Brooklyn, NY · hip hop · east coast hip hop

Busta Rhymes

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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 was born Trevor George Smith Jr. on May 20, 1972, in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn to Jamaican immigrant parents. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him his stage name, taking it from NFL and CFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes. The family later moved to Uniondale on Long Island, where Smith finished high school after early years at a Brooklyn school alongside future rappers Christopher Wallace and Shawn Carter.

He first drew attention as a member of Leaders of the New School, who toured as an opening act for Public Enemy, and particularly for his verse on A Tribe Called Quest's "Scenario." After the group split he became a sought-after guest before going solo in the mid-1990s with The Coming, an album that reached the Billboard 200 top ten, went platinum and earned a Grammy nomination.

His delivery built on rapid-fire, elastic phrasing, a booming voice and heavy use of double-time, carried across eleven solo albums, the most recent being Blockbusta in 2023. Notable singles include "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check," "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See," "Gimme Some More" and "Touch It," alongside guest verses on hits such as "Don't Cha," "Rumble in the Jungle" and "Look at Me Now."

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, continued guest verses, and the founding of the record label Conglomerate, originally called Flipmode Entertainment, along with its affiliated Flipmode Squad collective.

Busta Rhymes has received twelve Grammy nominations without a win, one of the most-nominated artists in that position, while Billboard, Vibe and Forbes have each ranked him among the greatest rappers of all time. In 2025 he received the inaugural Rock the Bells Visionary Award at the MTV Video Music Awards. His sets tend to move quickly through a long catalogue of singles.

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hip hopeast coast hip hop