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.
Survival
Busta Rhymes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hungry and thirsty
Hitcha like 30 30 for watcha worst see
Ya know we got to get this money
Survival hungry
{ One:}
What I feel is just, ha
The type of shit that make you act stupid for real, but a
Ya'll, before ya try to wear these you need to hear these
Welcome all ya'll to my world series
Ya ya ya
Elaborate on Busta Rhymes theories
Ya ya ya
I could bust your ass from half a ball Mcs
Ya ya ya
Never disrespect these monumental creating new flow
The full blast we'll hit'em hit'em hit'em high hit'em low
And while your style will soften, then my mind will drift often
To illusions of my lyrics given you massages in the coffin
The boom shock ooh wee
Horny nigga crash into a motherfuckin tree
I visualize shit and we in the place to be
Extra strength nigga bett's ta mind the party
Full fears I just pierce of in the place
Make the spot look scarce and peruse
Needles in ya face
Fuck dumb shit straight up
Keep it bouncin baby make sure you hold your wait up
A ha
Yea, just watch how the flow will change up for sure
Rippin until my niggas walk out the door
{ Two:}
Ya'll, I refuse to lose
Look at the news and read the interviews
Flipmode is da squad
A unit made of many crews
Give me the whole entire wheel of fortune
Makin a sacrifice no matter what the shit be coustin
And while you coughing I be flawsine like a fuckin dolphin
A lot of bitch rich niggas expernce extortion
This hours born when I'ma form
I drop a million in a one stony rocks on niggas like a fuckin hailstorm
I pulnternal my new flow
Put on your funeral home suit
And exacuted with a bang shoop
The blow torch been ignited
Those who seem exited, ha
I'ma bout? bunch of bitch niggas and they extradited
You soundin so sloppy
Like a broken muffler draggin behind an older lobby
Once the bomb drops here's to aftermath
Scientist tried to disscet my way and formulate my craft
Worrying bout how I achieve things
The way I antilze shit and how I proceed things
My style is real like bear skin imported from the Pursuance
Follow my excoriation all the way till you feelin the newer vibe version
I complete the after feat
Destroy who ever complicate the way how I eat
Survival hungry nigga
In "Survival," Busta Rhymes talks about the struggle of survival in the streets with his group of dirty niggas who are hungry and thirsty. He introduces his audience to his world of music, sharing his expertise in creating new flows and warns his haters and competitors to never disrespect his music. In verse one, he describes himself as an illusionist who can create mind-blowing lyrics that can even massage one's mind in a coffin. He delivers his lyrics aggressively and emphasizes on survival in the game, saying that he will not lose no matter the cost. He then goes on to introduce his crew, Flipmode, as a squad made of many crews.
In the second verse, he raps about his success, which he attributes to his craft and the way he analyzes things, constantly worrying about how he achieves things. He is confident in his style, likening it to bear skin, which is highly valuable. The song speaks to the harsh realities of street life and the importance of survival. Busta Rhymes expresses that he is willing to do whatever it takes to survive and remain on top of his game.
Line by Line Meaning
All my niggas dirty
Busta Rhymes and his crew are struggling financially and socially.
Hungry and thirsty
Busta Rhymes and his crew are in need of basic necessities like food and water.
Hitcha like 30 30 for watcha worst see
Busta Rhymes and his crew are prepared for any dangers that may come their way.
Ya know we got to get this money
Busta Rhymes and his crew are determined to make money to survive.
Survival hungry
Busta Rhymes and his crew are in a state of hunger and desperation due to their financial struggles.
A yo ooh baby
Busta Rhymes starts rapping with an upbeat tone.
What I feel is just, ha
Busta Rhymes feels confident and excited about his rap skills.
The type of shit that make you act stupid for real, but a
Busta Rhymes' music is powerful and can make listeners lose control.
Ya'll, before ya try to wear these you need to hear these
Busta Rhymes wants listeners to pay attention to his lyrics before trying to imitate them.
Welcome all ya'll to my world series
Busta Rhymes invites listeners to join him in his musical world.
Elaborate on Busta Rhymes theories
Busta Rhymes wants to explain his ideas and philosophy through his music.
I could bust your ass from half a ball Mcs
Busta Rhymes boasts that he could defeat other rappers.
Never disrespect these monumental creating new flow
Busta Rhymes wants other rappers to respect the new style of music he is creating.
The full blast we'll hit'em hit'em hit'em high hit'em low
Busta Rhymes' music is powerful and can be enjoyed at high and low volumes.
And while your style will soften, then my mind will drift often
Busta Rhymes' music will always be strong, while other rappers' styles may weaken over time.
To illusions of my lyrics given you massages in the coffin
Busta Rhymes' music can be soothing even in death.
The boom shock ooh wee
Busta Rhymes' music creates a feeling of excitement.
Horny nigga crash into a motherfuckin tree
Busta Rhymes describes someone being reckless and getting into an accident.
I visualize shit and we in the place to be
Busta Rhymes imagines being in a better situation and wants to bring his listeners there too.
Extra strength nigga bett's ta mind the party
Busta Rhymes wants his fellow rappers to step up their game and bring their skills to the party.
Full fears I just pierce of in the place
Busta Rhymes is fearless and confident in his musical abilities.
Make the spot look scarce and peruse
Busta Rhymes wants to make a big impact with his music and leave his audience wanting more.
Needles in ya face
Busta Rhymes' music can be intense and overwhelming.
Fuck dumb shit straight up
Busta Rhymes is tired of trivial, meaningless music and wants to make something real.
Keep it bouncin baby make sure you hold your wait up
Busta Rhymes wants his listeners to keep dancing and having fun while holding their own.
Yea, just watch how the flow will change up for sure
Busta Rhymes' music will evolve and change over time.
Rippin until my niggas walk out the door
Busta Rhymes will keep making music until his crew can no longer support him.
Ya'll, I refuse to lose
Busta Rhymes is determined to succeed and not give up.
Look at the news and read the interviews
Busta Rhymes wants his success to be covered by the media and recognized by others.
Flipmode is da squad
Busta Rhymes is proud of his crew and wants to represent them through his music.
A unit made of many crews
Busta Rhymes' crew is diverse and made up of multiple groups of people.
Give me the whole entire wheel of fortune
Busta Rhymes wants to be successful and make a lot of money.
Makin a sacrifice no matter what the shit be coustin
Busta Rhymes is willing to make sacrifices to reach his goals, no matter how difficult or painful.
And while you coughing I be flawsine like a fuckin dolphin
Busta Rhymes is able to keep going and succeed while others are struggling and failing.
A lot of bitch rich niggas expernce extortion
Busta Rhymes has seen other wealthy people get taken advantage of and exploited.
This hours born when I'ma form
Busta Rhymes is at his best when he is creating music.
I drop a million in a one stony rocks on niggas like a fuckin hailstorm
Busta Rhymes spends a lot of money on his music and can be destructive to his competition.
I pulnternal my new flow
Busta Rhymes is constantly improving and creating new music.
Put on your funeral home suit
Busta Rhymes' music can be intense and overwhelming, like attending a funeral.
And exacuted with a bang shoop
Busta Rhymes' music will end with a big impact.
The blow torch been ignited
Busta Rhymes is ready to make powerful and impactful music.
Those who seem exited, ha
Busta Rhymes is not impressed by people who are overly excited about his music.
I'ma bout? bunch of bitch niggas and they extradited
Busta Rhymes has little respect for weak or cowardly rappers who have been defeated.
You soundin so sloppy
Busta Rhymes hears other rappers making mistakes and sounding unrefined.
Like a broken muffler draggin behind an older lobby
Busta Rhymes compares the sound of other rapper's mistakes to a broken muffler on an old car.
Once the bomb drops here's to aftermath
Busta Rhymes' music will make a huge impact, even after it has ended.
Scientist tried to disscet my way and formulate my craft
Busta Rhymes' music is intricate and complex, like it was crafted by a scientist.
Worrying bout how I achieve things
Busta Rhymes' success is not a mystery, so people should stop trying to figure out how he achieved it.
The way I antilze shit and how I proceed things
Busta Rhymes has a unique way of analyzing things and making decisions.
My style is real like bear skin imported from the Pursuance
Busta Rhymes' music is authentic and genuine, like a bear skin imported directly from nature.
Follow my excoriation all the way till you feelin the newer vibe version
Busta Rhymes' music is constantly evolving and improving, so listeners should keep following him to experience it.
I complete the after feat
Busta Rhymes has accomplished a great feat through his music.
Destroy who ever complicate the way how I eat
Busta Rhymes is not interested in people who try to make his success more complicated or difficult than it needs to be.
Survival hungry nigga
Busta Rhymes and his crew are in a state of hunger and desperation due to their financial struggles.
Writer(s): Clinton Sparks
Contributed by Mackenzie I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.