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Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes at the University of California in 2005.
Background information
Birth name	Trevor George Smith, Jr.
Born	May 20, 1972 (1972-05-20) (age 36)
Origin	Uniondale,Long Island, New York, U.S.
Genre(s)	Hip hop, Hardcore hip hop, Dancehall
Years active	1990-present
Label(s)	Flipmode, Universal Motown, Violator
Associated acts	Sean Paul, Leaders of the New School, M.O.P., Q-Tip, Flipmode Squad, Dr. Dre, Papoose, J. Dilla, A Tribe Called Quest, P.Diddy, Notorious B.I.G

Trevor George Smith, Jr., (born May 20, 1972) better known as Busta Rhymes, is an American actor and musician of Jamaican descent. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the name Busta Rhymes (from former NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes) after watching him perform. Busta Rhymes was a member of Leaders of the New School and released two albums with the group before breaking out with a 1996 solo hit single, "Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check".

Biography

Early years

Trevor Smith was born in East Flatbush, Brooklyn to Jamaican parents Geraldine Green and Trevor Smith, Sr.¹²³ When he was 12 his family moved to Uniondale, New York, a suburb in Nassau County, where he was raised and eventually met up with other artists from the growing area hip hop community. He graduated from Uniondale High School in 1991.⁴

Smith's musical career began at the age of 17 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 1989 and released their debut album A Future Without a Past in 1991 on Elektra Records. In 1993, they released T.I.M.E. (The Inner Mind's Eye). Soon after, however, internal problems arose within the group, and the group broke up on the set of Yo! MTV Raps. Rumors persisted that Smith clashed with Charlie Brown over creative control of the group's direction.^{citation needed}

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." Smith's live performance of "Scenario" with A Tribe Called Quest on The Arsenio Hall Show led to a solo contract with Elektra after an A&R representative saw the program. The Leaders of the New School released their second and final album The Inner Mind's Eye (T.I.M.E.) in 1993, after which Smith began his solo career. In 1993 he had a son named T'ziah from his former girlfriend Joanne.^{citation needed}

Elektra years (1996-2000)

Trevor Smith's 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." It was Busta's first release on his label, Flipmode Records. The album was met with commercial and critical success and ended up going Platinum.⁵

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 and number 10 in the U.S. The next 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. It, like its predecessor, sold very well and went gold.⁵

In 1998, Smith recorded 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. Smith enjoyed further transatlantic success in April when the single "What's It Gonna Be?!", featuring Janet Jackson, reached the US and UK Top 10. The album also received notice for featuring the fastest rapping Busta has yet done, on a song called "Iz They Wildin wit Us & Gettin' Rowdy wit Us?", featuring a guest appearance by Mystikal.⁵

In 2000, after working on several movie projects, including Full Clip, with Xzibit, the remake of Shaft, Busta Rhymes released his final album for Elektra, Anarchy. In between album releases, Smith had a falling out with longtime label, Elektra Records. He rushed the album into stores and it had a thrown-together sound. Despite this, the album did moderately well, but did not sell on the level of his previous releases, due to his rush to get the album out there to end his contract with Elektra.

J/Arista/BMG (2000-2004)

After leaving Elektra, Smith 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. The album featured collaborations with Mary J. Blige, P. Diddy, Kelis, and others. Genesis was powered by the hit single with Kelis, "What It Is," and his solo hit single released in November 2001, "Break Ya Neck." The final single was the summer smash "Pass The Courvoisier," which featured Pharrell and P. Diddy. Despite the two powerful singles, this album did not sell as well as his previous releases.

In 2002, Smith released his sixth studio album It Ain't Safe No More. The album was moderately successful, with a hit song featuring Mariah Carey and the Flipmode Squad called "I Know What You Want." Another hit song was "Make It Clap", featuring Spliff Starr. The remix of "Make It Clap" featured Sean Paul. After its release, he left J Records. In 2004, he signed with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment.

Aftermath/Interscope (2004-2008)

Busta Rhymes performing in 2006.

In November 2005, Smith 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.

His seventh studio album, The Big Bang, became the first #1 album of his career. The CD sold over 209,000 copies in its first week to earn the top spot on The Billboard Top 200.⁶ 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 Smith's previous releases, as well as appearances by Raekwon and Nas. The singles that have been released from the album are, "Touch It," "I Love My Chick," featuring Kelis and Will.I.Am, "New York Sh*t," and "In The Ghetto." Smith also had a stint opening for Mariah Carey's The Adventures of Mimi Tour. Also, Smith performed with Eminem on "Touch It Remix Part 5". Others such as Jae Millz and Ne-Yo appeared as well.

Busta Rhymes was added to Projekt Revolution 2008, He joined Linkin Park, Chris Cornell, The Bravery, and Ashes Divide on the main stage. On the Revolution stage was Atreyu, 10 years, Hawthorne Heights, Armor For Sleep, and Street Drum Corps. He had to leave the tour on account of contract reasons "beyond control."

On July 17, 2008, Busta Rhymes got dropped from Interscope/Aftermath. It was reported that Busta Rhymes was dropped from Interscope due to a heated argument with Jimmy Iovine. He later confirmed that the album would be released in late September on Aftermath. www.Aftermathmusic.com contacted the general manager of Aftermath, who issued the response “Yes, it’s true. He got dropped.”⁷ It was later revealed that following his alleged acrimonious departure from the Interscope/Aftermath label he signed a new deal with Universal Motown, who will release his 8th studio album B.O.M.B. on March 10, 2009.⁸

Legal issues

On August 20, 2006, he 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 after the AmsterJam Music Festival on Randalls Island.⁹

On October 24, 2006, he appeared at Manhattan Criminal Court as the district attorney's office attempted to amend previous charges against him to include weapons possession for a machete found in his car. The judge, ShawnDya Simpson, refused to add the charge and adjourned the case.¹⁰¹¹

On February 20, 2007, Smith refused a plea deal offered by the prosecutors office for the assault of his former driver, Edward Hatchett. The deal would have entailed six months in jail and pleading guilty to two assaults, the attack on Hatchett, and the attack on the former fan. The dispute with Hatchett is believed to have been originated over back pay Hatchett felt he was owed. Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Becki Rowe offered Smith another option, pleading guilty to third-degree assault. The conditions of the proposed sentence would include five days of community service, two weeks of youth lectures and six months of anger management classes, as well as three years of probation. On March 18, 2008 a judge in New York City sentenced Smith to 3 years' probation, 10 days' community service, $1250 in fines (plus court costs), and to enroll in a drunken driving program.^11121314

On September 25, 2008, he was temporarily refused entry to the UK due to "unresolved convictions".¹⁵

Controversies

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Ja Rule

Ja Rule, who was feuding with 50 Cent, Dr. Dre, Eminem and D12 at the time pulled Smith into the beef for being signed with Aftermath Entertainment. Ja Rule addressed Busta Rhymes on the song "Loose Change". Busta responded on the song "Hail Mary 2003" along with 50 Cent and Eminem. Ja then responded on a freestyle called "The Wrap" on his 'Blood In My Eye' album, by saying " Niggaz is talking shit, aw bitch, that's old news// They say I rap to rhythm and blues// But when I turn on the radio, I hear y'all niggaz rappin' it too// He's like "Baby can you give it to me" Nah, I'ma give it to you// The same way that we gave it to Proof, The same way that we gave it to Loose " The two have since ceased their dispute.

Jay-Z

The dispute between Busta Rhymes and Jay-Z started when Jay-Z addressed Busta on the song "What More Can I Say", the b-side of "Change Clothes" single cd.

And no, I ain't get shot up a whole bunch of times

or make up shit in a whole bunch of lines and I ain't animated like

say, a Busta Rhymes

but the real shit you get when you bust down my lines..”

Busta along with Wyclef had retaliated on the song "You're a memory". However during a phone conversation with Sway, Busta Rhymes assured him that the song was not an attack on Jay-Z. The self-proclaimed "Drama King" DJ Kay Slay, speaking on their own unrelated falling-out, revealed that Rhymes asked his advice on whether or not to retaliate to the perceived diss; Slay claims that after releasing "You're a Memory," it was revealed that Jay didn't in fact mean any disrespect, and Bus proceeded to make a similar claim about the response track.

Discography

Main article: Busta Rhymes discography

• The Coming (1996)
• When Disaster Strikes (1997)
• E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front (1998)
• Anarchy (2000)
• Genesis (2001)
• It Ain't Safe No More (2002)
• The Big Bang (2006)
• B.O.M.B. (2009)

Filmography

• Who's the Man? (1993), Jaween
• Strapped (1993), Buster
• Higher Learning (1995), Dreads
• Cosby (1997), Philip
• The Steve Harvey Show (1998), Zack
• The Wayans Bros (1998), himself
• The Rugrats Movie (1998), Reptar Wagon – voice
• Shaft (2000), Rasaan
• Finding Forrester (2000), Terrell Wallace
• Space Ghost Coast to Coast (2001), himself
• Narc (2002), Darnell 'Big D Love' Beery
• Halloween: Resurrection (2002), Freddie Harris
• The Neptunes Present: Dude We're Going to Rio! (2003), Rhymes
• Death of a Dynasty (2003)
• Full Clip (2004), Pope
• Busta Rhymes: Everything Remains Raw (2004)
• The Boondocks (2007), Flonominal
• Order of Redemption (2008), Al Bowen

See also

• List of number-one U.S. dance hits
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart

References

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Busta Rhymes

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Busta Rhymes

• Official Site
• Busta Rhymes: Biography, Photo Gallery and Videos
• Busta Rhymes at the Internet Movie Database
• Busta Rhymes at LyricWiki