Brooklyn, NY · hip hop · east coast hip hop

Busta Rhymes

2 festivals played

Three decades of the fastest, most physically committed delivery in rap, and none of it has slowed down — a hits catalog that turns any field into a block party.

Busta Rhymes, born Trevor Smith Jr. in Brooklyn, first drew attention as a member of Leaders of the New School, and particularly for his verse on A Tribe Called Quest's "Scenario." He went solo in the mid-1990s with The Coming, and built a run of albums marked by rapid-fire, elastic delivery, a booming voice and a heavy use of double-time.

He is also closely associated with the videos of the era, many directed by Hype Williams, which matched his exaggerated physicality and cartoonish imagery. Later work included a period on Aftermath and continued guest verses, and his sets tend to move quickly through a long catalogue of singles.

hip hopeast coast hip hop