic
Yo y'all (y'all) one more time I come
Here I am once again, ready to rock the crowd
Knucklehead flow that make you act real dumb
My flow is so powerful it might just make you lose your mind
Yo (yo), I burn your food like florence
My rhymes are so hot they'll cook your meal for you
Run up in your crib like my name was search warrants
I can barge into your home like a police search warrant
Shut your mouth nigga don't you complain
Don't talk back, just listen to the rhymes
Fix you up, mix you with cut like pro-caines
I can blend styles together like the drug procaine
Ooh! Insane to your brain
My rhymes are so intense they might just drive you crazy
Right on your subconscious, I leave my shit stain
My rhymes will leave a lasting impression on your subconscious
I be the mostest with rhyme overdoses
I'm the best at delivering rhymes that'll knock you out
Hot stepping over shit like ini kamoze's
I'm moving effortlessly and effortlessly rhyming like Ini Kamoze did on his hit song
Sick lyrics like multiple sclerosis
My rhymes are so sick, they're like a debilitating disease
Focus, while I display flows ferocious
Pay attention to my powerful rhymes that'll leave you in awe
Weak niggaz just fall and keep tumbling
Less talented rappers will fall and fail while I keep succeeding
Distribute lyrics like I'm hand to hand herb hustling
I'm delivering rhymes like a drug dealer distributes drugs
Hardcore like quick draw mcgraw
My rhymes are as hardcore as a classic western cartoon character
Fuck what you heard you ain't heard this before
Forget what you've heard before, you've never heard rhymes like this
Yo, when I step in the place I leave damages
I make a big impact when I enter a room or a performance space
Nuff bandages on pussy from miscarriages
I'm leaving a trail of wounded MCs behind me
Yo, watch me bring the newest recipe
Watch me deliver fresh and innovative rhymes
Fuck you up quick and condemn you all with leprosy
I'll take you down quickly and leave you ostracized from the rap community
Let me hit you with flows, that come various
Let me hit you with a variety of rhyme styles
Hahh, send you home and make you lie bout your alias
I'll send you packing and make you change your rap name
Ha-ha, niggaz can't see my routine
Other rappers can't match my lyrical style
When I round up my flipmode niggaz and get cream
When my crew and I collaborate, we always make hits
Hey, you! You know what the fuck I mean
Listen up, I'm about to deliver some sick rhymes
Now I'm on the scene, stepping through like mean joe green
I'm here and everyone is taking notice of my skills
Now I'm making you feel the extreme
My rhymes are intense and will leave you feeling exhilarated
Till I black you out then turn on my real high beam
My rhymes will be so intense that they'll leave you in the dark until I shine a light on you
Oh shit, now I got your brains fried
My rhymes will mess with your mind and leave you feeling overwhelmed
Once you inhale smoke from my flow, carbon monoxide!
My rhymes are so potent they're like breathing in poisonous gas
Use your imagination, let me take you higher
Let my rhymes take you on a wild ride of creativity and inspiration
Rain hail snow earthquakes, earth wind & fire
No matter what the elements throw at me, I'll always deliver sick rhymes
Yo, hit the dirt, get on the floor
Get ready for some intense rhymes that'll make you want to hit the ground
I'm that outlaw nigga living right next door
I'm the dangerous MC that lives right in your neighborhood
You should just roll out the red carpet
You should give me the royal treatment because of my skills
All movin targets, I got you open like supermarkets
I'm hitting my targets like a skilled archer and leaving them in awe like a well-stocked supermarket
(Word up, word up) yo yo, there's only five years left
Listen up, there's a limited time left to hear rhymes as sick as mine
While niggaz is scared to death they breathe they last breath
While other rappers are scared, I'm still breathing fire with my rhymes
Days of my life goes on, word is bond
I'll keep delivering rhymes until the end, you can count on that
I make you feel my proton, neutron, and electron
My rhymes will impact you on a subatomic level
Yo, I be the number one icon
I'm the top MC and a cultural icon
Word to the holy qu'ran, I rock on and on
I'm committed to my rhymes and will continue making hits for years to come
On and on, hey, on and on and on
I'll keep delivering rhymes for an eternity
You won't understand when I form voltron
You won't be able to comprehend how powerful my rhymes are
Hahahaha, everything remains raw
I'll make sure my rhymes stay raw and unbeatable
I make sure everything remains raw
I'm committed to delivering raw and intense rhymes
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: HARVEY OSTEN, TREVOR SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind