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.
Keepin' It Tight
Busta Rhymes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah their ain't nothing iller
Busta Rhymes got another killer
Niggas be getting all in playing Cee Lo
We be getting money at casinos
Gamble my money like gambinos
Scarface through like Al Pacino
Now my pockets got muscles like Lou Farigno
Big up my nigga Premo
Stack loot with my nigga Dino and Enno (Julio)
Spliff and my other nigga Chico
Uno dos tres cuatro cinco (gimme five)
Count from ten all the way back to zero
Set it off rep from here to Puerto Rico
Run in the bitches makes me black and Filipino
Trick in the hide or on the Niko
Caught the round trip to Santo Domingo
My nigga Spliff criminal like Max Remo
Thug think he loud then show me your hero
Nigga tried to play me on the dealo
Tried to short me couple gram on the D-Low
Thought we didn't know better oh yeah we know
Stepping them niggas for what its gon' be yo
Niggas spend money and fuck a preshow
Your name was shorty who whip in a little Geo
Dare and look niggas get left by the sea show
Lock up a nigga and sabotage the keyhole
Alright y'all (alright)
You know we keeping it tight y'all (real tight what)
That's how we doing it (ha, that's how we doing it)
That's how we doing it (yeah, that's how we doing it)
Alright y'all (alright)
You know we wilding all night y'all (all night y'all)
That's how we doing it (ha, that's how we doin it)
That's how we doing it (yeah, that's how we doin it)
Yo, guess who coming through for dinner (who)
Busta Rhymes bringing another winner
Coming with another all night thriller (yo yo)
Shit bang through your bass kicker
Don't want the hot shit to boil you move quicker
Should've made the club crowd a little thicker
Nigga in a club fronting like a killer
You ain't eating my nigga you lookin thinner
Now you a sinner a partier beginner
You better off if dance to who got the keys to my beamer
You a killer but you never pulled a trigger
How that calculate money yo how you figure
Yo, another homerun hitter my nigga
Yo we ain't over hit you with a refiller
We keep it moving never label me a quitter
Flipmode baby you could call me flipper
She wildin' we wildin' along with her
My nigga put me on told me she a stripper
Fronting like he don't really wanna be with her
He told me handle my business cause he already did her
He says she used to be Lucy babysitter
Fuck a sloppy second hit the highest bidder for realla
Keep the champagne in the chiller
Keep it cold while I hit you with another wig-splitter
Alright y'all (alright)
You know we keeping it tight y'all (real tight what)
That's how we doing it (ha, that's how we doing it)
That's how we doing it (yeah, that's how we doing it)
Alright y'all (alright)
You know we wilding all night y'all (all night y'all)
That's how we doing it (ha, that's how we doin it)
That's how we doing it (yeah, that's how we doin it)
Alright y'all (alright)
You know we keeping it tight y'all (real tight what)
That's how we doing it (ha, that's how we doing it)
That's how we doing it (yeah, that's how we doing it)
Alright y'all (alright)
You know we wilding all night y'all (all night y'all)
That's how we doing it (ha, that's how we doin it)
That's how we doing it (yeah, that's how we doin it)
In this song, Busta Rhymes and his Flipmode Squad team brag about their success in the music industry and their lifestyle. The song mentions gambling and making money at casinos, as well as having pockets filled with cash. The lyrics suggest that the members of the Flipmode Squad have a tough and powerful image, with references to Scarface and Lou Ferrigno. Additionally, the song references their prowess with women, with Busta Rhymes boasting about his ability to charm strippers and his friend's knowledge about their past work as a babysitter.
Overall, the song conveys an image of a group of successful men living a luxurious and exciting lifestyle, with wild parties and nights out.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah Flipmode Squad
Busta Rhymes introduces his hip-hop group Flipmode Squad
Yeah their ain't nothing iller
The group is unmatched and the best in the game
Busta Rhymes got another killer
Busta Rhymes has another amazing track to share
Niggas be getting all in playing Cee Lo
Other rappers waste their time playing dice games like Cee Lo
We be getting money at casinos
Busta and his crew make money gambling at casinos
Gamble my money like gambinos
Busta compares his gambling to the notorious Gambino family
Scarface through like Al Pacino
Busta relates himself to Al Pacino's Scarface character as a boss figure
Now my pockets got muscles like Lou Farigno
After making bank, Busta's pockets are bulging with cash like Lou Farigno's muscles
Got the hot shit
Busta has the newest, coolest thing (probably a song)
Big up my nigga Premo
Busta shouts out his friend and fellow rapper DJ Premier
Stack loot with my nigga Dino and Enno (Julio)
Busta and his crew stack their earnings with their buddies Dino and Enno
Spliff and my other nigga Chico
Busta gives a nod to his friends Spliff and Chico
Uno dos tres cuatro cinco (gimme five)
Busta asks for a high-five in Spanish
Count from ten all the way back to zero
Busta challenges his listeners to count backwards from ten
Set it off rep from here to Puerto Rico
Busta reps his crew hard and is known all the way from his hometown to Puerto Rico
Run in the bitches makes me black and Filipino
Busta is a ladies' man and attracts women of different ethnicities
Trick in the hide or on the Niko
Busta either tricks people while hiding or uses Nikolai cigarettes
Caught the round trip to Santo Domingo
Busta went to Santo Domingo and returned home
My nigga Spliff criminal like Max Remo
Busta's friend Spliff is like the infamous criminal Max Remo
Thug think he loud then show me your hero
Busta challenges any tough guys to prove themselves
Nigga tried to play me on the dealo
Someone tried to cheat Busta on a deal
Tried to short me couple gram on the D-Low
Someone tried to give Busta less product than he paid for
Thought we didn't know better oh yeah we know
The culprit didn't think Busta and his crew were smart enough to catch on
Stepping them niggas for what its gon' be yo
Busta will take revenge on the person who tried to cheat him
Niggas spend money and f*** a preshow
Other rappers waste their money partying before a show
Your name was shorty who whip in a little Geo
Busta remembers a woman named Shorty who drove a Geo
Dare and look niggas get left by the sea show
Anyone who looks away will miss Busta Rhymes and his crew's amazing performance
Lock up a nigga and sabotage the keyhole
Busta suggests locking someone up and sabotaging their escape
Alright y'all (alright)
Busta is hyping up his listeners in between verses
You know we keeping it tight y'all (real tight what)
Busta and his crew always keep it fresh and outdo their competition
That's how we doing it (ha, that's how we doing it)
Busta is confident and reminding everyone that they're the best
You know we wilding all night y'all (all night y'all)
Busta and his crew are partying hard all night long
That's how we doing it (ha, that's how we doin it)
The party doesn't stop and Busta's still confident that he's the best
Yo, guess who coming through for dinner (who)
Busta is asking who's coming over for dinner
Busta Rhymes bringing another winner
Busta is bringing another hit song to the table
Coming with another all night thriller (yo yo)
Busta always delivers a jam that will keep the party going all night
Shit bang through your bass kicker
Busta's songs are so good that they'll make your speakers bump
Don't want the hot shit to boil you move quicker
Busta advises his listeners to move quickly if his song is too hot to handle
Should've made the club crowd a little thicker
The club isn't as crowded as it should be for Busta Rhymes's performance
Nigga in a club fronting like a killer
Someone in the club is trying to act tough and intimidate others
You ain't eating my nigga you lookin thinner
Busta isn't impressed by this person and thinks they're broke
Now you a sinner a partier beginner
Busta thinks less of them for not being a seasoned partygoer
You better off if dance to who got the keys to my beamer
Busta suggests they leave the club and dance to someone else's car keys
You a killer but you never pulled a trigger
Busta thinks this person is all talk and no action
How that calculate money yo how you figure
Busta doesn't understand how this person is making money
Yo, another homerun hitter my nigga
Busta has another great song to share with his listeners
Yo we ain't over hit you with a refiller
Busta will keep delivering great tracks
We keep it moving never label me a quitter
Busta and his crew won't back down and never give up
Flipmode baby you could call me flipper
Busta goes by 'Flipper' as a member of the Flipmode Squad
She wildin' we wildin' along with her
Busta and his crew are partying with a woman who's let loose
My nigga put me on told me she a stripper
Busta's friend told him the woman is a stripper
Fronting like he don't really wanna be with her
Despite his friend's warning, this man is pretending he doesn't want the stripper's attention
He told me handle my business cause he already did her
Busta's friend advises him to pursue the stripper since the friend already slept with her
He says she used to be Lucy babysitter
Busta's friend drops another bombshell that the stripper used to be someone's (possibly a mob boss's) babysitter
Fuck a sloppy second hit the highest bidder for realla
Busta isn't concerned about being the second person with the stripper and thinks she can fetch a high price
Keep the champagne in the chiller
Busta thinks that the champagne should be kept cold until it's ready to be consumed
Keep it cold while I hit you with another wig-splitter
Busta is about to drop another song that's so good, it'll make your wig fly off
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Busta Rhymes, Odilien Dibango, Trevor Smith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind