Busta Rhymes

Trevor Tahiem Smith Jr. (better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes, given to him by legendary emcee Chuck D of Public Enemy) is a prominent American rapper of Jamaican heritage. Born in the culturally vibrant neighborhood of East Flatbush in Brooklyn - onetime home to a number of musicians, including ... More >

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Trevor Tahiem Smith Jr. (better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes, given to him by legendary emcee Chuck D of Public Enemy) is a prominent American rapper of Jamaican heritage. Born in the culturally vibrant neighborhood of East Flatbush in Brooklyn - onetime home to a number of musicians, including Talib Kweli and Shaggy - he moved to nearby Uniondale, New York at age 12, eventually graduating from Uniondale High School in 1999.

Smith began rapping as a teenager in the New York underground circuit, performing with The Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z years before any of them got famous. He rose to prominence regionally as a member of influential hip-hop crew Leaders of the New School, who released two albums on Elektra Records in the early 1990's. Following the success of the group's second album T.I.M.E. (1993) the crew broke up over creative differences, leaving Rhymes to pursue a solo career.

Busta Rhymes was picked up as a solo artist by his former label Elektra in 1996 and remained on the label for four years, releasing just as many albums: The Coming (1996), When Disaster Strikes (1997), E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front (1998) and Anarchy (2000). The dreadlocked rapper differentiated himself from the pack with his breakneck rapping speed and prominent usage of Jamaican slang, often blurring the line between rap and reggae. Some of his earliest hits include "Dangerous", "What's It Gonna Be!?", and "Turn It Up", all of which charted in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.

After departing from Elektra Smith signed to upstart label J Records (Wyclef Jean, Rhymefest), helmed by industry veteran Clive Davis. He went on to release two albums on J Records, 2001's Genesis and 2002's It Ain't Safe No More. Though the albums sold respectably and spawned a number of successful singles including "Break Your Neck", "Make It Clap", and "I Know What You Want", Rhymes departed from J Records in 2004, singing to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment.

Sensing his reggae-inspired sound was becoming stale, Rhymes began to adopt a melodic, somewhat humorous sound for his further releases, symbolically shaving off his dreadlocks upon the release of his most recent album The Big Bang (2006). The Big Bang - his most successful album since E.L.E. - spawned a whopping seven singles, including "Touch It", "I Love My Chick", and "New York Shit". After touring extensively in support of the album throughout 2007, Rhymes plans to release an eighth album titled I'm Blessed in 2008, with the lead singles confirmed to be "Watch Ya Mouth" and "Don't Touch Me (Throw Da Water On 'Em)".

From Discogs:

Born May 20, 1972 in East Flatbush, Brooklyn.

From Lastfm:

Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972 in Brooklyn, New York), better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper and actor signed to Universal Motown. He began his rap career in the group Leaders of the New School, and according to Songfacts had his breakout moment when they featured on A Tribe Called Quest's hit, Scenario. Busta then released his debut album, The Coming, in 1996. He has since released 1997's When Disaster Strikes, 1998's E.L.E.

Read more about Busta Rhymes on Last.fm.

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From Wikipedia:

Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., (born May 20, 1972), better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes. Early in his career, he was known for his wild style and fashion, and today is best known for his intricate rapping technique, which involves rapping at a fast rate with lots of internal rhyme and half rhyme, and to date has received eleven Grammy nominations for his musical work. About.com included him on its list of the 50 Greatest MCs of Our Time (1987-2007), while Steve Huey of Allmusic called him one of the best and most prolific rappers of the 1990s. In 2012, The Source placed him on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time. MTV has called him "one of hip-hop's greatest visual artists." He was both a member of Leaders of the New School and a founding member of the label and group Flipmode AKA the Conglomerate.

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