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.
Shoot For The Moon
Busta Rhymes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We shootin' for the moon and land on the stars
Let us land on the stars, let us land on the stars
Let us land on the stars
We 'bout to do it real big like outta this world and we takin' it far
Shootin' for the moon and land on the stars
Let us land on the stars, let us land on the stars
Now don't you think this shit's outrageous?
At this point if you don't see I'm one of the greatest
I play the long time up in the league with the majors
In every history book they add a couple more pages
Like about the way I take 'em through stages
On different levels, peep the way it read on the gauges
Regardless I'ma love 'em, I don't care how they hate us
No matter how they try, see they could never replace us
Like mommy always said beware of the dangers
Embrace genuine love, be careful of strangers
'Cause when you are the best they try to weaken and change us
They don't recognize at first but always do when you're famous
Like I live my life bold and courageous
And invest my time and always calculatin' my wages
And let me lead the march, they'll probably start to parade us
Because you know that I'm comin' to save us
As we go way beyond sky's the limit and you know who we are
We shootin' for the moon and land on the stars
Let us land on the stars, let us land on the stars
Let us land on the stars
We 'bout to do it real big like outta this world and we takin' it far
Shootin' for the moon and land on the stars
Let us land on the stars, let us land on the stars
Let us land on the stars, let us
I spread my wings takin' off properly
I laugh at muh'fuckers that'll think they can top me
I laugh harder 'cause somebody said that they dropped me
When I'm flyin' through the sky, now how the hell they gon' stop me
Like most of the time it's good to be patient
Now I'm back with the crack, sorry for keepin' you waitin'
Prepare the food right for the street and season the steak
And grab a champagne glass and put it up, we celebratin'
Like and tell me who you tryin' to race with
If you ain't notice nigga I be ridin' a spaceship
I'm light years ahead and way beyond all the fake shit
I gotta stay away from trash because I probably'll break shit
Like I know it's kinda hard to believe this
The way I always come back and return with the heat, bitch
This shit ain't a secret, son, it's hard to defeat this
Risin' out the ashes, flyin' like a Phoenix
As we go way beyond sky's the limit and you know who we are
We shootin' for the moon and land on the stars
Let us land on the stars, let us land on the stars
Let us land on the stars
We 'bout to do it real big like outta this world and we takin' it far
Shootin' for the moon and land on the stars
Let us land on the stars, let us land on the stars
Let us land on the stars, let us
See now you see I'm back in the zone, be
And it feels good to be home with Sylvia Rhone see
Back to smash on the planet, niggaz know I'm the only one
To be back with the authentic to smash all the phonies
Like we mostly do the thing that you can't teach
And then send 'em a rhyme into that bullshit you can't reach
Then I give you shit that make the hood wanna bang in the street
And state my word is bond, I live out what I speak nigga
As we go way beyond sky's the limit and you know who we are
We shootin' for the moon and land on the stars
Let us land on the stars, let us land on the stars
Let us land on the stars
We 'bout to do it real big like outta this world and we takin' it far
Shootin' for the moon and land on the stars
Let us land on the stars, let us land on the stars
Let us land on the stars, let us
In the song "Shoot For The Moon" by Busta Rhymes, he talks about going beyond limits and reaching for the stars. He mentions that he is one of the greatest and has been in the game for a long time, and he is not easily replaceable. He talks about taking risks and being courageous, even when faced with danger or hate from others. Busta Rhymes urges listeners to be cautious of strangers and embrace genuine love.
He also talks about his success and how he is constantly evolving and improving as an artist. He stays away from fake things and people and remains true to himself. Busta Rhymes encourages his listeners to be patient and celebrate their successes, and to never stop trying to reach for the stars.
Overall, the song is about taking risks, being courageous, and striving for greatness, no matter what obstacles may come your way. Busta Rhymes reminds us that success doesn't come easy, but with hard work, dedication, and perseverance, we can shoot for the moon and land on the stars.
Line by Line Meaning
As we go way beyond sky's the limit and you know who we are
We are reaching new heights and taking on new challenges, and we are recognizable for our accomplishments.
We shootin' for the moon and land on the stars
We are striving for the highest possible goal, and even if we fall slightly short, we will still achieve great success in the process.
Let us land on the stars, let us land on the stars
We are determined to reach our ultimate goal and will not settle for anything less.
We 'bout to do it real big like outta this world and we takin' it far
We are undertaking a massive endeavor that is out of this world, and we are going to push ourselves as far as we can go.
Now don't you think this shit's outrageous?
Some may view our ambitions as excessive or impossible, but we refuse to be limited by the expectations of others.
At this point if you don't see I'm one of the greatest
We have already established ourselves as some of the best in our field and are continuing to push ourselves to even greater heights.
I play the long time up in the league with the majors
We have been working and achieving success in our industry for a long time, alongside the other major players.
In every history book they add a couple more pages
Our successes and achievements continue to grow and expand, giving us a larger place in history for years to come.
Like about the way I take 'em through stages
We have a unique and successful approach to our work, constantly leading others through new levels of development and growth.
On different levels, peep the way it read on the gauges
We are operating at a higher level than most, and if you look at the results we achieve, it is clear that we are exceeding expectations.
Regardless I'ma love 'em, I don't care how they hate us
Despite facing criticism or hate from others, we will continue to love and believe in ourselves and our goals.
No matter how they try, see they could never replace us
Others may try to copy or replicate our success, but they will never be able to truly replace us or our unique approach.
Like mommy always said beware of the dangers
We are aware of the risks and dangers that come with pursuing such big goals, but we are determined to push forward regardless.
Embrace genuine love, be careful of strangers
We prioritize love and genuine connections, while being cautious of those who may not have our best interests at heart.
'Cause when you are the best they try to weaken and change us
As those at the top, others may try to bring us down or change us, but we remain steadfast in our beliefs and goals.
They don't recognize at first but always do when you're famous
Initially, others may not recognize our potential or value, but as we continue to achieve success and recognition, they will come to understand our worth.
Like I live my life bold and courageous
We live our lives with bravery and courage, taking on big goals and pushing ourselves to new heights.
And invest my time and always calculatin' my wages
We are strategic and intentional with our time and effort, always looking at the potential rewards and benefits of our actions.
And let me lead the march, they'll probably start to parade us
We are confident in our ability to pave the way for others, and know that our success will eventually lead to recognition and celebration.
Because you know that I'm comin' to save us
Others see us as a solution or a source of hope, and we are willing to take on that responsibility and make positive changes.
I spread my wings takin' off properly
We are finally able to spread our wings and take off towards our goals with full force and confidence.
I laugh at muh'fuckers that'll think they can top me
We are so confident in our abilities and potential that we can laugh at anyone who thinks they can outdo us or our accomplishments.
I laugh harder 'cause somebody said that they dropped me
Others may have doubted us or thought we weren't capable, but we are now able to laugh and find humor in those past struggles.
When I'm flyin' through the sky, now how the hell they gon' stop me
We are on a fast track to success and are flying high towards our goals; no one can slow us down or stop us now.
Like most of the time it's good to be patient
Although we are driven and ambitious, we recognize the importance of patience and taking time to properly prepare for success.
Now I'm back with the crack, sorry for keepin' you waitin'
We are finally ready and fully prepared to take on our goals, and apologize for any delays or setbacks in the past.
Prepare the food right for the street and season the steak
We are ready to deliver our best work and impress even the toughest critics, ensuring that every small detail is prepared and perfected.
And grab a champagne glass and put it up, we celebratin'
We are already celebrating our success and accomplishments, as we know that our hard work and effort will pay off in the end.
Like and tell me who you tryin' to race with
Our success is already so great that others cannot even compete or keep up with us.
If you ain't notice nigga I be ridin' a spaceship
We are on a completely different level and pursuing an out-of-this-world goal, so ordinary methods or approaches will not work.
I'm light years ahead and way beyond all the fake shit
Our success and progress is light years ahead of the competition or those who engage in fake or superficial work.
I gotta stay away from trash because I probably'll break shit
We cannot afford to waste our time or energy on those who are not up to our standards or level, as it will only hold us back or cause problems.
Like I know it's kinda hard to believe this
Our achievements and progress may be hard for others to believe or understand, but we know the hard work and dedication that went into each success.
The way I always come back and return with the heat, bitch
We are always able to come back stronger and fiercer after setbacks or fails, constantly returning with even more passion and determination.
This shit ain't a secret, son, it's hard to defeat this
Our success and accomplishments are not a secret or based on luck, but rather on hard work, dedication, and unique approaches that are difficult to replicate or defeat.
Risin' out the ashes, flyin' like a Phoenix
We are able to rise up and soar towards our goals, even after facing setbacks or failures, just like a Phoenix rising from its ashes.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: FLOYD HILLS, TREVOR SMITH, MARCELLA ARACIA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind