Busta Rhymes

Busta Rhymes is the stage name of Trevor George Smith Jr., a rapper and actor from Brooklyn, New York, born in 1972. His work is associated with East Coast hip hop, hardcore hip hop, hip hop, hip hop soul and underground hip hop. He records as a solo artist and has been linked with groups including Leaders of the New School, Flipmode Squad, Lethal Interjection Crew, The Dream Team and Beats by Dre Band.

Early life and beginnings

Smith grows up in Brooklyn and also spends part of his school years in the United Kingdom, living in Blackpool, Preston and Morecambe before graduating from George Westinghouse High School in downtown Brooklyn. He discovers hip hop through the Zulu Beats Radio Show and later writes his own rap material. As a teenager he plays basketball, football and soccer, drops out of high school to pursue music, and works briefly as a stock boy before leaving that job.

His first stage name is Chill-o-ski, but Chuck D of Public Enemy gives him the name Busta Rhymes. The name draws on American football player George “Buster” Rhymes and on the phrase “bust a rhyme.”

Leaders of the New School and early recordings

In the late 1980s he meets Charlie Brown at Turtlehook Middle School and forms Leaders of the New School with Dinco D and Milo. The group signs to Elektra Records in 1989 and makes its first recorded appearance on “Mt. Airy Groove” from the Rubaiyat compilation in 1990. Leaders of the New School releases A Future Without a Past in 1991 and T.I.M.E. in 1993.

He gains wider attention through guest appearances, including the Leaders of the New School feature on A Tribe Called Quest’s “Scenario” and the “Flava in Ya Ear” remix with Craig Mack and Rampage.

Solo career

Rhymes releases his debut solo album, The Coming, in 1996. It includes “Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check” and “It’s a Party.” He follows it with When Disaster Strikes in 1997, E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front in 1998, Anarchy in 2000, Genesis in 2001, It Ain’t Safe No More in 2002, The Big Bang in 2006 and Back on My B.S. in 2009.

Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check becomes his first major crossover hit. On Genesis, “What It Is” features Kelis, “Break Ya Neck” becomes one of the album’s best-known singles, and “Pass the Courvoisier Part II” features Pharrell and P. Diddy. On It Ain’t Safe No More, “Make It Clap” features Spliff Star, and “I Know What You Want,” with Mariah Carey and Flipmode Squad, becomes his biggest hit at that point. The Big Bang includes “Touch It,” “Touch It Remix,” “I Love My Bitch,” “New York Shit” and “In the Ghetto.” Back on My B.S. includes “Arab Money,” “Hustler’s Anthem 09,” “Respect My Conglomerate,” “If You Don’t Know” and “World Go Round.”

Flipmode Squad and label associations

He forms Flipmode Squad and later serves as CEO of Flipmode Records. The squad’s line-up at one stage includes Busta Rhymes, Rah Digga, Spliff Star, Rampage, Baby Sham and Lord Have Mercy; later members added include M. Dollars, Labba and Chauncey Black. The group releases The Imperial in 1998. Over his career he is signed to labels including Elektra Entertainment Group Inc., Aftermath Entertainment, T’ziah’s Music and Motown/Universal, and he is also described as signed to Universal Motown and later moving to J Records and Interscope during parts of his solo career.

Other work and collaborations

Rhymes appears in films including Halloween: Resurrection and Narc in 2002. He also appears in a Pepsi Max Diet Super Bowl commercial. His career includes work with Rampage, Zhane, Kelis, Pharrell, P. Diddy, Mariah Carey, Will.i.am, Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliott, Rah Digga, Lloyd Banks, Papoose, DMX and Sean Paul.

Personal background

He is the son of Geraldine Green and Trevor George Smith Sr., and has a younger brother, Paul Smith. He has four children. The input also describes a period of personal and legal difficulties in the late 1990s and 2000s, including probation, assault and driving-related offences.