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.
Woo Hah!! Got You All In Check (ft. Rampage The Last Boy
Busta Rhymes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yah, yah, yah, yah, yah
Yah, yah, yah, yah, yah
Yah, yah, yah, yah, yah
Yah, yah, yah, yah, yah
Yah, yah, yah, yah, yah
Yah, yah, yah, yah, yah
Yah, yah, yah, yah, yah
When I step up in the place, ayo, I step correct
(Woo-hah) got you all in check
I got that head-nod shit that make you break your neck
(Woo-hah) I got you all in check
And you know we come through to wreck the discotheque
(Woo-hah) I got you all in check
Throw your hands up in the air, don't ever disrespect
(Woo-hah) I got you all in check
Busta Rhymes up in the place, true indeed
Yes, I catch wreck and that's word on my seed
I'm guaranteed to give you what you need
One blood everybody like Junior Reid
Wake up every morning, yo, I must succeed
Nationwide ruckus make the world stampede
Yo Willie mek we roll some weed
Mad charged nigga now I must proceed
Yo, we 'bout to make moves, set speed
Peace to Baby Phife, Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed
Watch me knock you out like Apollo Creed
Body blows busting your shit making you bleed
Just feed off dynamic flows and take heed
Need more information, homeboy? Then just read
Ayy, you can read all about the pure breed
Do the bogle dance, man, do the pepperseed
When I step up in the place, ayo, I step correct
(Woo-hah) I got you all in check
I got that head-nod shit that make you break your neck
(Woo-hah) I got you all in check
And you know we come through to wreck the discotheque
(Woo-hah) I got you all in check
Throw your hands up in the air, don't ever disrespect
(Woo-hah) I got you all in check
How dare you ever try to step on my suede shoes
Top Gun shut down your firm like Tom Cruise
Please let me get down and blow a fuse
Acting fools, breakin' shit down to molecules
Yo, let me hit you with my ill street blues
Busta Rhymes always headlines the street news
Woo-hah, hey baby girl don't be confused
Sail my seven seas and enjoy my boat cruise
I know you really want to know who's
Coming through leaving blunt stains and residues
Sorry homeboy but your flow sound used
Got to pay your dues, baby, you know the rules
Whenever I travel the world I land cruise
If you choose to fuck around you get bruised
Now I got you gassed on super unleaded fuels
Give me room, give me some space, yo, excuse
When I step up in the place, ayo, I step correct
(Woo-hah) I got you all in check
I got that head-nod shit that make you break your neck
(Woo-hah) I got you all in check
And you know we come through to wreck the discotheque
(Woo-hah) I got you all in check
Throw your hands up in the air, don't ever disrespect
(Woo-hah) I got you all in check
You now rocking with the best
Busta Rhymes comin' through from the Flip Mode Squad
Boy Scout's who I be
Straight to your dome, we coming straight to your dome
Bringing all new ruckus to all you rap motherfuckers
Uh, Boy Scout's who I be, Flip Mode is the squ-id-ad
Busta Rhymes break it down like this, uh
Yo which motherfucker stole my flow
Eenie, meenie, miney, mo
Throw them type of niggas right out my window
Blast your ass, hit you with a direct blow
Blow, coming through like G.I. Joe
Star Wars moving ill like Han Solo
Make you bounce around like this was calypso
Always shine 'cause I got the Hi-Pro Glow
You think that you can hide? You think you can lay low?
Roll up on your ass like Hawaii 5-0
Macked out with my dreads and my Kangol
Forget the Moet, nigga, just pass the Cisco
Yo, take a trip down to Mexico
Come back with that shit that might make you psycho
Maximum frequencies through your stereo
Sorry this is it but homeboy I got to go
When I step up in the place, ayo, I step correct
(Woo-hah) got you all in check
I got that head-nod shit that make you break your neck
(Woo-hah) I got you all in check
And you know we come through to wreck the discotheque
(Woo-hah) I got you all in check
Throw your hands up in the air, don't ever disrespect
(Woo-hah) I got you all in check, ha
Hey hey hey, ho hey
Yo yo hey
Ho ho hey, ho hey
(Got you all in check) hey
(Got you all in check) ho hey
(Got you all in check) yo yo hey
(Got you all in check)
(Got you all in check)
In "Woo Hah!! Got You All In Check," Busta Rhymes is boasting about his rap skills and declaring that he has his listeners under his control. He starts off proclaiming that he always comes correct when he enters a room, and he has his signature head-nodding sound that can make you break your neck. He also mentions that he can wreck any disco tech he walks into. Busta then brags about his lyrical ability, and how he can give his fans what they need. The verse has a reference to Junior Reid, a Jamaican reggae artist, and Busta suggests that he is like a nationwide darkhorse making the world stampede. He then name-drops some of the members of the group "A Tribe Called Quest," such as Phife, Q-Tip, and Ali Shaheed. Busta finishes with a warning that his dynamic flow is going to knock listeners out like Apollo Creed.
In the second verse, Busta addresses anyone who has ever tried to challenge him or step on his "suede shoes." He compares himself to Tom Cruise in "Top Gun" and promises to hit the listener with his "ill street blues." Busta then suggests that he is leaving a trail of bloodstains and residues behind him as he travels the world, and warns that anyone who chooses to mess with him will get bruised. The verse finishes by saying that he has his listeners gassed on super unleaded fuels and they need to give him some space.
Throughout the song, Rampage The Last Boy also contributes, rapping about his abilities and the power of the Flip Mode squad. The song is a memorable '90s rap classic, with boasts and references that make it stand the test of time.
Line by Line Meaning
When I step up in the place
As soon as I enter the building
ay yo I step correct
I carry myself with confidence and poise
Woo Hah
An expression of joy or excitement
got you all in check
I have control over the situation
I got that head nod shit
My music inspires people to nod their heads in rhythm
make you break your neck
My music is so good that it can make people move uncontrollably
And you know we come through
My group always shows up
to wreck the disco tech
We will cause chaos and destruction on the dance floor
Throw your hands up in the air
A call to action for people to show their enthusiasm
don't ever disrespect
Do not bring negativity to the situation
Busta Rhymez up in the place true indeed
I, Busta Rhymes, am in the building and it's true
yes I catch wreck and that's word on my seed
I am the best and that's a fact, even my children know it
I guarantee to give you what you need
I promise to deliver what people want
One blood everybody like Junior Reid
We are all united as one
Wake up every morning yo I must up seed
I wake up early every day and get started on my work
Nationwide darkhorse make the world stampede
I am a rising star and people are paying attention
Yo really let me roll some weed
I want to smoke some marijuana
mad charged nigga now I must proceed
I am feeling energized and ready to take action
Yo we 'bout to make you set speed
We are about to get the party started
Peace to Baby Phife, Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed
A shoutout to some fellow musicians
Watch me knock you out like Apollo Creed
I will defeat my competition, just like Apollo Creed
Body blow bustin' your shit making you bleed
I will inflict physical damage on my opponents
Just feed off dynamic flows an take heed
Enjoy and appreciate the complex rhythms and lyrics
Need more information homeboy then just read
If you want to know more, read my lyrics carefully
Ay-Ya!! you can read all about the pure breed
I am the true originator of this musical style
Do the bogle dance I'll do the pepperseed
Let's dance and have fun
How dare you ever try to step on my suede shoes
Don't even think about disrespecting me
Top Gun shut down your Firm like Tom Cruise
I will defeat my rivals with ease
Please let me get down and blow a fuse
Let me show off and impress everyone
Actin' fool breakin' shit down to molecules
I will cause chaos and destruction
Yo let me hit you with my ill street blues
Let me show you my amazing talent
Busta Rhymez always headlines the street news
I am always in the news
Woo-Hah!!! Yo baby girl don't be confused
I am great and don't want anyone to doubt it
Sail my seven seas and enjoy my boat cruise
Join me on a journey to have fun and explore
I know you really want to know who's
I understand that people are curious about me
comin' through leaving bloodstains and residues
I will leave a mark and people will remember me
Sorry homeboy but your flow sounds used
I am not impressed with my competition
Gotta pay your dues baby you know the rules
You need to work hard to succeed
Whenever I travel the world I landcruise
I travel in style and luxury
If you choose to fuck around you get bruised
Don't mess with me or there will be consequences
Now I got you gassed on super unleaded fuels
I have pumped you up and inspired you
Get me through give me some space you excuse
Let me do my thing and give me room to work
Yo which muthaphucka stole my flow
Someone has copied my style
eenie....meenie miney mo
I need to identify the culprit
Throw that type of nigga right out my window
I need to get rid of this imitator
Blast your ass hit you with my direct blow
I will attack and defeat my competition
Bo!! Coming through like G.I. Joe
I am assertive and powerful, like a superhero
Star Wars movie deal like Han Solo
I am a big deal, like a movie star
Make you bounce around like this was calypso
I will get you dancing and moving
Always shine cause I got the high pro glow
I always look and feel great
You think that you can hide you think you can lay low
You can't avoid me, I will find you
Roll up on your ass like Hawaii 5-0
I will approach you with force and authority
Mad out with my dreads in my kango
I am wild and uncontainable
forget the Moet nigga just pass the Cisco
I don't care about luxury, give me something basic
Yo!! Take a trip down to Mexico
Let's go on an adventure
Come back with that shit that might make you psycho
Let's have some wild experiences
Maximum frequencies through your stereo
My music will sound amazing on your speakers
Sorry this is it but homeboy I got to go
I am finished and need to leave
You now rockin wit the best
You are now listening to the greatest
the boy scout is who I be.....
I am always prepared and professional
...Flip Mode is the sqiddaud
My group, Flip Mode, is amazing
Yo Yo Yay Yo Yay
Another expression of excitement
Yo Yo Yay
Yet another expression of excitement
Yay Yo Yay
Even more excitement
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Galt MacDermot, Trevor Smith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@fantasybouthour6679
Why couldn’t rap be like this forever?
@jeremiahsymonette4781
Cuz you'd get tired of it and wouldn't appreciate this
@fantasybouthour6679
@Jeremiah Symonette good point
@26472989
He cut his dreads and lost his powers.
@fantasybouthour6679
@Lwanda M right, I didn't care for a lot of his latest stuff. I couldn't stand that song he did with Diddy and Pharrell. I'm a big fan of Pharrell but just didn't particularly care for that song.
@T1Oracle
Just a hint of this in the new stuff would be nice. So tired of mumble rap.
Oh God, I'm old now...
@tajajones7346
Him and Missy Elliott always stayed with the videos that was always ahead of their time! Give Busta his flowers! One of the greatest lyricists to ever touch a mic
@YesImUrFather
Exactly, im glad Tyler the Creator gave him his and was sincere when he did it
@jeffcrayton9596
I think luda was the last creative rapper tho it really just disappeared. But Timbo, Missy, and Busta definitely started it!!!!!!
@KevFromTally
...and give us a Missy /Busta collab... possibly have Luda or Nikki on the hook.🤔Timbo or RZA beat?🤷🏾♂️