Busta Rhymes

Busta Rhymes: biography

The hip-hop genius Busta Rhymes earned his popularity at an early age: the talented rapper and natural leader found his musical niche in the late 1980s. Busta’s interests are not limited to music: he is also an actor and fashion designer.

Childhood and youth

The legendary rapper was born in Brooklyn on May 20, 1972. Trevor Smith was named after his father who came from Jamaica. The boy’s childhood was full of cheerful reggae tunes; he showed a keen interest in music early. Busta Rhymes has always been tall; today, his height is 6.07 feet (185 cm.); his physical strength and agility were remarkable.

The teenager was fond of basketball and proved to be a talented athlete; coaches expected him to fly high soon. Rhymes mentioned in his interviews he would pursue a sports career if it had not been for the passion for music.

When Trevor turned twelve, the family moved to Long Island; the rapper met new people and took his first steps in music.

Music

The young musician started successfully. As long as he learned something, Busta went to a rappers’ competition and met Charlie Brown, his future friend and colleague. The young men wanted to overcome their shyness and fear and decided to perform together. The rappers killed two birds: the jury appreciated the quality of their work, and a representative of Public Enemy company noticed them and offered to record songs in the studio.

The beginning artists found two other teenagers and created the group L.O.N.S., the abbreviation of “leaders of new school”. Fortune was merciful: when Busta turned 17, Electra Records paid attention to the band and signed a contract with them. It was justified: the musicians were far better than a garage group. They became full-fledged show business players and even founded a new hip hop school; East Coast of the country admired the band because they popularized marihuana smoking, expressed pro-African ideas, and presented a couple of albums. Gradually, L.O.N.S. transformed into one of the most influential rap groups.

In 1993, the musicians split up and promised to reunite one day and create a new album.

It was time for Busta Rhymes to begin his solo career. By that moment, he became a legendary figure among rappers, and fans were looking forward to new music dainties. In 1996, the artist presented the first gangsta rap album ''The Coming'' and went touring all over the globe.

The album was significant. Beginning rappers joined Rhymes and created Flipmode Squad. The singer taught the younger generation and, at some point, got a large music family; they gave him comfort and new ideas.

Trevor’s solo albums followed one another. ''E.L.E. –The Final World Front'' was one of the brightest; Ozzy Osbourne and Janet Jackson contributed to it. Further on, the rapper had many collaborations: for instance, Mariah Carey and The Flipmode Squad joined the artist in the song “I Know What You Want”. It was incredibly popular among music lovers and topped American charts; the music video on the track was also presented.

In 2014, Busta recorded “Calm Down” with Eminem; it was a six-minute rap battle. Besides, Rhymes collaborated with DJ Tiësto. Fans loved the songs and videos “Break Ya Neck” and “Touch It”.

Overall, the man has had eleven Grammy nominations. Directors began to invite the talented musician to popular movies; Busta Rhymes appeared in Finding Forrester, Narc, Halloween: Resurrection. In 2006, the actor starred in Full Clip; three years later, he played in the action Breaking Point.

In 2018, the rapper had a cameo role in the documentary Survivors Guide to Prison.

Personal life

Rhymes has four children. In 1993, he could have become a father, but his girlfriend Joanne Wood had premature birth; the child did not survive. The next year, the woman gave birth to the boy T’ziah; later, two sons and a daughter were born.

The musician is frequently involved in legal scandals. Once, the police arrested him for illegal gun possession; the weapon was found in his car. He also threatened his ex on the phone, and the woman did not tolerate it and filed a complaint.

2015 was marked with an incident in a New York gym. Busta Rhymes had a conflict with a fitness club employee. The rapper threw a shaker at him; there was about half a liter of strawberry protein drink there. According to the witnesses’ reports, the gym worker did not allow the rapper to take a camera operator to his practice.

Judging by this news, Busta Rhymes keeps fit in the gym, although he does not show it on Instagram. However, fans notice their favorite has put on some weight in recent years; the athletic artist seems to have been gone forever. The young artist used to weight 198 lbs. (90 kg.); nowadays, it is close to 253 lbs. (115 kg.).

Trevor is a person of many talents. He opened his own recording company and created the Bushi clothing line, as well as the Bustagrip footwear collection. The rapper is a religious man; he converted to Islam in 2007 and entered the Muslim Nation of Gods and Earths movement.

The musician has often participated in commercials. In 2009, Busta Rhymes and 50 Cent collaborated in a commercial for alcohol: the brandy Leyrat and Sparkling Vodka.

Present days

The recent years have been challenging for the musician; tired fans are still looking for the new album. The last work appeared back in 2012: Year of the Dragon was named after the year according to the Chinese calendar.

The musician is not totally silent: in 2016, he contributed to the new album of the group A Tribe Called Quest; his singles come out regularly. In February 2018, the song “Get It” with Missy Elliott and Kelly Rowland was presented. Nevertheless, it is not a solo album.

August 2017 was marked by the new song “Girlfriend” that was said to be the first single from the upcoming work. The musician mentioned he was going to return to his roots and invited the Jamaican dancehall star Vybz Kartel to collaborate with him. There has been no further information.

February 2018 brought the unusual experience: Busta Rhymes and Missy Elliott became rap coaches for the actors Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister in The Game of Thrones) and legendary Morgan Freeman. The celebrities had a rap battle at Superbowl. It was made in the form of a commercial video where Busta and Missy taught the actors how to rap. The commercial creators made a showy sketch based on A Song of Ice and Fire.

Busta Rhymes’s net worth is $65 million in 2019.

Discography

• 1996 - The Coming
• 1997 - When Disaster Strikes...
• 1998 - E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front
• 2000 - Anarchy
• 2001 - Genesis
• 2002 - It Ain't Safe No More
• 2006 - The Big Bang
• 2009 - Back on My B.S.
• 2012 – Year Of The Dragon