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. Bustaβs 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 βBorn Justice God Allahβ 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: βI used to work as a stock boy at a department store called Cheap Johnβs,β he says. βI knew that I couldnβt 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.β Why?
βThey 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 βthis is definitely not the thing for me to continue to be doing.ββ
Busta adds, βI 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 β¦ to just apply myself creatively, and the opportunity finally came one day when I was downtown.β 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: βMt. Airy Grooveβ 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 Bustaβs 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 βAll of sudden Iβm hearing people in the streets talking about hos Bustaβs back. In my mind, he never left, and thatβs why I wanted to fuck with in the first place. Heβs got that drive, and he never stops trying to top himself. Anybody who knows Busta knows that heβs 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.
Legend Of The Fall Offs )
Busta Rhymes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A lot of you niggas don't plan on the day when you'd have to see me
You see, I'm that nigga that you should really be afraid of
I dig graves for niggas like you
We gon' get more acquainted at a time when you least expect it
[Chorus: x2]
Do you ever think (do you ever think)
Where you will go (where will you go)
After you die (after you die)
[death]
You fucked up nigga!
[Busta Rhymes]
You know that when that time comes and nobody is checking
And everything you had is gone in the split of a second
That's when it starts hitting the fan and it gets real in this bitch
Just face the fact your shit's a wrap and you gotta deal with the shit
Despite I talk about it, I ain't making fun of them niggas
I give thanks cause I've been blessed and I ain't one of them niggas
Can't imagine how difficult it is, I know you suspect
That shit around you is looking dumb, it's getting hard to accept it
Alone in the mirror, you look at yourself and you smile
Disregarding the fact your running's been done for a while
Refuse to acknowledge the truth like the mind of a child
Continue fronting, like it's nothing while you live in denial
While all your people around you start to leave you in the same place
You overexert the little you have left to save face
You trying to hide your expression from looking worried
On what to do when your career is buried
[Chorus]
[Busta Rhymes]
Niggas ain't giving a fuck about your flows no more
You ain't the star you were, fucking the same hoes no more
Promoters ain't paying and booking you for shows no more
You ain't whipping the range, you ain't whipping a rolls no more
Reality starts to settle in, you're sweating every wake up
You're broke and now you gotta return your jewelry to jacob
You run around and you front like you're still on fire
But nobody believes you; and now you live as a liar
You're only lying to yourself cause it's evident in the proof
As your world continues to crumble, come to terms with the truth
You're still holding on to them days when everything was about you
But niggas don't even remember you enough to just shout you
I remember when you did your thing without a doubt tastefully
The problem was you didn't know when to bow out gracefully
Once told, never burn out, it's best to fade away
Preserve your value so that you can live to see a greater day
People see you and it's bugged that you mean nothing
You doing shit and front to prove to people you mean something
It happens in the vicious when the truth starts to settle in
You step to the door of the club and see that you ain't getting in
Forgetting you a man first, chasing the fame
Got to remember, morals and principles, repping your name proper
But most niggas don't, and they whole life hurried
What do you do when your career is buried
[Chorus]
Okay
I told you we was gonna get more acquainted
At a time when you least expect it nigga
I'm here to lay you to rest once and for all
You've been dead a long time but you refuse to accept that shit
But it's okay
Nigga shut the fuck up and get in the box nigga! (wait! please!)
It was custom built for all niggas like you
You just don't wanna accept when it's time to hang it up
(stop! bitch!) see you in the afterlife nigga (wait! help!!!)
Whever the fuck that is!! (somebody help!!)
(i can't breathe, nigga!)
(open this shit nigga!)
(open this shit!!)
(open this shit!!)
(somebody help!! hey!!)
(open this shit motherfucker what you doin)
(open it!)
The lyrics to Busta Rhymes's song Legend Of The Fall Offs delve deep into the idea of what happens after death and the inevitable decline of one's career. Busta Rhymes warns his listeners that eventually, everyone will experience a point in their life where they will have to accept the inevitable, regardless of how badly they may wish to hold onto what they once had. He paints a vivid picture of what it would be like to face the reality of a lost career, and how the feeling of being forgotten and irrelevant can be overwhelming. Busta Rhymes urges his listeners to accept the truth and move on gracefully, rather than trying to hold onto something that is no longer there.
At the core of the song's message is the idea that every person will experience a fall from glory at some point in their life. Busta Rhymes emphasizes that despite the hardships of accepting loss, it is important to continue to persevere and live with integrity. The song's lyrics also touch on the idea of karma, with Busta Rhymes stating that he is the type of person who will dig graves for those who wronged him. Overall, the song is a powerful testament to the human condition and the inevitability of change.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah I know
I understand that many of you do not expect to meet me someday.
A lot of you niggas don't plan on the day when you'd have to see me
A lot of people don't think about the day when they will face me, but they should.
You see, I'm that nigga that you should really be afraid of
I'm the one you should fear because of the consequences of your actions towards me.
I dig graves for niggas like you
I am capable of punishing and harming people who wronged me.
We gon' get more acquainted at a time when you least expect it
The day will come when we meet, unexpectedly.
Do you ever think (do you ever think)
What life would be (what life would be)
Where you will go (where will you go)
After you die (after you die)
Have you ever thought about what happens after you die?
[death]
A reminder of death as part of the consequences of one's actions.
You know that when that time comes and nobody is checking
And everything you had is gone in the split of a second
When that moment arrives, and no one is there to hold your back, everything you gained can disappear in a moment.
That's when it starts hitting the fan and it gets real in this bitch
That's when the fun stops, and the situation becomes tough to handle.
Just face the fact your shit's a wrap and you gotta deal with the shit
Accept that you've lost and start dealing with the consequences.
Despite I talk about it, I ain't making fun of them niggas
I give thanks cause I've been blessed and I ain't one of them niggas
Although I mention other people's failures, I'm not enjoying it, and it reminds me to be grateful.
Can't imagine how difficult it is, I know you suspect
That shit around you is looking dumb, it's getting hard to accept it
I empathize with the difficulty of the situation and the reluctance to acknowledge it.
Alone in the mirror, you look at yourself and you smile
Disregarding the fact your running's been done for a while
You're deceiving yourself and pretending that everything is alright when you already lost your momentum.
Refuse to acknowledge the truth like the mind of a child
Continue fronting, like it's nothing while you live in denial
You're acting immaturely by denying the truth and pretending that everything is still under control.
While all your people around you start to leave you in the same place
You overexert the little you have left to save face
People around you have lost faith, but you're trying too hard to maintain your image.
You trying to hide your expression from looking worried
On what to do when your career is buried
You're trying to mask your anxiety about your future since your career is over.
Niggas ain't giving a fuck about your flows no more
You ain't the star you were, fucking the same hoes no more
Promoters ain't paying and booking you for shows no more
You ain't whipping the range, you ain't whipping a rolls no more
You're history now; no one cares about your music, fame, or lifestyle anymore.
Reality starts to settle in, you're sweating every wake up
You're broke and now you gotta return your jewelry to Jacob
You realize your predicament, and you're struggling financially to the point of selling your valuable possessions.
But nobody believes you; and now you live as a liar
You're only lying to yourself cause it's evident in the proof
People don't trust you, and you're only deceiving yourself by pretending you're still relevant.
As your world continues to crumble, come to terms with the truth
You're still holding on to them days when everything was about you
You need to accept the reality of your situation but are still attached to your past glory days.
But niggas don't even remember you enough to just shout you
I remember when you did your thing without a doubt tastefully
People forget your accomplishments and even ignore you now, but I still remember them as classy.
The problem was you didn't know when to bow out gracefully
Once told, never burn out, it's best to fade away
Your tragic flaw was not knowing when to quit and leave a legacy instead of crashing and burning out.
Preserve your value so that you can live to see a greater day
People see you and it's bugged that you mean nothing
Leave a positive impact so that your legacy matters long after you're gone.
You doing shit and front to prove to people you mean something
It happens in the vicious when the truth starts to settle in
You start pretending to remain relevant, but the reality sets in eventually.
You step to the door of the club and see that you ain't getting in
Forgetting you a man first, chasing the fame
Your attempts at self-promotion won't work anymore and will come back to bite you.
Got to remember, morals and principles, repping your name proper
But most niggas don't, and they whole life hurried
Remember to prioritize your values and protect your reputation, but most people forget and rush through life.
I'm here to lay you to rest once and for all
You've been dead a long time but you refuse to accept that shit
I'm here to give you the closure you need by punishing you since you've been dead inside for a while.
Nigga shut the fuck up and get in the box nigga! (wait! please!)
It was custom built for all niggas like you
You just don't wanna accept when it's time to hang it up
Accept your defeat and the consequences of your actions, as you belong in this situation, and the coffin was custom-made for you.
(stop! bitch!) see you in the afterlife nigga (wait! help!!!)
Whever the fuck that is!! (somebody help!!)
(i can't breathe, nigga!)
(open this shit nigga!)
(open this shit!!)
(open this shit!!)
(somebody help!! hey!!)
(open this shit motherfucker what you doin)
(open it!)
You will meet your judgment in the afterlife while screaming for help as you suffocate but everyone ignores you.
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANDRE YOUNG, GAYLE MORAN, TREVOR SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Marv Aff
This whole album is such an underrated classic. Probably Busta's best in terms of combining lyricism and mainstream appeal.
Michael A. Kelley
Dre's best beat ever. That's saying alot. The way he used the shovel hitting gravel and putting it in the beat is insanely genius
YAVIAH
Dre's "producers" best best ever in any case
MV N
This buddy from d12
BaneBalt
This song gave me chills, Busta you the one my g.
Ras Kass fan :)
Same lol
MrPrincessdlow
One of the best lyricist WITHOUT auto tune!
Elijah Arnold
This is the song that solidified me as a busta fan. I was still young as hell when this came out but Iβve never forgot this song
Scott Goulet
The truth as told by Busta Rhymes. This track is fire.
GhostOfTheYoutubeFuture
"You step to the door of the club & see that you ain't getting in"
As serious & truthful as this lyric is, I can't help but chuckle every time I hear it lol