Busta Rhymes

Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes performing in 2022
Born
Trevor George Smith Jr.

(1972-05-20) May 20, 1972 (age 52)[1]
New York City, U.S.
Other namesTrevor Taheim Smith
EducationUniondale High School
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
  • actor
  • record executive
  • businessman
Years active1986–present[2]
Children6
RelativesRampage (cousin)
AwardsFull list
Musical career
OriginHempstead, New York, U.S.
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • samplers
  • drums
Discography
Labels
Member of
Formerly of
Websitebustarhymesuniverse.com

Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes. He has received 12 Grammy Award nominations for his work, making him one of the most-nominated artists without winning.

Busta Rhymes was an original member of Leaders of the New School, a group that attracted national attention when they opened on tour for Public Enemy.[5] He gained exposure for their guest appearance on A Tribe Called Quest's track "Scenario". Shortly thereafter, Leaders of the New School broke up, leading Rhymes to become a sought after solo artist, appearing on numerous tracks for other artists before his solo debut album, The Coming (1996). The album reached the top ten on the Billboard 200 album chart, was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and earned him a Grammy nomination.

He has released eleven total solo albums, with the most recent being 2023's Blockbusta. Rhymes' list of hit singles include "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check", "It's a Party", "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See", "Dangerous", "Turn It Up" (Remix)/"Fire It Up", "Gimme Some More", "What's It Gonna Be?", "Pass the Courvoisier, Part II", "I Know What You Want" and "Touch It".

Among his other ventures, he founded the record label Conglomerate (initially Flipmode Entertainment) and the production crew The Conglomerate (formerly Flipmode Squad). About.com included him on its list of the 50 Greatest MCs of Our Time (1987–2007),[6] and Steve Huey of AllMusic called him one of the best and most prolific rappers of the 1990s.[7] In 2012, The Source placed him on its list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time.[8] MTV has called him "one of hip-hop's greatest visual artists".[9]

  1. ^ "Monitor". Entertainment Weekly. No. 1260. May 24, 2013. p. 34.
  2. ^ John Bush. "Busta Rhymes". AllMusic. Archived from the original on May 14, 2019. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  3. ^ Fonseca, Anthony J.; Goldsmith, Melissa Ursula Dawn, eds. (2018). Hip Hop Around the World: An Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. p. 96. ISBN 9780313357596.
  4. ^ Johnson, Kevin C. (December 23, 2011). "Q&A: Local artists pay tribute to Native Tongues rap acts". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  5. ^ "Busta Rhymes Reunites On Stage With Leaders of the New School". HipHopDX.com. Archived from the original on September 11, 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  6. ^ "Top 50 MCs of Our Time: 1987 – 2007 – 50 Greatest Emcees of Our Time". Rap.about.com. January 26, 2012. Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  7. ^ Huey, Steve (June 20, 2000). "Anarchy – Busta Rhymes". AllMusic. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  8. ^ "THE SOURCE PRESENTS: TOP 50 LYRICISTS (PREVIEW)". The Source. June 22, 2012. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  9. ^ "Busta Rhymes' 'Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See' Inspired By Diddy, Q-Tip". MTV. August 28, 2012. Archived from the original on September 1, 2012. Retrieved December 24, 2012.

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