Busta Rhymes

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Busta Rhymes

Background information
Birth name Trevor Smith Jr.
Also known as Bus-A-Bus
Born May 20, 1972 (age 34)
Origin Brooklyn, New York City
Genre(s) East Coast hip hop
Years active 1990–Present
Label(s) Soldier Click
Flipmode Records
J Records
Aftermath/Interscope
Associated
acts		 Flip Mode Squad
Rah Digga
Leaders of the New School
Papoose

Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr. (born on May 20, 1972), better known as Busta Rhymes, is an American hip hop musician and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the name Busta Rhymes (from former National Football League (NFL) football player George "Buster" Rhymes) after watching him perform. He is also a follower of the Nation of Islam offshoot, The Nation of Gods and Earths (Five Percent Nation). [1]

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early years

Smith was born in Brooklyn, New York, and is of Jamaican heritage. At the age of 12, his family moved to Uniondale, a suburb of New York City on Long Island, where he was raised and eventually met up with other rappers from the growing New York area hip hop community including rappers Jay-Z and The Notorious B.I.G.. He graduated from Uniondale High School, where he was a star basketball player.1
He has a son named T'ziah, born in 1993.

[edit] Leaders of the New School

Busta Rhymes' musical career began as a member of the Hip Hop crew Leaders of the New School along with fellow Long Island natives Charlie Brown, Dinco D and Cut Monitor Milo. They began recording in 1991 with the album A Future Without a Past (Elektra Records), and soon gained an amount of fame.

[edit] Native Tongues Posse

Many influential and successful Hip Hop crews of the early 1990s with styles comparable to The Leaders of the New School were located in and around the border between the Queens borough of New York City and counties of Long Island. Soon after their debut The Leaders of The New School became associated with the Native Tongues Posse, which led to the group's collaboration with A Tribe Called Quest on the single "Scenario."

Busta Rhymes' performance on "Scenario" is thought of by some as the performance which led to his becoming a fan favorite and eventually going solo. The Leaders of the New School released their second and final album The Inner Mind's Eye in 1993, after which Busta Rhymes began his solo career.

[edit] Elektra

Busta Rhymes in the video for his 1997 single "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See" (1997), directed by Hype Williams.
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Busta Rhymes in the video for his 1997 single "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See" (1997), directed by Hype Williams.

Busta Rhymes' debut solo album The Coming was released by Elektra Records in 1996. The album was a mix of reggae and hip hop, and it included the United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) top 10 single "Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check." His follow-up, When Disaster Strikes was successful in the US and sold well overseas. The album produced two hugely popular singles and videos in America, "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See" and "Dangerous". The third single "Turn it up/Fire it up" reached as high as number 2 on the UK singles chart. The same year he released The Imperial Album as part of the Flipmode Squad, a collaborative project with rappers Rampage, Lord Have Mercy, Spliff Star, Rah Digga and Baby Sham.

1998 brought Extinction Level Event (Final World Front), the theme of which was an assertion that the world would end in the year 2000. Its single, "Gimme Some More"--which sampled Bernard Herrmann's theme from Psycho--reached number 5 in the UK singles chart in January, 1999. Rhymes enjoyed further transatlantic success in April when the single "What's It Gonna Be?!", featuring Janet Jackson, reached the US and UK Top 10. In 2000 he worked on several movie projects, including the remake of Shaft, and released his final album for Elektra, Anarchy.

It Ain't Safe No More album cover
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It Ain't Safe No More album cover

After leaving Elektra, Rhymes signed to J Records, a new label started by recently ousted Arista Records chief and founder Clive Davis. In 2001 he released a greatest hits record alongside a new album of original work. Continuing the biblical theme of his previous albums, he titled his record Genesis. This album featured a hit by The Neptunes called "Pass the Courvoisier," and the first work Busta did with Dr. Dre, "Break Ya Neck."

In 2002, Busta Rhymes released his sixth studio album It Ain't Safe No More. The album was moderately successful, with a hit song featuring Mariah Carey called "I Know What You Want," though fans claimed that his music was becoming more club-oriented and watered down. After its release, he left J Records. In 2004, he signed with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment.

[edit] Aftermath

The Big Bang album cover
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The Big Bang album cover

In November of 2005, Busta Rhymes cut off his trademark dreadlocks during a photo shoot in a New York barbershop owned by producer Cory Rooney. The shop is featured on an MTV show titled The Shop. "I started growing [my hair] in December '89. I was 17," he said. "I signed my [record] deal and said I ain't combing my hair no more. I don't have to." He says the haircut was symbolic of a change in his music and the new record deal.

2006 has seen the release of his 7th studio album, The Big Bang. The CD became his first #1 album of his entire career. The CD sold over 209,000 copies in its first week to earn the top spot on the charts. [citation needed] The album also became his highest charting album in the UK, peaking at #19 there. Some of the album was leaked on the internet, and as a result several songs were left off the album and new ones added. The Big Bang featured more production by Dr. Dre than Busta's previous releases and appearances by Raekwon and Nas. The singles that have been released from the album are, "Touch It," "I Love My Bitch," featuring Kelis and will.i.am, "New York Shit," and "In The Ghetto." Busta also had a stint opening for Carey's The Adventures of Mimi Tour.

On August 20, 2006, Busta Rhymes was arraigned for charges of third-degree assault after attacking a man who reportedly spat on his car in New York City on August 12. [2] On October 24, 2006, Busta Rhymes appeared at Manhattan Criminal Court as the district attorney's office attempted to amend previous charges against the rapper to include weapons possession for a machete found in his car. The judge, ShawnDya Simpson, refused to add the charge and adjourned the case. [3]

[edit] Style

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Rhymes has an atypical and distinguishable style. He is known by fans for versatility in flow, delivery and subject matter. [citation needed] Probably his best-known trademark is the roars and grunts such as "Woo-Hah", "Ha!", "Bwah!" that serve as his adlibs, along with his distinguishable voice. Rapping quickly is also a distinctive feature of Busta. In the 1990s, each of Busta's solo albums contained a lengthy and dramatic intro skit as the first track, each announcing the progressively shorter time until the turn of the millennium, and predicting at that time that there would be a cataclysmic event.

Busta has made a habit of appearing on other artists' songs to do only the hook, bridge or chorus; he has done this for artists such as Mos Def ("Do It Now"), Big Pun ("Parental Discretion"), A Tribe Called Quest ("Oh My God"), Black Moon ("The Onslaught"), Nas ("Suicide Bounce"), Puff Daddy and The Notorious B.I.G. ("Victory"), The Game ("Like Father, Like Son"), Ma$e ("Niggaz Wanna Act"), Joe Budden ("Fire")Q-Tip ("N.T") and Obie Trice ("Oh!").

[edit] Trivia

  • The video for "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See" features a recreation of a well-known scene from the 1988 Eddie Murphy film Coming to America.
  • The video for "Dangerous" features a recreation of a scene with the fictional Shogun of Harlem (Sho'nuff) ("Am I the toughest...?, Am I the meanest...?") from the 1985 Berry Gordy produced film The Last Dragon.
  • On December 31, 1999, Black Entertainment Television (BET) named "Woo-Hah!! Got You All In Check" the # 3 video on its list of the top 100 videos of the 20th century. "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See" was # 39.
  • His concert rider reportedly includes a box of ribbed condoms. [4]
  • His first group, the Leaders of the New School, disbanded during November 1993 broadcast of Yo! MTV Raps.
  • He appears in the video game, Def Jam: Fight for NY, as "Magic".
  • His remix of "Touch It" has been at the top of UK DJ Semtex's chart for 15 weeks in a row. [5]
  • The video for "I Love My Chick" was a recreation of the movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
  • Busta Rhymes was featured on one song off fellow rapper DMX album Year of the Dog...Again on the song Come Thru (Move)
  • He also featured in one of the Halloween horror movie series (Halloween: Resurrection) as owner of Danger Entertainment. He invites a group of teenagers to stay in Michael Myers old house whilst live on camera over the internet. However Myers turns up killing almost all the teenagers and has a couple fight scenes with Busta. These involve Busta using karate against Myers, Myers stabbing Busta and Busta electrocuting Mike Myers.
  • He also appeared in an episode of The Wayans Bros. where he arrives in town for a concert.
  • Busta frequently collaborates/collaborated with producers DJ Scratch (Queens, New York) and the late J Dilla (Detroit, Michigan).

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

Album cover Album information
The Coming
When Disaster Strikes
Extinction Level Event (Final World Front)
Anarchy
Genesis
  • Released: November 13, 2001
  • Chart positions: #7 U.S., #58 UK
  • Last RIAA description: 1x Platinum
  • Singles: "What It Is", "Break Ya Neck", "As I Come Back", "Pass The Courvoisier, Part II"
It Ain't Safe No More
The Big Bang
No Tomorrow/Before Hell Freezes Over

[edit] Mixtapes

[edit] Movies

  • Busta Rhymes: Everything Remains Raw (2004) (V)
  • Strong Arm Steady (2004) (V)
  • Full Clip (2004) .... Pope
  • Death of a Dynasty (2003)
  • "Chappelle's Show" .... Musical Guest (1 episode, 2003)

... aka Chappelle's Show: The Lost Episodes (USA: third season title) - Episode #1.4 (2003) TV Episode .... Musical Guest

  • The Neptunes Present: Dude We're Going to Rio! (2003) (V) .... Rhymes
  • Dude... We're Going to Rio (2003) (V)
  • Halloween: Resurrection (2002) .... Freddie Harris
  • Narc (2002) .... Darnell 'Big D Love' Beery

... aka Narco (Canada: French title)

  • Finding Forrester (2000) .... Terrell Wallace
  • Shaft (2000) .... Rasaan

... aka Shaft - Noch Fragen? (Germany)

  • "Saturday Night Live" .... Musical Guest (1 episode, 1999)

... aka SNL (USA: informal title) ... aka SNL 25 (USA) - Episode #24.13 (1999) TV Episode .... Musical Guest

  • The Rugrats Movie (1998) (voice) .... Reptar Wagon
  • "The Steve Harvey Show" .... Zack (1 episode, 1998)

- Everybody Loves Regina (1998) TV Episode .... Zack

  • "Cosby" .... Philip (1 episode, 1997)

- Dating Games (1997) TV Episode .... Philip

  • Higher Learning (1995) .... Dreads
  • Strapped (1993) (TV) .... Buster
  • Who's the Man? (1993) .... Jaween
  • "In Living Color" .... Musical Guest (1 episode, 1991)

- Episode #2.16 (1991) TV Episode (as Leaders of the New School) .... Musical Guest

[edit] Singles

1996 "Woo Hah!! Got You All In Check" - - - - The Coming
1996 "It's a Party" - - - - The Coming
1997 "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See" - - - 16 When Disaster Strikes
1997 "Rumble In The Jungle" - - - 3 When We Were Kings Original Soundtrack
1997 "Dangerous" 9 4 1 32 When Disaster Strikes
1998 "Turn It Up (Remix)/Fire It Up" 10 7 1 2 When Disaster Strikes: New Version
1998 "Victory" (Puff Daddy featuring Notorious B.I.G.) 19 - - - No Way Out
1998 "One" (featuring Erykah Badu) - - - 23 When Disaster Strikes
1999 "Gimme Some More" - 29 - 5 Extinction Level Event (The Final World Front)
1999 "What's It Gonna Be?!" (featuring Janet Jackson) 3 1 1 6 Extinction Level Event (The Final World Front)
1999 "Party is Goin' on Over Here" - 72 - - Extinction Level Event (The Final World Front)
1999 "Do the Bus a Bus" - 43 - - Extinction Level Event (The Final World Front)
1999 "Tear Da Roof Off" - 75 - - Extinction Level Event (The Final World Front)
2000 "Get Out" - 35 - 57 Anarchy
2000 "Fire" - 67 - 60 Anarchy
2002 "What It Is" (featuring Kelis) 63 37 - - Genesis'/'Violator V.1
2002 "Break Ya Neck" 26 10 24 11 Genesis
2002 "As I Come Back" - 91 - - Genesis
2002 "Pass the Courvoisier, Part II" (with P. Diddy and Pharrell) 11 4 - 16 Genesis: New Version
2003 "Make It Clap" (Remix) (featuring Sean Paul and Spliff Star) 46 17 14 16 It Ain't Safe No More
2003 "I Know What You Want" (featuring Mariah Carey and Flipmode Squad) 3 2 3 3 It Ain't Safe No More
2003 "Light Your Ass On Fire" (featuring Pharrell) 58 23 12 62 The Neptunes Present... Clones
2006 "Where's Your Money" (feat. Ol' Dirty Bastard) - 65 - - -
2005 "Don't Cha" (The Pussycat Dolls featuring Busta Rhymes) 2 8 - 1 PCD
2006 "Touch It" 16 3 1 6 The Big Bang
2006 "I Love My Bitch" 1 (featuring Kelis and will.i.am) 41 19 9 8 The Big Bang
2006 "New York Shit" 1 (feat. Swizz Beatz) - 77 - - The Big Bang
2006 "In The Ghetto" 1 (feat. Rick James) - 50 - - The Big Bang
  • 1 currently active in music charts
  • 2 charted on download sales only

[edit] Samples

[edit] External links

[edit] References

[edit] See also

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