Busta Rhymes

Trevor George Smith Jr., known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. Born on May 20, 1972, he is recognized as one of the most-nominated artists without a win at the Grammy Awards, having received 12 nominations. He was given his professional moniker by Public Enemy's Chuck D, who named him after football player George "Buster" Rhymes. He has been ranked among the greatest rappers of all time by publications such as Billboard, Vibe, and Forbes. In addition to his solo work, he founded the record label Conglomerate and its affiliated hip-hop collective.

Smith was born in the East Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City, to Jamaican immigrants Geraldine Green and Trevor Smith Sr. At age 12, his family relocated to Uniondale, New York. During his youth, he attended George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School alongside future rappers The Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z, Samuel J. Tilden High School, and graduated from Uniondale High School in 1991. During the early 1980s, he also spent time living in Morecambe, England, where he attended school and performed in breakdancing acts with his brother.

He began his music career in 1986 as an original member of the East Coast hip-hop group Leaders of the New School. The group toured with Public Enemy and released their debut album, A Future Without a Past..., on Elektra Records in 1991, followed by T.I.M.E. in 1993. The group gained national attention and further exposure through a guest appearance on A Tribe Called Quest's track "Scenario." However, internal friction stemming from Smith's rising popularity led to the group disbanding during an appearance on Yo! MTV Raps.

Following the group's breakup, Smith established himself as a solo artist, releasing his debut solo album, The Coming, in 1996. The critically acclaimed, RIAA platinum-certified album debuted within the top ten of the Billboard 200 and featured the successful single "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check." He subsequently released several albums, including When Disaster Strikes in 1997, Extinction Level Event: The Final World Front in 1998, Anarchy in 2000, Genesis in 2001, It Ain't Safe No More in 2002, and his first Billboard 200 chart-topper, The Big Bang, in 2006.

Over his career, Busta Rhymes has released eleven studio albums, including Back on My B.S. in 2009, Year of the Dragon in 2012, Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God in 2020, and Blockbusta in 2023. His prominent singles include "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See," "Dangerous," "Gimme Some More," "What's It Gonna Be?!," and "Touch It." He has also been featured on hit songs by other artists, including "Don't Cha" by The Pussycat Dolls and "Look at Me Now" by Chris Brown.

In 2025, Busta Rhymes released the EP Dragon Season... The Awakening as a precursor to his album Dragon Season, co-wrote and recorded "Taking Everything" for the film soundtrack of The Bad Guys 2, and performed at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, where he received the inaugural Rock the Bells Visionary Award.