What do Busta Rhymes, the Wu-Tang Clan, Nas,
Jay-Z, and Public Enemy have in common? It’s all about inspiration. Keep watching
to find out where the "Flava in Ya Ear" rapper’s lyrics come from and much more.
Busta Rhymes' real name is Trevor Smith Jr. Per The Post Game, he used to go by a slightly less
punchy stage name until his mentor intervened, and since said mentor happened to be the legendary
Chuck D from Public Enemy, the younger man listened. In fact, according to Vibe, Chuck D gave
Rhymes more than just his artist name. The younger rapper has been known to describe his considerable
work ethic as "CLAMP," a term coined by the Public Enemy star. According to Rhymes, it stands for:
"Concept, Lyrics, Attitude and Appearance, Music, and Performance."
Chuck D was highly impressed by Rhymes' performance,
and since he felt it had an athletic quality, he named his protégé after Minnesota Vikings
wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes. In his interview with The Post Game,
Rhymes described Chuck D's words to him. According to Rhymes, the Public Enemy rapper told him:
"Yo, with this aggression that I ain't ever seen with your performance skill set,
you're such a showman, it almost looks like you're playing football when you rhyming,
so you should call yourself 'Busta Rhymes.'"
It soon became evident that the new name was the perfect moniker for Rhymes' particular style.
so he retired his original stage name — Chill-O-Ski.
"Was you Chill-O-Ski back then?"
"I was definitely Chill-O-Ski."
Rhymes told The Post Game:
"When you see me in this burst of energy, how I'm trying to bust through,
it just made sense with just the way I displayed how I did my thing, you know?
So it still worked for me even without knowing about the Buster Rhymes history."
Busta Rhymes emerged on the music scene as part of Leaders of the New School, a rap group from
Long Island, New York. The Leaders and their comparatively light-hearted approach reaped
plenty of rewards in the early 1990s, landing them a hit — "Case of That Ol' P.T.A." — on their 1991
debut album. In an interview with the New York Daily News, Rhymes described the group's ethos:
"We thought hip hop was so damn raunchy all the time oppressive. We needed some party, universal,
happy [stuff]. There was no unhappiness in our lives, so we were comfortable,
cozy. We were able to focus on hip hop on a fun level."
Unfortunately, things were not quite as fun behind the scenes. Leaders of the New School
bickered and clashed with each other, and Rhymes and fellow band member Charlie Brown
were on such bad terms that they came to blows more than once. As such, the group disbanded
before their second album was even out — while filming an episode of "Yo! MTV Raps," no less.
Rhymes, a young father, was worried that the break-up might affect his income.
Fortunately, his time with Leaders of the New School had already given the world his breakout
performance in the form of a magnificent feature verse on The Tribe Called Quest song "Scenario,"
and he had plenty of high-profile friends who supported his quest to make it to the next level.
The word "flipmode" is often associated with Busta Rhymes.
As Vibe tells us, the term refers to both his sub-label on Electra Records,
and the collective he founded after embarking on a solo career. According to the artist,
this reflected his own experiences when he was still starting out.
Flipmode Squad only put out one full-length album, 1998's The Imperial, and according to Ambrosia For
Heads, Rhymes' own ever-changing record label contracts didn't do any favors for the group's
stability. However, there's no denying that the group featured a massive pool of talent — and,
in 2010, Rhymes resumed his quest to help younger artists under the name The Conglomerate. In 2018,
his teams from two eras even joined forces on the "Flipmode Squad Meets The Conglomerate" single.
Seeing as Rhymes himself received significant help and mentorship from more established artists
like A Tribe Called Quest and Public Enemy, it's only natural that he wanted to pay it forward.
"I was taught to teach and share knowledge. That is a duty."
While Busta Rhymes' music and artistic persona are extremely well-known, his personal life is
a little more, well, personal. In a 2006 interview with Vibe, Rhymes noted that he considers family
an incredibly important support system. In a 2020 interview with GQ, Rhymes noted that he
has six children in total, and that his eldest son has been known to work as his road manager.
Unfortunately, the family front has also brought plenty of tragedies in Rhymes' life.
His first child died during pregnancy — a tragic event which Rhymes told DJ Vlad coincided with
some of his tougher times with Leaders of the New School. His longtime relationship with the mother
of four of his children also imploded in the 2000s, due to infidelity on both their parts.
Rhymes' eventual separation from his former partner led to allegations of abuse on her part,
which Rhymes denied. He ultimately won their lengthy custody battle in 2006.
Busta Rhymes is an excellent rapper, but per Vibe, his uneven albums and "jester" reputation may have
played a part in keeping him out of the "greatest of all time" discussion on occasion. Regardless,
he's technically extremely adept and incredibly versatile, and he has a talent for crafty lyrics.
"If you're real and you
exist in reality, you should have the opportunity to express what you feel."
His raspy, instantly recognizable voice and highly malleable style allow for aggressive
screaming and ominous whisper-rapping alike, and his peers aren't shy to sing
his praises. In speaking to GQ of his admiration of Rhymes, Questlove of The Roots had this to say:
"When I talk about mind-blowing, I'm talking about where you have to stop what you're doing and look
at the speaker. Busta literally performs like his life and your life depend on it."
This peer appreciation, as Hot New Hip Hop points out,
is evident from the way Rhymes has collaborated with many of the genre's greatest over the years.
In an interview with AllHipHop, the man himself stated that he doesn't particularly concern
himself with his occasional exclusion from the "greatest rapper" conversation, and noted that
these collaborations alone are ample proof of his mic skills. Rhymes told AllHipHop
"If you hear me on 'Flava in Ya Ear (Remix),' or 'Scenario,' or whatever records you want
to pull up and see me collaborate [...], how many times you hearing [...], 'Yo,
Bust got his ass whooped on this record'? I don't think you ever heard that in your life."
Over the years, Busta Rhymes has found himself in trouble with the authorities
numerous times. According to Vibe, in 2003, he had an alleged confrontation with a fan, which
culminated when Rhymes threw water bottles at the man. The case was ultimately resolved in 2009, and
the court ordered Rhymes to pay the fan $75,000. According to The New York Times, in August 2006,
Rhymes was arrested after a show in Randalls Island for possession of a machete, and for
being part of a group that attacked a man who'd allegedly spat on a vehicle belonging to them.
Then in early 2007, Rhymes was in court for the aforementioned alleged attack,
as well as another against his former driver during a pay dispute.
After rejecting a plea deal that involved six months of jail time,
the artist was ultimately offered a three-year probation with several other conditions — which
he may have taken, considering the lack of news about him going to prison. Mere months later,
though, he was arrested for driving under the influence, according to The New York Times.
According to NPR, the Five Percent Nation was founded in 1963 when Malcolm X's student,
Clarence 13 X, left the Nation of Islam to establish his own group.
The movement's elaborate philosophy and messages of hope and empowerment have a
number of supporters in the hip hop community, and according to Bustle, Busta Rhymes is one of them.
Unlike the Five Percent Nation's most vocal supporters, such as the members of the Wu-Tang
Clan, it appears that Rhymes hasn't spoken too much on the subject of his beliefs or
attachment to the movement. However, both NPR and Bustle point out that he's at the
very least familiar with the Five Percent Nation's core concepts and its philosophy,
considering that his lyrics often reference them. Rhymes is hardly the only rapper who has paid such
respects to the movement, though. Apart from the Wu-Tang Clan, rap legends like Nas, Jay-Z,
and Public Enemy have all been known to pen lyrics inspired by the Five Percent Nation.
Due to his long and successful career as a recording artist, it can be difficult to imagine
Busta Rhymes doing anything else. However, a quick glance at his IMDb page reveals that Rhymes is
actually a pretty accomplished actor. Apart from various appearances in which he played himself,
his surprisingly robust acting career features roles in movies like Finding Forrester and Shaft.
On occasion, the artist's run-ins with the law have hindered his side gig as a thespian.
In an interview with GQ, he recounted a particularly unfortunate story that
happened during a time when he was tied up with a number of charges and lawsuits,
and his ability to function as a free person was limited as a result. The rapper told the outlet:
"We actually shot this film called 'Breaking Point.' [...] I had to shoot all of my scenes in
Jersey, and it was a New York based film because they wouldn't [give] the film production a permit
for me to shoot. It was extremely challenging. [...] I just really wasn't in a good place."
As the man behind the hit song "Pass the Courvoisier Part II,"
Busta Rhymes doesn't exactly come across as a man who's averse to drinking. Unfortunately,
he has been known to overdo it. In 2007, the artist was arrested in New York City for
drunk driving. In a 2020 interview with Van Jones' "The Messy Truth," the star outright
admitted that his alcohol intake — among several other indulgences — almost cost him his life.
Fortunately, the musician was able to walk back from the brink, and in a 2017 interview with The
Daily Beast, Rhymes stated in no uncertain terms that he'd massively reduced his alcohol intake,
especially compared to his more youthful days. When asked if he's cut back, Rhymes replied:
"Yeah. I want to live as long as possible. I'm more health [conscious] now. We're just trying
to balance it out. We did a lot of overdoing it when we were younger, so now we got to."
In a 2020 interview with GQ, Busta Rhymes discussed a series of personal life setbacks,
which culminated in his father's death in 2014. According to him, his life started to
spiral out of control, and he developed a number of health issues due to his lack of self-care.
After a major health scare, Rhymes decided that he had to get his health in order. According to Men's
Health, the artist achieved this by embarking on a strict fitness regime that involved both
training and a healthy diet, and the results have both slimmed him down and improved his health
dramatically. In speaking about his decision to make some life changes, Rhymes told Men's Health:
"I ain't just getting in shape to look good with my music. I was raised to protect and
provide for my family and my people. I don't know how to be any other way. I
have to contribute in any way I can, even if that means engaging in physicality to ensure survival."
The reason behind his decision was a particular health problem in early 2019.
He found out that he had throat polyps that blocked the vast majority of his throat,
which meant he risked suffocation every time he slept. Fortunately, those were dealt with,
and his new lifestyle ensured that by 2020, a number of his health woes were gone.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues,
help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).