Busta Rhymes

Busta Rhymes Artistfacts

  • May 20, 1972
  • Busta's real name is Trevor Smith. Public Enemy leader Chuck D gave him his nickname. Chuck lifted the name from All-American University of Oklahoma football star George "Buster" Rhymes.
  • He got his start with the high-energy rap group Leaders Of The New School, which were mentored by Public Enemy and released their first album in 1991. In 1992 they appeared on the Tribe Called Quest classic "Scenario," where Busta busts his famous "dungeon dragon" verse. He became the breakout star of the group, and when they broke up in 1995, their label, Elektra Records, gave Busta a solo deal. His first album, The Coming, was released in 1996.
  • He has been in the movies Finding Forrester, Higher Learning, Shaft 2000, The Narc and Halloween 8.
  • Busta was born in Brooklyn, but his parents are from Jamaica.
  • Busta raps so fast it's hard to process all the words. Try turning the captions on during one of his music videos or performances and you'll see transcription chaos.
  • Among the backstage requests in Busta's 2010 tour rider: six bottles of Moet champagne, herbal tea, a jar of mayonnaise and a box of condoms.
  • Busta has done some high-profile collaborations across a range of genres. Highlights include:

    "This Means War!" with Ozzy Osbourne
    "Look at Me Now" with Chris Brown
    "Grow Up" with Cher Lloyd
  • Busta Rhymes voiced Reptar Wagon in 1998's The Rugrats Movie.
  • Busta makes very eye-catching videos where he often looks like a video game character. At the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards he was honored with the inaugural Rock The Bells Visionary Award, presented by the host, LL Cool J. He performed a medley of his hits at the show.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Adele

AdeleFact or Fiction

Despite her reticent personality, Adele's life and music are filled with intrigue. See if you can spot the true tales.

Susanna Hoffs - "Eternal Flame"

Susanna Hoffs - "Eternal Flame"They're Playing My Song

The Prince-penned "Manic Monday" was the first song The Bangles heard coming from a car radio, but "Eternal Flame" is closest to Susanna's heart, perhaps because she sang it in "various states of undress."

Phil Hurtt ("I'll Be Around")

Phil Hurtt ("I'll Be Around")Songwriter Interviews

Phil was a songwriter, producer and voice behind many Philadelphia soul classics. When disco hit, he got an interesting project: The Village People.

Rufus Wainwright

Rufus WainwrightSongwriter Interviews

Rufus Wainwright on "Hallelujah," his album Unfollow The Rules, and getting into his "lyric trance" on 12-hour walks.

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)Songwriter Interviews

Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai were two of Graham's co-writers for some '80s rock classics.

The 10 Bands Most Like Spinal Tap

The 10 Bands Most Like Spinal TapSong Writing

Based on criteria like girlfriend tension, stage mishaps and drummer turnover, these are the 10 bands most like Spinal Tap.