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. Bustaās 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 āBorn Justice God Allahā 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: āI used to work as a stock boy at a department store called Cheap Johnās,ā he says. āI knew that I couldnāt 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.ā Why?
āThey 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 āthis is definitely not the thing for me to continue to be doing.āā
Busta adds, āI 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 ā¦ to just apply myself creatively, and the opportunity finally came one day when I was downtown.ā 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: āMt. Airy Grooveā 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 Bustaās 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 āAll of sudden Iām hearing people in the streets talking about hos Bustaās back. In my mind, he never left, and thatās why I wanted to fuck with in the first place. Heās got that drive, and he never stops trying to top himself. Anybody who knows Busta knows that heās 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.
Together
Busta Rhymes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey yo Swizz
This shit sound like some shit
The streets wanna do the merengue to (yeah)
Or dance around a sombrero to, WHOO!!!
Yeah, another special from Flipmode Records
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah here we go!
Streets! Flipmode baby, yeah check it Busta Bus baby
Check it, huh
[Busta Rhymes]
If you ain't noticed yet I have come wit a throne
See I was gone for a minute but now I'm home
The way I touch it you can feel it in your bones
Fuck wit the kid cause I'm taking you into another zone
See it don't matter what you think or what you say
I always love for the street every single day
You better get down on your knees, you better pray
Cause goin' against the grain of this Squad
I promise you will pay! (WHOO!)
You see Flipmode is the team that I rep forever
Respecting the Code of Honor staying together
It's getting hot I think you should take off the sweater
Rattle and knock all of your troops who goin to get this cheddar
See when we come I'm wondering how they gon' manage
Show em mysteriously watch how they vanish
See when we finish just analyze all the damage
No matter who you are, we accept any and EVERY challenge (yeah)
Yeah yeah, I think we got 'em again this time
Flipmode c'mon!
[Chorus: Mynx]
I think I, I think wanna say something like this (like this)
People denying that they feeling our shit
So we hit 'em with the really crazy flow (crazy flow)
To let 'em know that we be hitting it fa' sho
Time goes by, in your life
And we're still here together
[Busta Rhymes]
I hope you know that this is really not a game
The way I put it down you will remember the name
The way we change it up shit is never the same
And when I'm finished I promise I'll have you niggas feel
Ashamed
For giving the people shit they ain't really loving
It's funny to me but y'all niggas be buggin'
But it's aight because I will continue flooding the streets
With heat for the ladies and niggas who be thugging
And if you want it then bring shit wit open arms (spread love
Baby)
While I continuously give you niggas bombs
Asalam will make 'em will lake 'em so long
I'm in the abscence of confusion holding the world in my palms
I'm tired of telling you there ain't nothing greater
Swinging the torch and repping for Violator
So tell the DJ to go and turn up the fader
Putting it down for the streets regardless what you saying
Playa!
How many times am I gunna have to tell y'all?
Flipmode run these streets, c'mon!
[Chorus 2: Mynx] {*Busta Rhymes ad-libs*}
I wish I - I wish I had just a little more time (more time)
Instead I give you this and leave more on your mind (on your
Mind)
Me and Busta Bus be making crazy doe (crazy doe)
So you know that we be killing it fa' sho
Time goes by, in your life
And we're still here together
I will be here just to hold you down
We'll still be around
Cause we will rock forever
[Rah Digga]
Dirty reppin' the Squad, don't even get me started
Getting worldwide love keeping the street regardless
Ever since kindergarten, always been the sharpest
Doin' this for my fam cause home is where the heart is
Other crews could chill, all of y'all days are numbered
Bus got the Yellow Digga coming in the Navy Hummer
Start quality, guess I should thank my mother
'Bionic Woman' on the mic like I was Jamie Sommers
Now, I know that you don't wanna really take it there
Digga and Bus you know we make the perfect pair
We keep it gully wit a little latin flare, it's unfair
Oh well, how I still be spitting and keep everybody all up in
The mix
It's only right that I shout my brother Swizz
Flipmode and we only making hits
It's like this, c'mon
[Bridge]
Baby I say, what people say
We gon' keep it on lock from day to day
Let 'em know that we both are here to stay
So keep it hot baby, don't stop baby
The Flipmode is in the spot we run the place
Busta Bus and Rah Digga all in your face
When we step up in the spot we controlling the space
We keep it hot baby, we won't stop baby
[Busta Rhymes]
Hey yo Swizz, once again see how we do it to 'em? c'mon!
[Chorus]
[Busta Rhymes]
Flipmode Records, J Records
Rah Digga, Flipmode baby
Yeah, Swizz Beats baby
Yeah c'mon, full surface baby
Check it yeah, big up to Mynx, what
C'mon yeah
The song "Together" by Busta Rhymes featuring Rah Digga is a tribute to their gangster lifestyle and the unity that they share with their team, Flipmode Records. As the lyrics open up, Busta Rhymes acknowledges his return after a break and claims his throne with pride. He asserts that he is taking his listeners to another zone with his music. The song is not just a boast but a love letter to the streets that made him the artist he is today.
Busta Rhymes follows up with a message of unwavering devotion to the streets, making it clear that he will always represent them. He lays down a warning to those who dare to oppose him and his squad: they will pay for it. He declares that he and his team will accept any challenge and after a fight, they will review the damage they've caused.
Rah Digga comes in with her verse, acknowledging the respect earned by her team and how they keep it gully with Latin flavour. She asserts her unique musical style and thanks her mother for gifting her with quality rhyming skills.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey yo Swizz
Addressing Swizz Beats
This shit sound like some shit The streets wanna do the merengue to (yeah) Or dance around a sombrero to, WHOO!!!
The music is so upbeat that it sounds like a merengue or a party song that people would want to dance to
Yeah, another special from Flipmode Records
Announcing another release from Flipmode Records
Streets! Flipmode baby, yeah check it Busta Bus baby
Emphasizing Flipmode Record's presence on the streets
If you ain't noticed yet I have come wit a throne
Busta Rhymes is asserting his power and presence in the music industry
See I was gone for a minute but now I'm home
Busta Rhymes was absent for a while but now back in the music industry
The way I touch it you can feel it in your bones
Busta Rhymes' music is so impactful that it can be felt in people's bones
Fuck wit the kid cause I'm taking you into another zone
Busta Rhymes' music is taking listeners into a new realm
See it don't matter what you think or what you say I always love for the street every single day You better get down on your knees, you better pray Cause goin' against the grain of this Squad I promise you will pay! (WHOO!)
Busta Rhymes has respect for the streets and warns of the consequences of going against the Flipmode Squad
You see Flipmode is the team that I rep forever Respecting the Code of Honor staying together
Busta Rhymes is loyal to Flipmode and values their unity and shared values
It's getting hot I think you should take off the sweater Rattle and knock all of your troops who goin to get this cheddar
Things are heating up and Busta Rhymes suggests his competition remove their sweaters as they prepare to battle for success
See when we come I'm wondering how they gon' manage Show em mysteriously watch how they vanish See when we finish just analyze all the damage No matter who you are, we accept any and EVERY challenge (yeah)
Busta Rhymes is confident in Flipmode Squad's abilities and challenges anyone to take them on
I think I, I think wanna say something like this (like this) People denying that they feeling our shit So we hit 'em with the really crazy flow (crazy flow) To let 'em know that we be hitting it fa' sho Time goes by, in your life And we're still here together
Mynx addresses critics who deny their music and confirms their long-lasting success
I hope you know that this is really not a game The way I put it down you will remember the name The way we change it up shit is never the same And when I'm finished I promise I'll have you niggas feel Ashamed
Mynx emphasizes the seriousness of their music, their unique style and how it will affect listeners
For giving the people shit they ain't really loving It's funny to me but y'all niggas be buggin' But it's aight because I will continue flooding the streets With heat for the ladies and niggas who be thugging
Mynx acknowledges that some people may not like their music, but she will continue to create it for fans
And if you want it then bring shit wit open arms (spread love Baby) While I continuously give you niggas bombs Asalam will make 'em will lake em so long I'm in the abscence of confusion holding the world in my palms
Mynx welcomes collaboration but stresses that she will create music on her own terms, and that her song's impact will last
I'm tired of telling you there ain't nothing greater Swinging the torch and repping for Violator So tell the DJ to go and turn up the fader Putting it down for the streets regardless what you saying Playa!
Mynx is proud of her music and her connection to Violator, and urges DJs to play their music despite any objections
I wish I - I wish I had just a little more time (more time) Instead I give you this and leave more on your mind (on your Mind) Me and Busta Bus be making crazy doe (crazy doe) So you know that we be killing it fa' sho
Mynx wishes she had more time to create, but is proud of the music she's making with Busta Rhymes
Dirty reppin' the Squad, don't even get me started Getting worldwide love keeping the street regardless Ever since kindergarten, always been the sharpest Doin' this for my fam cause home is where the heart is
Rah Digga boasts her loyalty to Flipmode and shares her determination to create music for her fans
Other crews could chill, all of y'all days are numbered Bus got the Yellow Digga coming in the Navy Hummer Start quality, guess I should thank my mother 'Bionic Woman' on the mic like I was Jamie Sommers
Rah Digga warns the competition of their eventual decline and attributes her own success to her high-quality standards and upbringing
Now, I know that you don't wanna really take it there Digga and Bus you know we make the perfect pair We keep it gully wit a little latin flare, it's unfair Oh well, how I still be spitting and keep everybody all up in The mix It's only right that I shout my brother Swizz Flipmode and we only making hits It's like this, c'mon
Rah Digga acknowledges her successful collaborations with Busta Rhymes and their ability to blend different music styles, and celebrates their partnership along with their producer Swizz Beats
Baby I say, what people say We gon' keep it on lock from day to day Let 'em know that we both are here to stay So keep it hot baby, don't stop baby The Flipmode is in the spot we run the place Busta Bus and Rah Digga all in your face When we step up in the spot we controlling the space We keep it hot baby, we won't stop baby
Mynx, Busta Rhymes, and Rah Digga proclaim their lasting success and dominance in the music industry
Lyrics Ā© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRISETTE PAYNE, GIL SMITH, JUSTIN LYONS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind