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.
Here We Go Again
Busta Rhymes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah (Uh)
The Rulership (Word)
Anarchy niggas (Yeah yeah)
Spliff Starr (Spliff Starr)
Bus-a-bus (Bus-a-bus)
Roc Marci (Roc Marci)
Rah Digga (Rah Digga)
Rampage (Rampage)
Yeah
Another Voyage nigga (Another one)
[Busta Rhymes]
One two three
Come on
[Chorus: Busta Rhymes]
Here we go again
Y'all niggas know we have to give it to you
Here we go again
Now feel this banger while it's running through you
Here we go again
We come to hit y'all with that nigga music
Here we go again
More shit for y'all gon hear the drug abuse it
Here we go again
Now watch the way we always blow the spot
Here we go again
We fuck shit up and take the shit you got
Here we go again
Flipmode you know we always bring it (What)
Bring it (What)
Bring it (What)
Bring it (What)
Bring it
[Rampage]
I'm a real wise guy, you can't fuck with me
You could catch a quick bullet like Brandon Lee
Carry my squad on my back like a MPV
I got a sick paddle log that's banned from TV
Charge your whole squad a hundred CC
Straight from the streets, learn from OG's
Rocks ain't nothing my jewels is deep freeze
Blood, sweat, and tears, gotta stack the G's
[Roc Marciano]
They don't
Want to see me twenty pounds heavier
On the cellular
They want to see me shot
And bellied up
I tell you what
When I'm switching my whips
I bury one
Walk around in the streets
With heavy guns
Bust it
Marinate in your self-source
A couple shells to dry you out
To a pale horse
Smashing your image
Take it back
Then we crack with a villain
Scratching my d-dick
Plus be the rapper to liquid
[Busta Rhymes]
Spliff Starr
Rampage
Rah Digga
Roc Marci
Baby Sham
Busta Rhymes
DJ Scratchator
FLIPMODE SQUAD
Motherfucker
What y'all niggas want
Yeah you know we always gonna give it to you
Hardcore
[Spliff Starr]
I double drop kick niggas
Run around evict niggas
Give it to you full blown
Like HIV sick niggas
Act like you know be
I watch you die slowly
Tapped action
Like Charles Dick to Kobe
Was a blood spilling
Smack a fagot from the village
Steam boil cabbage
And hurt your momma feelings
Run you off the court
Defeat you at your sport
Spit, pop, and twist niggas
Like Moet corks
[Baby Sham]
What now
Hardcore sounds
We snatch crowns
Too much mouth
You lay down
We clear crowds
Send a large threat
What you expect
For me to get rich nigga
And blow off my set
Never that
I'ma rep Flipmode
Till the sky's black
Turn to macks
And hear how we murdered this track
Do you feel me dogs
Six blocks
Ninety-six buildings
Brick walls
Still push rock
Cause I'm the source
[Rah Digga]
Now
Make noise one time for the tight little swinger
Posing in flicks sticking up my middle finger
Everybody trying to get they little shine these days
Make a bitch cold flip back to my grimy ways
Ball in my court, those who lack sport
Tear they ass to the roof without the black thought
Coming on the scene thinking you the Don Juan
Type crimes have you pissing all in your Sean Don
[Busta Rhymes]
Here we go now
Now what the fuck y'all niggas want
And how we blow
And give you all exactly what you want
See flipmode is the squad
Whatever niggas want to try
We smash you in your face
And make it black around your eye
We bout to wreck it no doubt
I'm 'bout to hit y'all with some shit that make you
Bug the fuck out
And make y'all niggas get real arrogant and
Thug the fuck out
And every time we in the spot
We always smash shit and make y'all niggas
Bust a slug out
[Chorus]
Ha
Flipmode
New album
Labor Day 2000
Fuckers
The Rulership LP
Flipmode Squad
Unstoppable
Cut the shit off
Cut it off
The lyrics of Busta Rhymes's song Here We Go Again is about the rapper boasting about his crew Flipmode Squad's musical prowess and representing their hardcore style. The opening verse of Rampage mentions names of the crew members, including Busta Rhymes, as they prepare for another voyage. The chorus is a call to action for listeners to feel the music as it pumps through them.
The following verses by Rampage, Roc Marciano, Spliff Star, Baby Sham, and Rah Digga are about their confidence in their skills, their street credibility, and their disregard for anyone who dares to challenge them. Busta Rhymes's own verse emphasizes the power of Flipmode Squad to always deliver what their fans want and crush their competition. The lyrics convey a sense of bravado and pride in their music and their ability to dominate their genre.
Line by Line Meaning
Here we go again
We are about to repeat the same cycle or pattern
Y'all niggas know we have to give it to you
You all understand that we are obligated to deliver our music to you
Now feel this banger while it's running through you
Experience the intensity and impact of this powerful song as it resonates within you
We come to hit y'all with that nigga music
We are here to deliver our unique style of music
More shit for y'all gon hear the drug abuse it
You will witness and hear the influence of drugs in our music
Now watch the way we always blow the spot
Observe how we consistently make a strong impact and dominate the scene
We fuck shit up and take the shit you got
We disrupt and destroy everything, including taking what belongs to you
Flipmode you know we always bring it (What)
You are aware that Flipmode Squad always delivers their best
Bring it (What)
Bring it (What)
Bring it (What)
Bring it
We emphasize the repeated action of bringing our music, energy, and presence
I'm a real wise guy, you can't fuck with me
I am an intelligent and cunning individual that you cannot challenge or defeat
You could catch a quick bullet like Brandon Lee
You may face a sudden, deadly consequence like the tragic incident involving Brandon Lee
Carry my squad on my back like a MPV
I bear the responsibility of leading and supporting my squad, carrying them like a powerful vehicle
I got a sick paddle log that's banned from TV
I possess a highly explicit and controversial content that is not allowed to be broadcasted on television
Charge your whole squad a hundred CC
I can overpower and defeat your entire squad with my strength and impact
Straight from the streets, learn from OG's
I come from the tough streets, gaining wisdom and guidance from experienced individuals (Original Gangsters)
Rocks ain't nothing my jewels is deep freeze
Precious stones hold no value to me, as my jewelry is on another level of excellence and coldness
Blood, sweat, and tears, gotta stack the G's
I put in intense effort and endure hardships to accumulate wealth (stack the money)
They don't
Want to see me twenty pounds heavier
On the cellular
People don't want to witness me becoming more influential and powerful (heavier) as I communicate through phone calls (cellular)
They want to see me shot
And bellied up
They desire to witness my downfall, assassination, and complete defeat
I tell you what
When I'm switching my whips
I bury one
I'll tell you this, when I'm changing my luxurious cars, I abandon and dispose of the old one
Walk around in the streets
With heavy guns
I roam the streets carrying powerful firearms
Bust it
Marinate in your self-source
Listen carefully, soak in your self-importance and arrogance
A couple shells to dry you out
To a pale horse
A few bullets will dehydrate you, turning you weak and lifeless like a deceased pale horse
Smashing your image
Take it back
Then we crack with a villain
We destroy and shatter your reputation, reclaim our dominance, and strike fiercely like a villain
Scratching my d-dick
Plus be the rapper to liquid
I skillfully manipulate and control the turntables (scratch) while also being a rapper known for my smooth, flowing style
Spliff Starr
Rampage
Rah Digga
Roc Marci
Baby Sham
Busta Rhymes
DJ Scratchator
FLIPMODE SQUAD
Motherfucker
These are the members of Flipmode Squad, a group of talented and influential individuals
What y'all niggas want
Yeah you know we always gonna give it to you
What do you all desire? Well, you can be certain that we will consistently provide it to you
Hardcore
Our music and style is intense, raw, and unapologetically explicit
I double drop kick niggas
Run around evict niggas
I aggressively attack and defeat individuals with two consecutive drop kicks, then forcefully remove and expel them
Give it to you full blown
Like HIV sick niggas
We deliver our music with full force and impact, just like the devastating effects of HIV on infected individuals
Act like you know be
I watch you die slowly
Behave and demonstrate awareness, as I observe and enjoy witnessing your gradual decline and demise
Tapped action
Like Charles Dick to Kobe
I swiftly and skillfully execute actions similar to tapping a keyboard, comparable to how Charles Dickens wrote and Kobe Bryant played basketball
Was a blood spilling
Smack a fagot from the village
There was an intense violent confrontation, striking and humiliating an offensive person from the neighborhood
Steam boil cabbage
And hurt your momma feelings
I metaphorically cook and agitate individuals, causing discomfort and distress to their loved ones
Run you off the court
Defeat you at your sport
I swiftly surpass and outperform you in any competition, forcing you to leave the court in defeat
Spit, pop, and twist niggas
Like Moet corks
I verbally attack, shoot, and manipulate individuals like opening Moet champagne bottles
What now
Hardcore sounds
We snatch crowns
Now, with our intense and aggressive music, we take away the titles and positions of power
Too much mouth
You lay down
We clear crowds
If you talk too much, you will be silenced and defeated, while we effortlessly disperse and dominate crowds
Send a large threat
What you expect
We intimidate and pose a significant danger, exactly what you should anticipate
For me to get rich nigga
And blow off my set
I deserve to become wealthy and successful, disregarding and rejecting my previous affiliations
Never that
I'ma rep Flipmode
Till the sky's black
I will always represent Flipmode Squad, maintaining my loyalty and commitment until the end
Turn to macks
And hear how we murdered this track
We become highly skilled and confident, demonstrating how we flawlessly executed and performed on this song
Do you feel me dogs
Six blocks
Ninety-six buildings
Brick walls
Still push rock
Do you understand and relate to my message, my friends? I navigate through rough neighborhoods, facing challenges and obstacles, yet I persist and succeed
Cause I'm the source
I am the ultimate origin and foundation of this music and style
Now
Make noise one time for the tight little swinger
Currently, let's celebrate and create an uproar for the skilled and impressive individual
Posing in flicks sticking up my middle finger
Presenting myself in photographs, proudly raising and expressing my defiance with my middle finger
Everybody trying to get they little shine these days
In today's society, everyone is striving to achieve a small moment of recognition or success
Make a bitch cold flip back to my grimy ways
I am capable of making a woman quickly and drastically return to my rough and unclean behavior
Ball in my court, those who lack sport
The control and advantage are in my hands, while those who lack skill or competitiveness are left behind
Tear they ass to the roof without the black thought
I forcefully lift and elevate individuals to the highest point, both physically and mentally, without any hesitation or second thoughts
Coming on the scene thinking you the Don Juan
Entering the music scene with an arrogant and confident attitude, believing you are extremely successful with women (Don Juan)
Type crimes have you pissing all in your Sean Don
The consequences of your actions will make you lose control and embarrass yourself, even tainting your reputable image (Sean Don is a reference to Sean Combs, also known as P. Diddy)
Here we go now
Now what the fuck y'all niggas want
Here we go again, what the hell do you all desire from us?
And how we blow
And give you all exactly what you want
We demonstrate how effortlessly we dominate and provide you with precisely what you desire
See flipmode is the squad
Whatever niggas want to try
Understand that Flipmode Squad is a powerful group, ready to face and overcome any challenges or threats
We smash you in your face
And make it black around your eye
We aggressively and violently attack you, causing a bruise or injury around your eye
We bout to wreck it no doubt
I'm 'bout to hit y'all with some shit that make you
Bug the fuck out
We are about to cause chaos and destruction without a doubt, as I am about to deliver something so sensational and mind-boggling that it will astonish you
And make y'all niggas get real arrogant and
Thug the fuck out
It will make you become overly confident and display a tough and aggressive attitude
And every time we in the spot
We always smash shit and make y'all niggas
Bust a slug out
Whenever we are present in a location, we consistently bring chaos and destruction that forces you to react violently
Ha
Flipmode
New album
Labor Day 2000
Fuckers
This is Flipmode, promoting our new album released on Labor Day 2000, emphasizing our rebellious and confrontational attitude
The Rulership LP
Flipmode Squad
Unstoppable
This is The Rulership LP, representing Flipmode Squad's power and ability to overcome any obstacles or opposition
Cut the shit off
Cut it off
Stop the nonsense or distractions, put an end to it
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DANIELLE JONES, FELICIA ODESSA ADAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind