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.
There's Not a Problem My Squad Can't Fix
Busta Rhymes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
C'mon, aight?
I got this side right here
Take this side right there
C'mon do this
Busta Bus
C'mon, aight?
C'mon (here we go) stayin street
Paws, to the wall, with the dirty dog, raw rap-ture
If you ain't with it bite crotch til it break your jaw
(Your jaw) For tryin to knock us
Tryin to kill or stop us, jack our propers
Busta Bus, they fakin, the cake is for the takin
While they runnin they face, I'm lettin the plan bake
Formulate, now look at the plot, we got
More and more shit that's hot, show to rock the spot
Clock or knot, nigga the whole pot
Ready or not, we comin, snatchin every comer
Witcha ho in the Benz-O, dumbin like a motherfucker
You can be my lady, you could even be my lollipop sucker
The road dawg baby comin like the mad trucker
Lot of jealous niggas lookin funnier than Chris Tucker
God bless, oh yes, I stay fresh
Full of finesse, my congress show progress
Stylish, hit you with the shit to digest
In this rhyme shit we be some of the world's finest
Your Highness, leavin corny niggas spineless
Attack it with the classic rhyme flow timeless (ha ha)
Not a problem my squad can't fix
Cause we can do, it in the mix
So when you niggas talk trash, you can get a bust ass
Cause you know we don't fuck around
When you niggas talk shit, lay ya six feet under the ground
Ground ground, ground ground
When you niggas talk shit, lay ya six feet under the ground
Ground ground, ground ground
This is how we ride, throw your hands from side to side
It's party time, and don't forget get yours, cause I'mma get mine
(Who dat?) The villain til I'm peelin a million
Ridin dirty, and bustin like thirty-thirty, til a nigga end
Knowin that the shit is fucked I'm still here to win (what?)
Cheddar (uh) if you ain't about it then I think you better
Hang the little plot you got, don't sweat it main
My nigga, my life's uncut like Kane, real raw
Y'all don't know shit about Jamal or what I'm in it for:
Cash, cars, fly whores and tours
Fillin my pipe, with no messes and no limits
Them other one scrimpin, has the tent froze frigid
Fraud as a gimmick, dick lickin chasin chickens
I mash for the cash with the click and
Rip a show then I'm dippin in the whip and high trippin
While y'all niggas hoppin and skippin I stick the clip in, yo
Accelerate on the gas, move fast
Blast, find a nigga FOOT in your ass
Colorful niggas, just peep the whole contrast
Flipmode is the Squad, a news flash
Bust your shit up, what the fuck, nigga get up
Violate, niggas get they whole SHIT lit up!
Break fool, niggas know the rules, rob jewels
Champagne bath, throw the Moet in the pool
Nigga caught a motherfuckin strain on the brain
Ridin on the train, I'mma whip a Benz in the rain
Oversized click on the rise so realize we be
Dem niggas that dead up all you funny little small fries
The franchise, Flipmode damagin all of you fall guys
Yo I'm tired of niggas they full of true lies
No time.. we got the right surprise
Need a new beginnin, need to get a baptise
Ha ha, you need to get a baptise
Word is bond, aiyyo
Not a problem my squad can't fix
Cause we can do, it in the mix
So when you niggas talk trash, you can get a bust ass
Cause you know we don't fuck around
When you niggas talk shit, lay ya six feet under the ground
Ground ground, ground ground
When you niggas talk shit, lay ya six feet under the ground
Ground ground, ground ground
Ground, a-ground, a-gr-gr-ground-ground
Just party to the shit like this c'mon
Just bounce to the motherfuckin beat c'mon
You niggas don't know my brand new song c'mon
Aiyyo, hear me out y'all, UHH
Yo, and just feel my shit
C'mon bounce what the fuck?
Busta Rhymes's song There's Not a Problem My Squad Can't Fix showcases the rapper's confident and assertive personality. The song's lyrics primarily focus on Busta's skills in the rap game and his crew's loyalty and ability to handle any problem that comes their way. The song engages the listener with its catchy beat and Busta's highly rhythmic flow.
In the first verse, Busta raps about being fearless and unrelenting in the rap game. He boasts about how his crew is always ready to take on any challenge that comes their way. Busta's wild side is also evident through his lyrics, as he even suggests biting an opponent's crotch. The second verse focuses on Busta's luxurious lifestyle and his prowess with the ladies.
Busta's chorus asserts that there is no problem that his squad cannot handle, making it clear that they are a formidable crew. He emphasizes his point through repetition and an aggressive, confident flow. Busta uses a variety of rhyming patterns and techniques to keep the listener engaged, and his use of vocal sound effects adds to the song's dynamism.
Overall, the message of the song is clear: Busta Rhymes and his squad are at the top of their game, and no challenge is too big for them to handle.
Line by Line Meaning
C'mon, yeah, villain
Let's go, we're ready to do this
C'mon, aight?
Okay, let's go
I got this side right here
I'll handle this part, you take care of that part
Take this side right there
Take care of that area
C'mon do this
Let's get this done
Busta Bus
That's me, Busta Rhymes
C'mon (here we go) stayin street
Let's stay true to our roots and keep it street
Paws, to the wall, with the dirty dog, raw rap-ture
We're going all out and giving it our best
If you ain't with it bite crotch til it break your jaw
If you're not with us, we'll do whatever it takes to stop you
(Your jaw) For tryin to knock us
We won't let anyone bring us down
Tryin to kill or stop us, jack our propers
Anyone trying to harm us or take what's ours will face our wrath
Busta Bus, they fakin, the cake is for the takin
People may try to imitate me, but the success is mine for the taking
While they runnin they face, I'm lettin the plan bake
While others are talking, I'm working on my strategy
Formulate, now look at the plot, we got
We've made a plan and now we're ready to execute it
More and more shit that's hot, show to rock the spot
We've got more and better stuff than anyone else, and we'll show everyone how it's done
Clock or knot, nigga the whole pot
We're taking it all, there's no stopping us
Ready or not, we comin, snatchin every comer
We're coming for everyone and everything, and we won't be stopped
Witcha ho in the Benz-O, dumbin like a motherfucker
I'm driving around with my woman in my Benz, feeling great
You can be my lady, you could even be my lollipop sucker
I'm open to anything and anyone, as long as they're with me
The road dawg baby comin like the mad trucker
I'm driving down the road like a crazy, unstoppable trucker
Lot of jealous niggas lookin funnier than Chris Tucker
There are a lot of haters out there, but they only make themselves look foolish
God bless, oh yes, I stay fresh
I'm blessed and I always look good
Full of finesse, my congress show progress
I'm skilled and making progress in everything I do
Stylish, hit you with the shit to digest
I'm stylish and my rhymes are easy to understand
In this rhyme shit we be some of the world's finest
We're some of the best rappers in the world
Your Highness, leavin corny niggas spineless
My skills are so good that even other rappers feel inferior
Attack it with the classic rhyme flow timeless (ha ha)
I'm bringing my classic flow that will never go out of style
Not a problem my squad can't fix
There's nothing our team can't solve
Cause we can do, it in the mix
We have the skills to handle any situation
So when you niggas talk trash, you can get a bust ass
If you talk too much, we'll take you down
Cause you know we don't fuck around
We take things seriously and won't tolerate nonsense
When you niggas talk shit, lay ya six feet under the ground
If you disrespect us, you'll be taking a permanent dirt nap
Ground ground, ground ground
Emphasizing the importance of staying grounded and true to their roots
This is how we ride, throw your hands from side to side
This is how we do it, let's get everyone involved
It's party time, and don't forget get yours, cause I'mma get mine
Let's have a good time, but don't forget about yourself
(Who dat?) The villain til I'm peelin a million
I'm the bad guy until I've made my millions
Ridin dirty, and bustin like thirty-thirty, til a nigga end
Doing things the hard way and will keep going until the end
Knowin that the shit is fucked I'm still here to win (what?)
Despite all the obstacles, I'm still striving for victory
Cheddar (uh) if you ain't about it then I think you better
Money is everything, if you're not working towards it, you need to get on board
Hang the little plot you got, don't sweat it main
Don't worry about anything small or insignificant
My nigga, my life's uncut like Kane, real raw
My life is unfiltered and real
Y'all don't know shit about Jamal or what I'm in it for:
No one really knows who I am or what my motivations are
Cash, cars, fly whores and tours
I'm in it for the money, fame, and luxurious lifestyle
Fillin my pipe, with no messes and no limits
Taking things as they come, not making a big deal out of anything
Them other one scrimpin, has the tent froze frigid
Others may be struggling but I'm living comfortably
Fraud as a gimmick, dick lickin chasin chickens
Many rappers are fake, looking for attention and obsessed with women
I mash for the cash with the click and
I'm always hustling for money with my team
Rip a show then I'm dippin in the whip and high trippin
After performing, I'll leave and celebrate while driving
While y'all niggas hoppin and skippin I stick the clip in, yo
While others are wasting time, I'm preparing for anything
Accelerate on the gas, move fast
Speeding towards the next opportunity
Blast, find a nigga FOOT in your ass
We'll use force if necessary
Colorful niggas, just peep the whole contrast
We're a diverse group, look how we stand out
Flipmode is the Squad, a news flash
Our team is talented and important, in case you didn't know
Bust your shit up, what the fuck, nigga get up
We'll destroy anything and anyone in our way
Violate, niggas get they whole SHIT lit up!
Anyone who crosses us will regret it deeply
Break fool, niggas know the rules, rob jewels
We'll do whatever it takes to get what we want, including stealing
Champagne bath, throw the Moet in the pool
We're living a lavish lifestyle, even wasting expensive champagne
Nigga caught a motherfuckin strain on the brain
That guy really needed to use his head
Ridin on the train, I'mma whip a Benz in the rain
I'm starting from the bottom but have the potential to drive a luxurious car
Oversized click on the rise so realize we be
Our team is growing and gaining power
Dem niggas that dead up all you funny little small fries
We'll take down anyone who tries to challenge us, especially those who are small and insignificant
The franchise, Flipmode damagin all of you fall guys
We're the powerful force that's destroying all our competition
Yo I'm tired of niggas they full of true lies
I'm sick of people pretending to be something they're not
No time.. we got the right surprise
We're always ready to take people by surprise
Need a new beginnin, need to get a baptise
We need to start fresh and get a fresh perspective on things
Ha ha, you need to get a baptise
That's just my opinion, but it's worth considering
Word is bond, aiyyo
What I'm saying is the truth
Ground, a-ground, a-gr-gr-ground-ground
Emphasizing the importance of staying grounded and true to their roots
Just party to the shit like this c'mon
Let's have a good time to this music
Just bounce to the motherfuckin beat c'mon
The beat is too good not to dance to
You niggas don't know my brand new song c'mon
You don't know what I'm capable of
Aiyyo, hear me out y'all, UHH
Listen closely, this is important
Yo, and just feel my shit
Listen to what I'm saying and appreciate it
C'mon bounce what the fuck?
Let's bounce to the music, what are you waiting for?
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: MIKE CLEVELAND, JAMAL T S PHILLIPS, TREVOR SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind