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.
Truck Volume
Busta Rhymes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah yeah
Turn my music up
Turn my music up
Truck shit now
Truck shit now
Truck shit now
Truck shit now
Turn my music up
Truck shit now
Live nigga bully foot
Brass knuckle rap shit now
Check it out now
Yeah yeah
Relax that shit you talk
Before I sic my bitch on you
Let her bounce wit your dick on a fork
I bring a bigger storm to calm your clouds
I own a couple things I even own a farm wit cows
I own a moment when my niggas run deep thru crowds
Like how a pregnant woman breat milk leak thru her blouse
A lot of niggas love to wish on a star
Give a fuck who you are
I know some niggas that'll piss on ya car
Now see every time we step in the place
I give y'all niggas shit that put a fowl look on ya face
Rock ice like I was never more able
Don't drink coffee cause my diamonds be cutting the glass on the table
Hey I be the lost found tribe of shabazz
Bless niggas then I plant another bomb on ya ass
Then I put my students all in a class
To clear my rulership
And leave y'all niggas fucked up doin the math
One time now
Truck shit now
Truck shit now
Turn my music up
Turn my music up
Truck shit now
Truck volume
Truck volume
I know you wanna get up on it
Let me show ya how we do
Every time we drop that shit
You know we put it down for you
Hey hey
How many times you gonna crush down something
You need to change ya name up to buss a buss down something
Ya fucking with the highest my nigga
Trying to fuck wit the giant might as well call me Goliath my nigga
Come on
Drop hot shit on the spot
Sop it up wit a mop
Before the hungry come and shop on ya block
I know some niggas that'll love to blood suck you all
A thing of the past because them niggas stuck you all
One shot bust on the same bullet struck you all
And when they bounce you hear voices screaming fuck you all
Gathered up about a thousand young bucks who brawl
Its decoys in case he needed to duck you all
That's why you better move tight wit ya click
Niggas be thirsty and quick just to be out before the night wit ya shit
We keep it street and give a damn who you are
Make niggas wild and bitches spread and put they hands on the car
And let me frisk em
And shake they asses down to the floor
While dude wondering what them niggas is pounding me for
What them niggas grilling
What them niggas hounding me for
And for the pound and what them what them niggas was surrounding me for
Well let me tell you what the fuck we was surrounding you for
We came to get you once
Well now I come to get you for more
While your getting got
Niggas drinking ten dolla hennessy shots
Getting drunk and wildign out in the spot
What the fuck now
Truck shit now
Truck shit now
Turn my music up
Turn my music up
Hot shit now
Street shit now
Truck volume
I know you wanna get up on it
Let me show ya how we do
Every time we drop that shit
You know we put it down for you
I know you wanna get up on it
Let me show ya how we do
Every time we drop that shit
You know we put it down for you
Hey hey
The song "Truck Volume" by Busta Rhymes is a high-energy track that showcases Rhyme's lyrical abilities, with heavy emphasis on braggadocio and his street credibility. The opening lines of the track affirm that it is time to turn up the music and get into the "trucking" mode. Rhyme's use of the phrase "Live nigga bully foot, brass knuckle rap shit now" is indicative of his intense style and the no-holds-barred nature of his art. In the lyrics, Rhymes makes it clear that he is not someone to trifle with, and he threatens to sic his "bitch" on anyone foolish enough to test him. Imagery suggestive of violence and aggression peppers the lyrics, such as when he describes bringing a "bigger storm to calm your clouds".
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah yeah
Excitement and anticipation for what's about to come
Turn my music up
Request for more volume to fully experience the song
Truck shit now
The start of a new, intense style of music
Live nigga bully foot
An aggressive, dominating presence on the microphone
Brass knuckle rap shit now
The use of forceful and powerful lyrics
Check it out now
An invitation to focus and listen to the upcoming lyrics
Relax that shit you talk
A warning to stop talking recklessly
Before I sic my bitch on you
A threat to bring in someone to handle a situation
Let her bounce wit your dick on a fork
A graphic and violent threat to harm someone
I bring a bigger storm to calm your clouds
An assertion of power and control in a difficult situation
I own a couple things I even own a farm wit cows
A statement of material and financial success
I own a moment when my niggas run deep thru crowds
A sense of leadership and authority over a group of people
Like how a pregnant woman breat milk leak thru her blouse
A comparison of a powerful force to a natural occurrence
A lot of niggas love to wish on a star
A commentary on people who hope and dream without taking action
Give a fuck who you are
An attitude of disregard for someone's status or reputation
I know some niggas that'll piss on ya car
A warning of potential violence and disrespect
Now see every time we step in the place
A sense of confidence and control in any situation
I give y'all niggas shit that put a fowl look on ya face
The ability to intimidate and make people uncomfortable
Rock ice like I was never more able
A boast of expensive and luxurious jewelry
Don't drink coffee cause my diamonds be cutting the glass on the table
A humorous comment about the intensity of the jewelry
Hey I be the lost found tribe of shabazz
A reference to African ancestry and culture
Bless niggas then I plant another bomb on ya ass
An assertion of power and ability to cause destruction
Then I put my students all in a class
A sense of leadership and teaching others
To clear my rulership
A desire to be the leader and maintain control
And leave y'all niggas fucked up doin the math
A sense of confusion and difficulty for others trying to follow
One time now
An instruction to focus and listen closely
Truck volume
A reference to the intensity and power of the music
I know you wanna get up on it
An awareness that the listeners are drawn to the music
Let me show ya how we do
An invitation to fully experience and connect with the music
Hey hey
An attention-grabbing call to focus
How many times you gonna crush down something
A commentary on the repetitiveness of some music
You need to change ya name up to buss a buss down something
A playful suggestion to change the name and style of the artist
Ya fucking with the highest my nigga
A claim of superiority and skill
Trying to fuck wit the giant might as well call me Goliath my nigga
A comparison to the biblical story of David and Goliath
Drop hot shit on the spot
The ability to improvise and create great music instantly
Sop it up wit a mop
The idea that the music is so powerful it needs to be cleaned up
Before the hungry come and shop on ya block
A reference to violence and competition in the music industry
I know some niggas that'll love to blood suck you all
A warning of people trying to take advantage of success
A thing of the past because them niggas stuck you all
A reference to a past experience of betrayal
One shot bust on the same bullet struck you all
A statement of power and ability to defeat others
And when they bounce you hear voices screaming fuck you all
A sense of defiance and anger toward those who oppose
Gathered up about a thousand young bucks who brawl
An image of a large group of young, aggressive individuals
Its decoys in case he needed to duck you all
A sense of preparation and strategy for potential conflict
That's why you better move tight wit ya click
A warning to stay close to friends and allies for protection
Niggas be thirsty and quick just to be out before the night wit ya shit
A commentary on the competitive and dangerous nature of the music industry
We keep it street and give a damn who you are
A dedication to authenticity and disregard for status
Make niggas wild and bitches spread and put they hands on the car
An ability to excite and attract people with the music
And let me frisk em
A reference to physical contact and security checks
And shake they asses down to the floor
A playful and sexual reference
While dude wondering what them niggas is pounding me for
A sense of confusion and disorientation for others
What them niggas grilling
A sense of suspicion and scrutiny from others
What them niggas hounding me for
A sense of pressure and harassment from others
And for the pound and what them what them niggas was surrounding me for
A reference to potential violence and danger from others
Well let me tell you what the fuck we was surrounding you for
An explanation of the motives behind the actions
We came to get you once
A reference to a past event or encounter
Well now I come to get you for more
A sense of continued pursuit and determination
While your getting got
An acknowledgement of the situation and outcome
Niggas drinking ten dolla hennessy shots
A reference to indulgence and luxury
Getting drunk and wildign out in the spot
A sense of revelry and enjoyment
Street shit now
A reminder of the authenticity and power of the music
Lyrics © RINCON AVE MUSIC, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TREVOR SMITH, ANDRE YOUNG, MICHAEL ELIZONDO, SCOTT STORCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Dnize24
Some of Dr Dre's finest productions.
@jasonkidd1689
Clean asf 👌
@raymondmarceille7903
Hey what's more productions by Dre that isn't eminem you know? I'd appreciate it
@juniortaylor6288
Man Scott Storch and Dre needs to colab again and bring this West coast sound back!
@ricardoforbay9830
Ohhh hell yeaaaaaaah
@chgojoearchivist
Anyone bumpin this in 2020?? BEST track on Genesis, the greatest album of 2001!!!
@ehhemalahle
Legend has it that Busta Rhymes is one of the Greatests
@speciall19831
I agree
@LAX2SanGabriel
Got to go back and check this album slept on this one
@stevieslik007
Siyathokoza Ngcobo I agree......Dre went in on this beat.