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.
Get Right
Busta Rhymes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh!!! This the one right here!!! Swizz Beatz you a fool for this!
I done took y'all everywhere, ain't nowhere to take y'all but to the club
Papoose, Pa-poose!!!
[Chorus: Busta Rhymes]
We got a riot outside homey (Huh!) and every hood with a thug
niggaz try to rush the door of the club
We 'bout to get right niggas! (We 'bout to get right niggas!)
All my bitches with the bangin shit on, alot of Louis Vuitton
you know the shit then sing the words of the song
We call it get right bitches! (We 'bout to get right bitches!)
We 'bout to get right bitches (We 'bout to get right bitches!) Let's go!!!
[Verse 1: Papoose]
What you mean let's go?! Go where?!
This my city I ain't goin nowhere (Nah)
Matter fact, Bus let's go over there (Come On)
Take all of they girls and bring 'em over here (Come Here)
New York City, have no fear, Flipmode, Streetsweepers Oh yeah!
Oooh I like her, shake your rear
You look nice who did your hair?
Syke!!! Shorty over there look way better than you, I don't care
Violator, I brought Chris Lighty with me
I know he ain't seen a buzz this big since 50
I walk through the club let the liquor spill (Cris!!!)
Your girl chasin me down with her high heels (Oops!)
And I'm so glad I waited for a bigger deal
Cause now I got the club on me like a steering wheel
[Chorus]
[Verse 2: Papoose]
I got a damn good lawyer
(Yeah!) The best management and the realest DJ on the streets (Drama King)
So how the hell I'm 'gon lose
To one of y'all dudes when the album drop I'm 'gon eat (Nacirema)
You got the number one spot, really think you hot (Oh Yeah) then homeboy just don't blink (Don't sleep)
When you open yo' eyes the game 'gon be mines
and I'm a bring it back to the East (Let's Get it)
Since the Touch It remix put the face to the voice
the ladies love my style, they get moist (They wet)
Chose with my mouth closed they ain't have a choice
I came from the bottom but I Rose like Royce
Man these boys can't mess with me on my worst day (Nope)
So how the hell they gon mess with me on my birthday (Yeah!)
That's right, this is the day I was born
The music is my mama, I'm the son of song
[Chorus]
[Verse 3: Papoose]
Who's that with the Red Monkey Jeans? My shirt was made by Gino Green (Nice shirt)
My jewels was made by David Bling (David) They call me the underground king
Chain bling bling I'm the mainstream dream (Yeah) The Nacirema Dream you lames ain't seen
I was in the club holdin my fifth tight, this dude keep grillin me I had to get right (What)
Shorty her face, her ass, and her hips tight (Oooh)
Took her to the Mariott had to get right
Cutie the bomb she live in the beauty salon
So her beauty is strong rockin like Louis Vuitton
Cause these dudes never wanna see the new kid signed (No)
They always wanna shine like the sun all the time
Fall back you passed your prime
Even the sun gotta go down so we could see the moon shine
[Chorus]
[Outro: Papoose]
Yeah! The East Coast get right! Yeah! The West Coast get right!
Yeah! The dirty South get right!
Busta Bus, Kay Slay Drama King, Streetsweepers, Violator, Flipmode, Sissy!!!!!!
The song "Get Right" by Busta Rhymes and featuring Papoose is a high-energy track that is meant to hype up the listener. The opening lines spoken by Papoose, "Oh!!! This the one right here!!! Swizz Beatz you a fool for this! I done took y'all everywhere, ain't nowhere to take y'all but to the club," set the tone for the rest of the track. The chorus, "We got a riot outside homey (Huh!) and every hood with a thug niggaz try to rush the door of the club We 'bout to get right niggas! (We 'bout to get right niggas!) We 'bout to get right niggas! (We 'bout to get right niggas!)" is meant to encourage the listener to let loose and party despite any outside chaos.
Papoose's verse in the song is filled with references to the rap industry and his ability to stand out among the competition. He boasts about having a good lawyer, the best management, and the most talented DJ on the streets. He also references his hit song "Nacirema Dream" and nods to the success of his "Touch It" remix. The outro of the song is a celebratory callout to the East Coast, West Coast, and the dirty South.
Overall, "Get Right" is a song that celebrates the culture and energy of the club scene while also highlighting the talent and success of both Busta Rhymes and Papoose.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh!!! This the one right here!!! Swizz Beatz you a fool for this!
Excitement about the quality of the track, with a nod to the producer Swizz Beatz.
I done took y'all everywhere, ain't nowhere to take y'all but to the club
Explaining that there isn't much other than the club that they can go to now.
We got a riot outside homey (Huh!) and every hood with a thug
There is a lot of excitement and energy outside and in every area where there are tough guys.
niggaz try to rush the door of the club
People are trying to enter the club in a rush.
We 'bout to get right niggas! (We 'bout to get right niggas!)
They are about to have a great time and party hard.
All my bitches with the bangin shit on, alot of Louis Vuitton
The ladies are very stylish, wearing a lot of Louis Vuitton clothing.
you know the shit then sing the words of the song
The ladies know the song very well and are singing along.
We call it get right bitches! (We 'bout to get right bitches!)
This is called 'Get right, bitches!' and they are going to get down and have a great time.
Let's go!!!
They are ready to start the party.
What you mean let's go?! Go where?!
Papoose is questioning where they should go.
This my city I ain't goin nowhere (Nah)
He is not leaving the city.
Matter fact, Bus let's go over there (Come On)
Actually, let's go to another place in the city.
Take all of they girls and bring 'em over here (Come Here)
Bring all the girls from that place to where they currently are.
New York City, have no fear, Flipmode, Streetsweepers Oh yeah!
There is no need to fear in New York as they are well-known groups who will look out for them.
Oooh I like her, shake your rear
Papoose likes a particular woman and wants her to shake her body.
You look nice who did your hair?
He is complimenting a lady's appearance and wants to know who did her hair.
Syke!!! Shorty over there look way better than you, I don't care
It was a joke, as Papoose thinks there is a better-looking lady in the vicinity.
Violator, I brought Chris Lighty with me
He is with Chris Lighty, a well-known figure in the music industry.
I know he ain't seen a buzz this big since 50
There hasn't been this much excitement since the rapper 50 Cent's heyday.
I walk through the club let the liquor spill (Cris!!!)
Papoose is walking through the club and the liquor appears to be spilling.
Your girl chasin me down with her high heels (Oops!)
A lady is chasing him in high heels.
And I'm so glad I waited for a bigger deal
Papoose is happy he held out for a more lucrative contract.
Cause now I got the club on me like a steering wheel
The club is centering around and focused on him.
I got a damn good lawyer
Papoose has a great lawyer.
(Yeah!) The best management and the realest DJ on the streets (Drama King)
His management team and DJ are top-notch.
So how the hell I'm 'gon lose
Papoose has everything he needs to succeed.
To one of y'all dudes when the album drop I'm 'gon eat (Nacirema)
His album is going to be a success and he will come out on top.
You got the number one spot, really think you hot (Oh Yeah) then homeboy just don't blink (Don't sleep)
If you think you're at the top, don't let your guard down, because Papoose is coming up.
When you open yo' eyes the game 'gon be mines
When their rivals least expect it, Papoose is going to take over the game.
and I'm a bring it back to the East (Let's Get it)
He plans to bring the game back to the East Coast.
Since the Touch It remix put the face to the voice
The Touch It remix exposed him to a lot of people who put a face to his music.
the ladies love my style, they get moist (They wet)
Women love his style and he has a big effect on them.
Chose with my mouth closed they ain't have a choice
He had women lining up for him without even trying.
I came from the bottom but I Rose like Royce
He came from a humble beginning but he's risen to the top like a Rolls-Royce.
Man these boys can't mess with me on my worst day (Nope)
Even on his worst day, his competitors can't challenge him.
So how the hell they gon mess with me on my birthday (Yeah!)
They certainly can't mess with him on his special day, either.
That's right, this is the day I was born
He's celebrating his birthday.
The music is my mama, I'm the son of song
Music is his mother and he is the son of song.
Who's that with the Red Monkey Jeans? My shirt was made by Gino Green (Nice shirt)
He's asking about someone's clothing and then compliments his own shirt.
My jewels was made by David Bling (David) They call me the underground king
His jewelry is from David Bling and he considers himself an underground king.
Chain bling bling I'm the mainstream dream (Yeah) The Nacirema Dream you lames ain't seen
He has flashy jewelry and is now a mainstream star, something his haters did not expect.
I was in the club holdin my fifth tight, this dude keep grillin me I had to get right (What)
He was minding his business but then someone started staring at him, causing a conflict.
Shorty her face, her ass, and her hips tight (Oooh)
He saw a beautiful woman with an amazing body.
Took her to the Mariott had to get right
They went to the hotel so they can be more comfortable.
Cause these dudes never wanna see the new kid signed (No)
Other rappers don't like seeing newcomers make it in the industry.
They always wanna shine like the sun all the time
They want to hog the spotlight all the time.
Fall back you passed your prime
Older rappers need to step back and let the new generation take over.
Even the sun gotta go down so we could see the moon shine
Just like how the sun sets to see the moon, these older rappers need to step back to make way for new talent.
Yeah! The East Coast get right! Yeah! The West Coast get right!
Celebrating the East Coast and West Coast's ability to party and have a good time.
Yeah! The dirty South get right!
Even the South is getting in on the celebration and having a good time.
Busta Bus, Kay Slay Drama King, Streetsweepers, Violator, Flipmode, Sissy!!!!!!
A shoutout to various record labels and DJ Kay Slay.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMAL ROCKER, MICHAEL MOSLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Vintagefeen
Papoose best underground rapper alive!
@pohousetv
Blasting this in 2023🔥🔥🔥
@tranjohn
swizzy always making these hot ass club beats!!! SHOWTIME!!!!
@aubreysouza1772
Wtf 1st time I'm hearing this shit. 🔥
@AndrewJM
limewire days
@Popcannyo
thats what happens to all the good mc's, they get stuck makin that main stream diddy bop shit and loose what the streets thought was hot Perfect example wayne and cassidy
@phytzi
when the fuck is pap dropping his cd dammit
@Boi45Big
@Rokomis10 yeah you right i wasnt really feelin his flow in dis song either, cant expect a hard nigga like him to make a nice club banga tho haha but i fucks wit dis song tho and he still nice
@dvaifilmsdotcom
youtube.
@chochaos7
It's sad that he had to dumb down his rhymes to get noticed.