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.
Rhymes Galore
Busta Rhymes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rhymes galore, rhymes galore, rhymes galore
Rhymes galore, rhymes galore
This for the motherfuckers out there on some real hip-hop shit
Yo, yo yo, mayday mayday, mayday mayday
Walk barefoot on niggaz like Kunta Kinte
(so, what you say?) what is you doin' you walkin' this way
I be designin' fashion like Mark Buchanan, yes I keep it slammin'
Shit just be bangin' just like a loose cannon!
Blaow! you better park, niggaz I spark
Niggaz like sharp niggaz I stay up rippin' shit apart
Niggaz float over water like Noah's ark, niggaz cover yo' face!
And don't get caught up in the scene when it get dark niggaz
Uhh, excuses me Mrs! Sure to hit you with the fitness
Give you niggaz the sickest, jumpin' Jehovah Witness
Beamin' in on niggaz plottin' and schemin'
And steady dreamin' on how they gon' do they double-teamin'
Fuck the bullshit, my nigga it be best you know 'bout it
Before you get secret indicted, make me slap a nigga lopsided!
Hold up, son listen it be so beautiful
When we catch you like a nigga sold us too much pharmaceuticals!
(Come and get it quick) When Busta Rhymes be up in the place
Those who don't like go get the dick I'll give you a taste!
Aiyyo you need to just focus on my earth tremblin' rhymes
That got me fillin' in by the million
Fucka yo' opinion! Dominatin' like Kings Dominion
Leanin' on niggaz like we on motorcycles pop a wheelie an'
Ay-aiyyo-yo, number one roman numeral
Completing the executional shit is usual
I ain't scared of ya! Takin all of yo' paraphernalia
That's my words on Mrs. Mahalia
I hope you know yo' best bet, is to get the fuck out of my area
Before I rip you from out yo' interior
And hope you know you got to keep a corny nigga smothered
Grab the Gat off the cupboard
You never know when shit is safe so keep yo' face covered!
While I be scorchin' it, a lot of niggaz be lookin' for alternates
And still just lose they life that's so unfortunate
Trailblazin' me, since my mother started raisin me
Hit you with the powerful shit that sometimes amazes me
I create junkies just like "12 monkeys"
Spreadin' right throughout yo' block
Catchin' suspects who thinkin' they so lucky
Loud and clear for those who cannot properly hear
Frequency so loud shatter couple a pair in yo' chandelier
Now when I'm in the place, give me my space!
Nothin' left for me to do, my niggaz blew up the place!
What the fuck
Ha ha, I got rhymes galore, rhymes galore
Y'all, I got rhymes galore, rhymes galore
My Flipmode niggaz got rhymes galore, rhymes galore
Busta Rhymes got rhymes galore, rhymes galore
Aiyyo yo, we got rhymes galore
Yo we got rhymes galore, rhymes galore
Rhymes galore, rhymes galore, rhymes galore
Me and my squad got rhymes galore!
Fuck that
The song "Rhymes Galore" by Busta Rhymes is an upbeat track that features the artist boasting about his exceptional lyrical ability. Busta Rhymes starts off by comparing himself to the character Kunta Kinte, from the novel and TV series "Roots," who was known for his strength and resilience in the face of adversity. He then goes on to spit out rhymes with ease, declaring that he is on some "real hip-hop shit" and that he is better than any competitor who tries to challenge him.
Throughout the song, Busta Rhymes continues to showcase his lyrical prowess, referencing everything from designer Mark Buchanan to mentioning Jehovah's Witnesses, and even making a reference to the movie "12 Monkeys." He raps with incredible speed, rhythm, and an authoritative delivery that is reminiscent of the great rappers of the 90s. The chorus of the song repeatedly emphasizes the term "rhymes galore," which highlights Busta Rhymes' incredible lyrical ability.
Overall, "Rhymes Galore" is a testament to Busta Rhymes' skill as a rapper, and it cements his position as one of the greatest rappers of all time. The song showcases his creative use of language and his ability to create powerful rhymes that are delivered with precision and force.
Line by Line Meaning
Rhymes galore, rhymes galore
Busta Rhymes has no shortage of rhymes and is about to demonstrate it.
Rhymes galore, rhymes galore, rhymes galore
He repeats the same sentiment, emphasizing how many rhymes he has.
Rhymes galore, rhymes galore
Once more, he makes it clear that he has an abundance of rhymes.
This for the motherfuckers out there on some real hip-hop shit
This song is dedicated to those who appreciate real hip-hop music.
Yo, yo yo, mayday mayday, mayday mayday
Busta starts off with a call to attention.
Walk barefoot on niggaz like Kunta Kinte
He's so confident that he could walk all over his competitors without any footwear, comparing himself to Kunta Kinte from Roots.
(so, what you say?) what is you doin' you walkin' this way
He challenges anyone who is walking towards him, as if daring them to engage him.
I burn you like I'm smokin' a chalice with el da sensei
Busta compares his rhymes to the intensity of smoking a chalice of weed with popular rapper el da sensei.
I be designin' fashion like Mark Buchanan, yes I keep it slammin'
He's just as skilled at creating rhymes as designer Mark Buchanan is at creating fashion.
Shit just be bangin' just like a loose cannon!
Busta's rhymes are so potent that they hit hard, like a cannonball fired from a loose cannon.
Blaow! you better park, niggaz I spark
His rhymes are hot, like a spark that can ignite and explode.
Niggaz like sharp niggaz I stay up rippin' shit apart
He's sharper than his competition, and he intends to tear them apart with his powerful rhymes.
Niggaz float over water like Noah's ark, niggaz cover yo' face!
He's so good with rhymes that he can do the impossible, like making someone walk on water like Noah's ark.
And don't get caught up in the scene when it get dark niggaz
He advises his competitors not to get too comfortable as things can turn ugly quickly.
Uhh, excuses me Mrs! Sure to hit you with the fitness
He acknowledges his female audience, assuring them that he's still able to entertain them with his rhymes.
Give you niggaz the sickest, jumpin' Jehovah Witness
His rhymes are so intense that they could cause the typically reserved Jehovah's Witness to jump in shock.
Beamin' in on niggaz plottin' and schemin'
He's focused and aware of anyone plotting against him.
And steady dreamin' on how they gon' do they double-teamin'
He's aware of his enemies trying to team up, but he's not afraid.
Fuck the bullshit, my nigga it be best you know 'bout it
He's telling his competitors to forget the trivial stuff and acknowledge his rhymes as supreme.
Before you get secret indicted, make me slap a nigga lopsided!
He's warning his competitors to recognize his rhymes or risk being humiliated.
Hold up, son listen it be so beautiful
In his eyes, his rhymes are a thing of beauty.
When we catch you like a nigga sold us too much pharmaceuticals!
He's comparing his rhymes to drugs that are so abundant, they're like someone trying to sell him too much pharmaceuticals.
(Come and get it quick) When Busta Rhymes be up in the place
Busta is calling on anyone who wants to challenge him to face him immediately.
Those who don't like go get the dick I'll give you a taste!
He dismisses anyone who doesn't appreciate his music to go find something else, in a not-so-polite manner.
Aiyyo you need to just focus on my earth tremblin' rhymes
He's demanding that his listeners pay attention to his powerful rhymes.
That got me fillin' in by the million
His rhymes are so popular and effective, he has millions of fans.
Fucka yo' opinion! Dominatin' like Kings Dominion
He doesn't care for or put much value on others' opinions, as he's already dominating like the Kings Dominion theme park.
Leanin' on niggaz like we on motorcycles pop a wheelie an'
He's so in control that he and his crew are like motorcyclists doing a wheelie.
Ay-aiyyo-yo, number one roman numeral
He's the one and only Busta Rhymes, reflected in the use of the roman numeral I (1).
Completing the executional shit is usual
He's so good at creating rhymes that it's become routine.
I ain't scared of ya! Takin all of yo' paraphernalia
He's fearless and not threatened by anyone, even if it means taking away their possessions.
That's my words on Mrs. Mahalia
He stands behind what he says, in a reference to gospel singer Mahalia Jackson.
I hope you know yo' best bet, is to get the fuck out of my area
He warns anyone entering his territory to leave before they incur his wrath.
Before I rip you from out yo' interior
He's threatening to completely dismantle and humiliate his competition.
And hope you know you got to keep a corny nigga smothered
He advises others to silence anyone who can't compete with his rhymes.
Grab the Gat off the cupboard
He's ready to handle any confrontation, even if it means grabbing a firearm off a shelf.
You never know when shit is safe so keep yo' face covered!
He's advising everyone to be cautious and keep a low profile, as things can turn violent very quickly.
While I be scorchin' it, a lot of niggaz be lookin' for alternates
While he's excelling, others are scrambling to come up with alternatives.
And still just lose they life that's so unfortunate
He feels bad for those who try to compete with him and end up losing everything.
Trailblazin' me, since my mother started raisin me
He's been a trailblazer in the hip-hop industry since he was a child.
Hit you with the powerful shit that sometimes amazes me
His rhymes are so powerful that sometimes even he is amazed.
I create junkies just like '12 monkeys'
His rhymes are so addictive they turn his listeners into 'junkies'. An allusion to thriller film, 12 Monkeys.
Spreadin' right throughout yo' block, Catchin' suspects who thinkin' they so lucky
'Suspects' is a reference to his competition. He's spreading his music throughout and catching them believing they're lucky to compete.
Loud and clear for those who cannot properly hear
His rhymes are so loud and clear that even those who are hard of hearing have no trouble understanding.
Frequency so loud shatter couple a pair in yo' chandelier
The loudness of his rhymes even have the potential to break a couple of glasses in someone's chandelier.
Now when I'm in the place, give me my space!
He wants everyone to make room for him when he enters.
Nothin' left for me to do, my niggaz blew up the place!
His rhymes were so explosive, he and his crew left nothing else behind.
Ha ha, I got rhymes galore, rhymes galore
Repeating it again, he has plenty of rhymes.
Y'all, I got rhymes galore, rhymes galore
He's assuring his listeners that he has a seemingly endless supply of rhymes.
My Flipmode niggaz got rhymes galore, rhymes galore
His crew, Flipmode, also has an abundance of rhymes.
Busta Rhymes got rhymes galore, rhymes galore
He restates that he personally has plenty of rhymes.
Aiyyo yo, we got rhymes galore
Reiterating that he and his crew have an exorbitant amount of rhymes.
Yo we got rhymes galore, rhymes galore
Once more, he emphasizes his collective's abundance of rhymes.
Rhymes galore, rhymes galore, rhymes galore
He reiterates the same concept, seemingly endless rhymes.
Fuck that
He ends the song abruptly.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JO BRIDGES, THOMAS WAYNE NIXON, MACK RICE, RASHAD SMITH, TREVOR SMITH, RUFUS JR THOMAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind