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.
You Ain't Fuckin' Wit Me
Busta Rhymes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yea,
This sound like Frankenstein's baby, yea
Busta Rhymes! You know we live and in color (color)
Shit butter hot, but just a little mo' gutter (gutter)
Smash shit regularly, word to my mother
Show love for the bitches and put it down for my brudda (brudda)
Hot butter funk make it rain, close the shutter, violate
Catch it from one of my bitches, box cutter (cutter)
Articulate! Feels so great
That I can bless my niggas with shit they appreciate ('ciate)
No jive y'all niggas can take a nosedive
Shit so live bitches want to give me a high five (five)
Fuck it, it is a must we hold grands
Get with the program and fuck bitches who love to hold (hands)
Foul shit, way out of order
Fuck shit up leave bitches hot and sweaty drippin buckets of water (water)
Disorderly conduct, will erupt
When the live shit come on niggas do what they want to (wanna)
Alright bitches, now show yo' asses
The shit we dropping be sure to get y'all moving (get the fuck up)
We keep it popping, feel how gangsta the loop is (we keep it bopping)
(we keep it gangsta motherfucker)
And it ain't no stopping the way that we goin' do this
Now what you want me to say? Say you ain't fucking with me
(what the fuck, c'mon)
Huh, you see I got so much new hot shit stored
Got you giving me an award, floored a couple on the come up
Stretched a few, put 'em flat on they back
And laid 'em stiffer than a board, the way I make my niggas applaud
My price tag, just to show up the shit
Might be something you can't afford
Make you say the Lord is my shepherd, how we astonish
Move forward on novice niggas like Cedric Ceballos with a hot song
Now niggas know we rock on, cock-strong
All y'all niggas is straight popcorn
Talk the trash, coming forth get past lie duke
Pass shorty with the big horse ass (ASS)
Now ain't no stopping how we coming full blast
Mix the fire with gas, that's how we put it on smash (smash)
No lie, never deny, so hot we cook the shit well done
Just like a deep fish fry, snap crackle and pop
What we drop and how we keep shit coming
How we maneuver so fly (fly), so high is where we gon' take it
Controlling the land, controlling the sea
Now we control the whole sky, perhaps make niggas collapse
Make bitches shake they shit to the floor
And feel the soul up in my raps and your face is the gutter we slap
Make you crash all in your whip when you drive
I hope your seatbelt's strapped, alright niggas! Now throw yo' hands up
The shit we dropping be sure to get y'all moving (get the fuck up)
We keep it popping, feel how gangsta the loop is (we keep it bopping)
(we keep it gangsta motherfucker)
And it ain't no stoppin the way that we gon' do this
Now what you want me to say? Say you ain't fucking with me
(what the fuck, c'mon)
Yeah, this sound like, the music to Frankenberry or some shit
The fucking, groovy ghoulies and friends or something
In the song You Ain't Fuckin' Wit Me, Busta Rhymes starts with a request to his engineer, Uncle Pat, to turn up the beat just a bit higher. Then the song kicks off with a catchy line "Busta Rhymes, you know we live and in color". The lyrics are full of braggadocious descriptions of how Busta is hot butter, smash shit regularly, and puts it down for his brudda. He talks about his music being so good that bitches want to give him a high-five, and the live performances so powerful that people do what they want to. The chorus boasts about the music being so good that people can't keep still and how nobody can mess with Busta and his style.
Line by Line Meaning
Yea, hey yo Uncle Pat, turn up the beat just a lil' more for me bruh
Busta Rhymes asks his producer, Uncle Pat, to turn up the beat a bit more.
This sound like Frankenstein's baby, yea
Busta Rhymes compares the beat to the offspring of Frankenstein.
Busta Rhymes! You know we live and in color (color)
Busta Rhymes announces himself and his presence with energy and excitement.
Shit butter hot, but just a little mo' gutter (gutter)
Busta Rhymes' style is hot, but with a little more edge and rawness.
Smash shit regularly, word to my mother
Busta Rhymes is consistently great and authentic, true to his mother's word.
Show love for the bitches and put it down for my brudda (brudda)
Busta Rhymes respects and celebrates women while also representing for his brothers or friends.
Hot butter funk make it rain, close the shutter, violate
The groove is so good that it causes a disturbance and the shutter has to be closed.
Catch it from one of my bitches, box cutter (cutter)
Busta Rhymes emphasizes the loyalty he receives from his female companions who will defend him with a box cutter.
Articulate! Feels so great
Busta Rhymes is able to express himself clearly and it feels great.
That I can bless my niggas with shit they appreciate ('ciate)
Busta Rhymes is grateful that he can give his friends something they value.
No jive y'all niggas can take a nosedive
Busta Rhymes challenges anyone who doubts him or his crew to fail.
Shit so live bitches want to give me a high five (five)
Busta Rhymes is so great that women want to give him a high five.
Fuck it, it is a must we hold grands
Busta Rhymes is determined to make money and hold his wealth.
Get with the program and fuck bitches who love to hold (hands)
Busta Rhymes advises men to go after women who want to have sex with them instead of just holding hands.
Foul shit, way out of order
Busta Rhymes is doing bold and unexpected things.
Fuck shit up leave bitches hot and sweaty drippin buckets of water (water)
Busta Rhymes causes chaos and leaves women sexually aroused and perspiring heavily.
Disorderly conduct, will erupt
Busta Rhymes' behavior is disruptive and can lead to trouble.
When the live shit come on niggas do what they want to (wanna)
Busta Rhymes' music inspires people to act out and do what they want to.
Alright bitches, now show yo' asses
Busta Rhymes tells women to dance and move their bodies.
The shit we dropping be sure to get y'all moving (get the fuck up)
Busta Rhymes' music is designed to make people dance and move.
We keep it popping, feel how gangsta the loop is (we keep it bopping)
Busta Rhymes' beats are hard-hitting and keep the energy high.
And it ain't no stopping the way that we goin' do this
Busta Rhymes is unstoppable and will continue making great music.
Now what you want me to say? Say you ain't fucking with me
Busta Rhymes challenges anyone who doubts him to admit that they can't keep up with him.
You see I got so much new hot shit stored
Busta Rhymes has a lot of new music ready to be released.
Got you giving me an award, floored a couple on the come up
Busta Rhymes is receiving recognition for his work and has also defeated some new artists on the rise.
Stretched a few, put 'em flat on they back
Busta Rhymes has defeated some competitors and left them helpless on the ground.
And laid 'em stiffer than a board, the way I make my niggas applaud
Busta Rhymes' friends and fans are impressed by his victories and reactions are intense.
My price tag, just to show up the shit
Busta Rhymes charges a lot of money just to appear or perform in a certain place.
Might be something you can't afford
Busta Rhymes' fee may be too high for some people to pay.
Make you say the Lord is my shepherd, how we astonish
Busta Rhymes' greatness is so impressive that it might cause someone to make a religious reference.
Move forward on novice niggas like Cedric Ceballos with a hot song
Busta Rhymes beats and rhymes are so fresh that they can surpass inexperienced rappers like Cedric Ceballos.
Now niggas know we rock on, cock-strong
Busta Rhymes and his crew are confident and full of energy.
All y'all niggas is straight popcorn
Busta Rhymes thinks that his competitors are weak and easily crushed like popcorn.
Talk the trash, coming forth get past lie duke
Busta Rhymes challenges anyone who talks badly about him to face him and try to surpass him.
Pass shorty with the big horse ass (ASS)
Busta Rhymes spots a woman with a large and attractive butt and he wants to approach her.
Now ain't no stopping how we coming full blast
Busta Rhymes and his crew are unstoppable and will continue to create great music at full force.
Mix the fire with gas, that's how we put it on smash (smash)
Busta Rhymes adds excitement and energy to his music by combining fire and explosive beats.
No lie, never deny, so hot we cook the shit well done
Busta Rhymes asserts that he and his crew are always truthful and that their music is so good it's fully cooked and ready to go.
Just like a deep fish fry, snap crackle and pop
Busta Rhymes relates his music to the sounds and sensations of cooking a fish and the satisfying pop sounds it makes.
What we drop and how we keep shit coming
Busta Rhymes is consistently releasing great music and keeping things fresh.
How we maneuver so fly (fly), so high is where we gon' take it
Busta Rhymes and his crew are skilled at navigating the music industry with ease and will continue to elevate their music to new heights.
Controlling the land, controlling the sea
Busta Rhymes is so successful and powerful that he can control entire territories.
Now we control the whole sky, perhaps make niggas collapse
Busta Rhymes' influence and reach is so great that he can even control the sky and cause people to faint.
Make bitches shake they shit to the floor
Busta Rhymes' music is so good that it makes women dance and move their bodies.
And feel the soul up in my raps and your face is the gutter we slap
Busta Rhymes' lyrics and beats are so intense that they hit hard and leave an impact on the listener.
Make you crash all in your whip when you drive
Busta Rhymes' music is so exciting and high-energy that it can distract drivers and cause accidents.
I hope your seatbelt's strapped, alright niggas! Now throw yo' hands up
Busta Rhymes urges people to buckle up and prepare for the ride, and then to celebrate and put their hands up in the air.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: RODNEY SAULSBERRY, TREVOR SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind