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.
Hustler's Anthem '09
Busta Rhymes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Back now nigga, now nigga
Get ya money get ya
Money (two times)
Hey I'm bout to act
Up in a wonder trip
On their ass
T-pain yeah
You should already
Know when I walk in
The door
That it ain't no use
In frontin' on me, frontin on me
I'm a hustle I'm a do my thing
You already know
What it's gon' be, what it's gon be
I keep hustlin' yeah oh
I keep hustlin' yeah oh
I keep hustlin'
And if you feel me
Put your hands up
And come and sing
The hustler's anthem
With me anthem like
Yeah
Yeah yeah
Keep hustlin' dog
Keep hustlin' dog Yeah Yeah
Lalalalalala
Lalalala
Keep hustlin Yeah Okay
Let's go
What it do, what it do all day
Come through and get it jumpin'
Throwin' money away
It don't matter if
You're hustlin' a
Bundle of yay
Or you got a 9 to 5
Let the champagne spray
Boom click a little don
Of the red rose
Two chicks on my arm
When I step okay
Gillette razor sharp
You know the boy don't play
BC ten drop me in Sandro pey yeah
Let the money machine roll on
We been needin' a
Nigga like you in
The street so long
Every time you drops yakkin'
You do no wrong
You hater niggas
I know your forte
We blind your little shine
Fuck what you portrait
While you wanna leave
Your lil chick wanna stay
And if you violate
I assure you'll all gon' pay
You should already
Know when I walk in
The door
That it ain't no use
In frontin' on me frontin' on me
I'm a hustle I'm a do my thing
You already know
What it's gon' be
I keep hustlin' yeah oh
I keep hustlin' yeah oh
I keep hustlin'
And if you feel me
Put your hands up
And come and sing
The hustler's anthem
With me
Yeah
Keep hustlin' dog
Keep hustlin' dog Yeah Yeah
Keep hustlin' Yeah Okay
Let's go
Hey girl
The god's back in town
You ain't gonna wanna miss it
When the shit go down
We celebratin' like
We throwin' money around
Bring a lot of 'tron
We bout to order a
Couple of rounds
Look
I know at times it
Probably seem like
The hardest
When you ain't got it
But you gotta go and
Get it regardless
Check it
Get on your hustle homie
Get up and go
And do it proper
For the veteran knows
And go and cop an island
And do a lot so I
Can stack up a
With a couple
Billion with a stash
In the flow
Up in the mansion, listen
I'm only tellin' you
The theme of this caper
Is get your money nigga stack up the paper
It how we on them
You should already
Know when I walk in
The door
That it ain't no use
In frontin' on me frontin' on me
I'm a hustle I'm a do my thing
You already know
What it's gon' be
I keep hustlin' yeah oh
I keep hustlin' yeah oh
I keep hustlin'
And if you feel me
Put your hands up
And come and sing
The hustler's anthem
With me anthem like
Yeah
Keep hustlin' dog
Keep hustlin' dog Yeah Yeah
Keep hustlin' Yeah Okay
Let's go
Kiddie bangin' at random
And the way the nigga hustle
It's like he's
Throwin' a tantrum
Tryin' to hustle
Cop a plane
A couple ships
You hustle up on the block
Some niggas hustle at random Now
As long as you can go
And muscle a grip
Whether you shinin'
From a grind
Or you hustle legit
Either way get money nigga
Turn on the switches
For power hustlin'
And stack all your riches
That's how we on it
You should already
Know when I walk in
The door
That it ain't no use
In frontin' on me frontin on me
I'm a hustle I'm a do my thing
You already know
What it's gon' be
I keep hustlin' yeah oh
I keep hustlin' yeah oh
I keep hustlin'
And if you feel me
Put your hands up
And come and sing
The hustler's anthem
With me
Yeah
Keep hustlin' dog
Keep hustlin' dog yeah yeah
Keep hustlin' yeah okay
Let's go
The song "Hustler's Anthem '09" by Busta Rhymes is an upbeat anthem that celebrates the idea of hustling and getting money. The song is characterized by a strong and energetic beat, which is complemented by Busta Rhymes' signature rap style. The song talks about the struggle of hustling and how it is important to keep striving to achieve success in life. The lyric "It's too late to turn back now nigga, now nigga" conveys the message that once you start hustling, there is no turning back.
The line "You should already know when I walk in the door that it ain't no use frontin' on me" is a boastful statement that implies that Busta Rhymes is a force to be reckoned with in the hustling game. He asserts that he is going to keep hustling and encourages others to do the same: "And if you feel me, put your hands up and come and sing the hustler's anthem with me."
Overall, this song is an ode to the hustle and the drive to achieve success. It is an inspirational and motivational track that encourages people to never give up and keep pursuing their dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
It's too late to turn Back now nigga, now nigga
Don't turn back now, it's too late to reconsider.
Get ya money get ya Money (two times)
Make sure you get your money.
Hey I'm bout to act Up in a wonder trip On their ass
I'm about to go all out.
T-pain yeah You should already Know when I walk in The door
You should know what's up when I enter.
That it ain't no use In frontin' on me, frontin on me
Don't bother trying to deceive me.
I'm a hustle I'm a do my thing You already know What it's gon' be, what it's gon be
I'm going to hustle and do what I do best, and you already know it.
I keep hustlin' yeah oh I keep hustlin'
I will continue hustling and chasing success.
And if you feel me Put your hands up And come and sing The hustler's anthem With me anthem like Yeah Yeah
If you are with me, show your support and sing the anthem with me.
Keep hustlin' dog Keep hustlin' dog Yeah Yeah Lalalalalala Lalalala Keep hustlin Yeah Okay
Keep hustling and working hard for your dreams.
What it do, what it do all day Come through and get it jumpin' Throwin' money away
Let's get things started and have a good time.
It don't matter if You're hustlin' a Bundle of yay Or you got a 9 to 5 Let the champagne spray
It doesn't matter how you earn your money, let's celebrate with champagne.
Boom click a little don Of the red rose Two chicks on my arm When I step okay Gillette razor sharp
I am looking sharp and feeling confident with my two ladies by my side.
You know the boy don't play BC ten drop me in Sandro pey yeah
I mean business and I'm serious about my success.
Let the money machine roll on We been needin' a Nigga like you in The street so long
Continue earning money and hustling, because the streets need people like you.
Every time you drops yakkin' You do no wrong You hater niggas I know your forte
You can do no wrong and I know your critics can't deny your success.
We blind your little shine Fuck what you portrait
Don't let anyone put you down or dim your light.
While you wanna leave Your lil chick wanna stay And if you violate I assure you'll all gon' pay
Don't mess with me or my team, or face the consequences.
In frontin' on me frontin' on me What it's gon' be With me Keep hustlin' Yeah Okay
Don't lie to me and keep hustling.
Hey girl The god's back in town You ain't gonna wanna miss it When the shit go down
I'm back and you don't want to miss out on the excitement.
We celebratin' like We throwin' money around Bring a lot of 'tron We bout to order a Couple of rounds
We're celebrating in a big way and buying a lot of drinks.
Look I know at times it Probably seem like The hardest When you ain't got it But you gotta go and Get it regardless
I understand that it's tough sometimes, but you have to keep hustling and working hard.
Get on your hustle homie Get up and go And do it proper For the veteran knows
Hustle and work hard to become successful.
And go and cop an island And do a lot so I Can stack up a With a couple Billion with a stash In the flow Up in the mansion, listen
I'm going to be successful and wealthy, with my own island and plenty of money.
I'm only tellin' you The theme of this caper Is get your money nigga stack up the paper
The point of hustling is to get money and save it.
It how we on them Kiddie bangin' at random And the way the nigga hustle It's like he's Throwin' a tantrum
We hustle hard and don't stop until we succeed.
Tryin' to hustle Cop a plane A couple ships You hustle up on the block Some niggas hustle at random Now
Some people hustle for material things, while others hustle just to get by.
As long as you can go And muscle a grip Whether you shinin' From a grind Or you hustle legit
Just keep hustling and grinding to make money, no matter how you do it.
Either way get money nigga Turn on the switches For power hustlin' And stack all your riches
Get that money and stack it up, no matter how you hustle.
That's how we on it In frontin' on me frontin on me Keep hustlin' dog yeah yeah Keep hustlin' yeah okay
This is how we do it, keep hustling and working hard.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Smith, Trevor / Fyffe, Tyrone Gregory / Najm, Faheem
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@siphesihlehlophe3434
2023 who's still here?
@annunati-zq4tp
Meeee
@MichelleBarker
🙋🏾♀️ here! I listen to this song nearly everyday before work
@vanadioseverino2553
Timeless hit by two of the very best!!!!
@patricksenat8833
This song never gets old.
@tremainworrell5997
Never ever gets old but platinum and gold 🌟 🌟
@skatemaster378
🎉🤙☝️
@beksultanmamytaev1546
10 yrs later and dis is still FRESHH.
Although this clip made smile. Not every rapper can be funny and cool at the same time.
@toribabb44
And he gets away with it. Lol
@sidysarr893
Que