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.
Shake It
Busta Rhymes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh yeah
Oh yeah
Oh yeah
Shake
Shake
Oh yeah
Oh yeah
Ass so fat with an ass like that (shake it, shake it)
Ass so fat with an ass like that (shake it, shake it)
Shake it
Shake it
Shake it
Shake
Shake
Shake
Make that ass clap (clap), let me hear it loud (ay)
Shake that ass for me (yup), make your momma proud
Shawty do that shit again, a nigga want to see somethin' (come here)
Pull a trampoline, the way she let a nigga see you jumpin' (slow it)
Baby gonna ride it fast, get this money, bitch hide your stash (HAH)
I don't give a fuck about your ass shot bitch - bounce that with your lopsided ass (hahaha)
We in a higher class - my shit knock 'til you wanna drive and crash
'Cause when I get high and laugh, I keep hitting niggas with the fire (splash)
Why you really in here fronting lookin' funny nigga? (What's up?)
Why you dudes just in here stuntin', where's your money nigga? (Where it at?)
Get to spendin', my bitches they keep me kicked back
Fuck the chit-chat, get to throwin' them big racks
(Oh yeah, oh yeah) You know what I came for
(Oh yeah, oh yeah) You know what I came for
Came to see you shake it (shake), came to see you naked (shake)
Throwin' so much paper (oh yeah), you gonna have to rake it (oh yeah)
Ass so fat with an ass like that (shake it, shake it)
Ass so fat with an ass like that (shake it, shake it)
Shake it
Shake it
Shake it
Shake
Shake
Shake
Ass so fat with an ass like that, think a nigga like me
Gonna let a bitch like you walk past like that - I'm a big dog, I'm gonna kill that cat
Send that pussy to heaven, I click-clack that shit
She said she love my presence like I gift wrap that dick
What you doing girl with all that?
Everybody getting money huh? Who's frontin'?
All around the world, these bitches love me
You trying to find your girl, she tryin' to fuck me
Shake that ass, stop and go, shake that ass, yeah pop it ho
+Girl On Fire+, Alicia Keys, girl on fire, drop and roll
Gushy gush, I pussy push, blow it down like kushy kush
Pussy chant that's pound for pound, told y'all like Reggie Bush
Dolphin, I swim in it (swim in it), +Dive In+, no fins in it (fins in it)
You talk shit while I'm diggin' in it, and if I kiss then my chin in it (nasty)
Say she wanna bring her friend in it, my mind lost but my dick winnin'
And you found love, but your bitch missin', I found her and she clique kissin' (shady)
(Oh yeah, oh yeah) You know what I came for
(Oh yeah, oh yeah) You know what I came for
Came to see you shake it (shake), came to see you naked (shake)
Throwin' so much paper (oh yeah), you gonna have to rake it (oh yeah)
Ass so fat with an ass like that (shake it, shake it)
Ass so fat with an ass like that (shake it, shake it)
Shake it
Shake it
Shake it
Shake
Shake
Shake
I'm a "Rolling Stone", Mick Jagger swagger
Then I play with drums like I'm Tommy Leezy
"Bang Bang"+, like Chief Keezy
She turnin up for me for no reason
From New York City to the Bay
That's how these bitches they like to play
Some big booty freaks
Pop it on a handstand, that how she eat
Word to my mother yo, word to my mother
If she fuck me like she dancin', I'mma love her undercover
I met a diamond in Miami like a month ago
It ain't an A-town bitch that won't do what I tell her to
(Oh yeah, oh yeah) You know what I came for
(Oh yeah, oh yeah) You know what I came for
Came to see you shake it (shake), came to see you naked (shake)
Throwin' so much paper (oh yeah), you gonna have to rake it (oh yeah)
Ass so fat with an ass like that (shake it, shake it)
Ass so fat with an ass like that (shake it, shake it)
Shake it
Shake it
Shake it
Shake
Shake
Shake
The lyrics to Busta Rhymes’s song, "Shake It," are primarily about appreciating and admiring a woman with a large, curvaceous behind. The chorus repeats “Ass so fat with an ass like that, shake it, shake it,” emphasizing the main focus of the song. Busta Rhymes describes wanting to see the woman shake her hips and make her buttocks clap. He mentions making money and enjoying the presence of women willing to dance for him. He also boasts about his sexual prowess, describing himself as a “big dog” and insinuating that he can make a woman’s “pussy” go to “heaven.” The song also features some playful rhymes and references to other artists, such as Alicia Keys’ “Girl On Fire.”
Unfortunately, the lyrics to “Shake It” are relatively straightforward and somewhat objectifying. They portray a common theme in hip-hop, which is the sexualization and objectification of women’s bodies. While Busta Rhymes is known for his energetic delivery and catchy hooks, his lyrics can be at odds with those who value gender equality and respect for women.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh yeah
I'm excited and ready for what's coming next
Shake
Move your body in a sensual and attractive way
Oh yeah
I'm enjoying what I'm seeing and want more
Ass so fat with an ass like that (shake it, shake it)
Your behind is large and attractive, and I want you to move it in a tantalizing way
Shake it
Keep moving your hips and buttocks in a seductive manner
Make that ass clap (clap), let me hear it loud (ay)
Move your behind so vigorously that it makes a loud clapping sound, which I find arousing
Shake that ass for me (yup), make your momma proud
Move your buttocks for my pleasure, and show how well you can move your body with pride
Shawty do that shit again, a nigga want to see somethin' (come here)
Move your body sensually again, and I want to get a closer look
Pull a trampoline, the way she let a nigga see you jumpin' (slow it)
You're moving so sensually that it's like bouncing on a trampoline, and I want you to slow down so I can enjoy it more
Baby gonna ride it fast, get this money, bitch hide your stash (HAH)
You're going to move your body quickly for the cash, but be careful and hide your belongings because I might steal it
I don't give a fuck about your ass shot bitch - bounce that with your lopsided ass (hahaha)
I don't care if your buttocks are fake, move it anyway in a lopsided way because it's funny to me
We in a higher class - my shit knock 'til you wanna drive and crash
We're living a luxurious lifestyle, and my music is so good that it can make you lose control while driving
'Cause when I get high and laugh, I keep hitting niggas with the fire (splash)
When I'm intoxicated and amused, I can't stop entertaining and impressing people with my skills
Why you really in here fronting lookin' funny nigga? (What's up?)
Why are you pretending to be someone you're not and looking ridiculous in the process?
Why you dudes just in here stuntin', where's your money nigga? (Where it at?)
Why are you showing off but don't have the wealth to back it up?
Get to spendin', my bitches they keep me kicked back
Start spending money, and my female companions will help me relax and enjoy the moment
Fuck the chit-chat, get to throwin' them big racks
Stop talking and start throwing large amounts of money
(Oh yeah, oh yeah) You know what I came for
I'm here for a specific purpose, and you know what it is
(Oh yeah, oh yeah) You know what I came for
I'm here for a specific purpose, and you know what it is
Came to see you shake it (shake), came to see you naked (shake)
I came to watch you dance in a provocative way and potentially see you without clothing
Throwin' so much paper (oh yeah), you gonna have to rake it (oh yeah)
I'm throwing so much money that you'll need to bring a rake to collect it all
Ass so fat with an ass like that, think a nigga like me
Your buttocks are so large and attractive that someone like me can't resist it
Gonna let a bitch like you walk past like that - I'm a big dog, I'm gonna kill that cat
I won't let an attractive woman like you pass me by - I'm confident in my abilities and will pursue you aggressively
Send that pussy to heaven, I click-clack that shit
I plan to have sex with you so good that you'll feel like you're in paradise, and I'll be aggressive about it
She said she love my presence like I gift wrap that dick
She stated that she loves being in my company and finds me visually appealing and sexually desirable
What you doing girl with all that?
What are you going to do with all of that attractive physicality? I'm curious
Everybody getting money huh? Who's frontin'?
Everyone's claiming to have wealth - who's actually being truthful?
All around the world, these bitches love me
Women from all over the world are attracted to me
You trying to find your girl, she tryin' to fuck me
You're looking for your girlfriend, but she's actively trying to have sex with me instead
Shake that ass, stop and go, shake that ass, yeah pop it ho
Move your buttocks rhythmically but with intermittent stops, and make a popping sound
+Girl On Fire+, Alicia Keys, girl on fire, drop and roll
Referencing the song 'Girl On Fire' by Alicia Keys, in which it's suggested to drop and roll when on fire
Gushy gush, I pussy push, blow it down like kushy kush
Referencing sexual actions in an explicit manner, involving genitalia
Pussy chant that's pound for pound, told y'all like Reggie Bush
Referencing a sexual act and comparing its intensity to the body mass ratio of a famous athlete
Dolphin, I swim in it (swim in it), +Dive In+, no fins in it (fins in it)
Referencing a sexual act and comparing it to swimming and diving, without the use of equipment
You talk shit while I'm diggin' in it, and if I kiss then my chin in it (nasty)
You're speaking disrespectfully while I'm having sex with you, and if I kiss you, my chin is in your private area
Say she wanna bring her friend in it, my mind lost but my dick winnin'
You suggest bringing a third person into the sexual activity, and although I'm unsure about it, my arousal is in control
And you found love, but your bitch missin', I found her and she clique kissin' (shady)
You're in a loving relationship but your partner is absent, and I found them kissing someone else in a shady manner
I'm a "Rolling Stone", Mick Jagger swagger
I'm a person who's always on the move, with a sense of style and confidence similar to the famous musician Mick Jagger
Then I play with drums like I'm Tommy Leezy
I play the drums with skill and creativity, similarly to the renowned musician Tommy Lee
"Bang Bang", like Chief Keezy
Referencing a song titled 'Bang Bang' and the artist Chief Keef, implying aggression and violence
She turnin up for me for no reason
She's dancing erotically for me without any specific reason
From New York City to the Bay
Referencing a large geographic area, suggesting a wide-reaching influence
That's how these bitches they like to play
This is how women like to behave in order to attract male attention
Some big booty freaks
There are some women with large buttocks who are sexually adventurous
Pop it on a handstand, that's how she eat
A woman will move her body in strange ways during sexual activity, like doing a handstand
Word to my mother yo, word to my mother
This is the truth, and I swear on my mother's life
If she fuck me like she dancin', I'mma love her undercover
If she has sex with me as erotically as she dances, I'll be deeply infatuated with her
I met a diamond in Miami like a month ago
I encountered an exceptional woman in Miami recently
It ain't an A-town bitch that won't do what I tell her to
I can control any female from Atlanta in the way that I want
Shake
Move your body in a sensual and attractive way
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Trevor Smith, Navaydius Wilburn, Tremaine Neverson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind