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.
Ready for War
Busta Rhymes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tri-lateral commission
Berkowitz, Fizzy Wo', Bust-Down
(AiYAHHHHHHHHH!)
[Chorus: Busta Rhymes + M.O.P.]
Everytime I take a look, the only thing I see is
MY LIVE NIGGAZ IN THE SPOT
GIVE ME EVERYTHING YOU GOT
y'all niggaz ready to do it
LET'S BLOW THE MOTHERFUCKIN SPOT
All my niggaz
ATTENTION.. (LOUD AND CLEAR)
WHERE MY NIGGAZ READY FOR WAR? (WE RIGHT HERE!)
GET EM (WHEN WE SPOT EM) HIT EM (KID WE GOT EM)
WHERE MY NIGGAZ READY FOR WAR? (WE RIGHT HERE!)
[Billy Danze]
I got reason to believe, some of you niggaz feel
the man isn't live and direct (GET AT EM BILL!)
LONG, breathe easy pop, this is Hip-Hop
in the HARM WAY, we do it the war way, all day
I never procrastinate (you shouldn't)
I'm from where the war games fascinate (you couldn't)
You wouldn't believe what they've been tellin me
The perfect match is jail and me
cause I was born with a felony (uh uh uh)
Fuck that! How this shit look
when a nigga stretched out, with his chest out
and a mess out in Brooklyn, HI-YAHHHHHH
[Busta Rhymes]
y'all motherfuckers is back?!
y'all motherfuckers don't know how to act
y'all motherfuckers attack!!
[Billy Danze]
And those motherfuckers are wack, I travelled a rocky road
Swift to the Flipmode, quick grip for the unload
Father forgive me for my sins
but I'ma raise hell to the bitter end - I'm a soldier!
[Chorus]
[Lil' Fame]
Fuck the bullshit! I kick a bone out yo' ass
Hardrock nigga?! I kick a stone out yo' ass!
Warning, to all those, caps get peeled
quicker than e-mail to your ass sayin, "Kill kill kill!"
Curb chasin, straight lacin, with a Mac-10 blazin
Split yo' ass up like a Temptation
You cats is animated cartoons (WHO YOU?)
The return of Goodfellas Part Two
BITCH throw your fuckin guns up, put your fuckin hands down
HOT FLAMES UP, [buck you with], (BUSTA BUST DOWN)
We sneak the guns right in, y'all keep tryin
and I'ma check all pussies like a G-why-N
Open up your can of "Whoop Ass"; I'll open up
a fresh can of "I'll Fuck Yo' Ass Up Quick Fast"
Flipmode, M.O.P. Fizzy Wo-mack, Wo-mack
y'all know who the fuck I am!
[Chorus]
[Busta Rhymes]
Aiyyo yo-yuh-yo, and now I hear no one
(you) would let less than a motherfucker fear no one
None of y'all niggaz don't really want to fuck with the dread
The street brawler stomp your face into the back of yo' head
c'mon now, I'm quick to roast fry boil and even toast a guy
Multiply the ghosts like the world's greatest coke supply
Shit changed, you sellin WEED over the damn computer
Introduce the millennium STOMP nigga for the future
I be that prime honorary nigga
that'll voluntarily blast the last, Tom & Jerry ass nigga
And write raps to the sound of these gats
Perhaps my raps will paralyze a bitch-ass and make him collapse
Yo, see they be quick to bust they fashion of a calico
My niggaz Berkowitz and that other motherfucker Fizzy Wo'
Mashin through the city yo, and the foot it don't lie
Ready to blow this bitch up at the drop of a dime
[Chorus]
[ad libs for about 8 seconds before fade]
The song "Ready for War" by Busta Rhymes featuring M.O.P., talks about the readiness for battle of the artists and their crew. The lyrics use violent and aggressive language to describe their preparedness, including references to weaponry and gangster culture.
Throughout the song, there are several references to the violent nature of Hip-Hop and how the artists are willing to do whatever it takes to succeed in their careers. They talk about being born with a "felony," indicating that violence and criminal activity are part of their lives. There is also a reference to the "HARM WAY," indicating that they are willing to take risks and put themselves in dangerous situations.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the artists' readiness for war, and they call on their crew to join them in battle. There is a sense of camaraderie and loyalty among the artists, and they are not afraid to take on anyone who stands in their way.
Overall, "Ready for War" is a song that glorifies violence and aggression, and it portrays the artists as being tough and fearless. It reflects the gangster culture that has been a part of Hip-Hop from its early origins.
Line by Line Meaning
Tri-lateral commission
Busta Rhymes is name-dropping some powerful organizations or groups perhaps to convey his own power.
Everytime I take a look, the only thing I see is
MY LIVE NIGGAZ IN THE SPOT
The only thing that Busta sees around him are his loyal and trustworthy men in the spot.
Tell me what y'all want
GIVE ME EVERYTHING YOU GOT
Busta wants everything that his men have got and he is willing to take it all.
y'all niggaz ready to do it
LET'S BLOW THE MOTHERFUCKIN SPOT
Busta is excited and wants to blow up the spot with his guys.
All my niggaz
ATTENTION.. (LOUD AND CLEAR)
WHERE MY NIGGAZ READY FOR WAR? (WE RIGHT HERE!)
Busta is calling out to all his niggas who are ready for war and they are responding affirmatively.
GET EM (WHEN WE SPOT EM) HIT EM (KID WE GOT EM)
Busta is ready to hit and attack his enemies.
I got reason to believe, some of you niggaz feel
the man isn't live and direct (GET AT EM BILL!)
Bill is ready to prove his enemies wrong who think that he is not alive and direct.
LONG, breathe easy pop, this is Hip-Hop
in the HARM WAY, we do it the war way, all day
Bill and his men are willing to go to war even in the hip-hop game and they are prepared for it all day long.
I never procrastinate (you shouldn't)
I'm from where the war games fascinate (you couldn't)
You wouldn't believe what they've been tellin me
The perfect match is jail and me
cause I was born with a felony (uh uh uh)
Bill takes war seriously and never procrastinates. He was born with a felony and people are telling him that he is the perfect match for jail.
Fuck that! How this shit look
when a nigga stretched out, with his chest out
and a mess out in Brooklyn, HI-YAHHHHHH
Bill is outraged at the thought of his men getting killed in Brooklyn.
y'all motherfuckers is back?!
y'all motherfuckers don't know how to act
y'all motherfuckers attack!!
And those motherfuckers are wack, I travelled a rocky road
Swift to the Flipmode, quick grip for the unload
Father forgive me for my sins
but I'ma raise hell to the bitter end - I'm a soldier!
Bill is tired of his enemies attacking and is ready to retaliate. He is remorseful for his past sins but is willing to raise hell to protect his men.
Fuck the bullshit! I kick a bone out yo' ass
Hardrock nigga?! I kick a stone out yo' ass!
Lil' Fame is not afraid of anyone and will kick a bone or even a stone out of anyone's ass.
Warning, to all those, caps get peeled
quicker than e-mail to your ass sayin, "Kill kill kill!"
Lil' Fame is warning his enemies that he is quick to peel caps and kill them.
Curb chasin, straight lacin, with a Mac-10 blazin
Split yo' ass up like a Temptation
You cats is animated cartoons (WHO YOU?)
The return of Goodfellas Part Two
BITCH throw your fuckin guns up, put your fuckin hands down
HOT FLAMES UP, [buck you with], (BUSTA BUST DOWN)
Lil' Fame is describing how he will split his enemies with his Mac-10 and is ready to bring the flames with Busta Rhymes.
We sneak the guns right in, y'all keep tryin
and I'ma check all pussies like a G-why-N
Open up your can of "Whoop Ass"; I'll open up
a fresh can of "I'll Fuck Yo' Ass Up Quick Fast"
Lil' Fame and his men are sneaking in guns and he is ready to fight and open a can of whoop-ass on anyone who tries to mess with him.
Flipmode, M.O.P. Fizzy Wo-mack, Wo-mack
y'all know who the fuck I am!
Lil' Fame is reminding everyone that he is from Flipmode and M.O.P. and is someone that people do not want to mess with.
Aiyyo yo-yuh-yo, and now I hear no one
(you) would let less than a motherfucker fear no one
Lil' Fame is not afraid of anyone and is surprised that people would let anyone less than themselves scare them.
None of y'all niggaz don't really want to fuck with the dread
The street brawler stomp your face into the back of yo' head
Lil' Fame is warning his enemies that they do not want to mess with him and he is willing to stomp their faces into the back of their heads.
c'mon now, I'm quick to roast fry boil and even toast a guy
Multiply the ghosts like the world's greatest coke supply
Lil' Fame is saying that he is capable of destroying his enemies and making them ghosts like the world's greatest coke supply.
Shit changed, you sellin WEED over the damn computer
Introduce the millennium STOMP nigga for the future
Lil' Fame is acknowledging that things have changed and people are selling weed over the internet. He is ready to stomp his enemies for the future.
I be that prime honorary nigga
that'll voluntarily blast the last, Tom & Jerry ass nigga
And write raps to the sound of these gats
Perhaps my raps will paralyze a bitch-ass and make him collapse
Lil' Fame is saying that he is the prime honor deserving nigga who is willing to blast his enemies and make them collapse with his raps.
Yo, see they be quick to bust they fashion of a calico
My niggaz Berkowitz and that other motherfucker Fizzy Wo'
Mashin through the city yo, and the foot it don't lie
Ready to blow this bitch up at the drop of a dime
Lil' Fame is saying that his men, Berkowitz and Fizzy Wo', are quick to bust their guns and they are ready to blow up the city at a moment's notice.
Lyrics © THE ROYALTY NETWORK INC., Royalty Network, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BUSTA RHYMES, JAMAL GRINNAGE, ERIC MURRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind