BUSTA RHYMES

Born: Trevor Smith Junior; Brooklyn, New York, 20 May 1972

Genre: Rap

Best-selling album since 1990: Extinction Level Event (Elektra, 1998)

Hit songs since 1990: "Woo Hah!," "What's It Gonna Be?" (featuring Janet Jackson), "Pass the Courvosier" (with P. Diddy)

Busta Rhymes is notable for his energy and his quirky, superanimated rapping. He is one of hip-hop's most dependable artists, with each of his albums receiving considerable commercial attention.

Trevor Smith Jr. was born to a family of Jamaican roots in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, a multicultural community. The Smiths moved to Long Island, New York, where young Busta Rhymes met a fellow lyricist, Charlie Brown. They formed a group called Leaders of the New School. The ensemble was considered part of hip-hop's Native Tongues subgenre, an earthy bohemian movement popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The band was discovered by the rap supergroup Public Enemy, who agreed to nurture the act after seeing them perform at a talent show. Leaders of the New School expanded to include the rap artists Dinco D. and Cut Monitor Milo, and recorded songs at Public Enemy's studio. They secured a deal with Elektra Records and released their debut album, A Future without a Past . . . . (1991). The album spawned the bouncy hits "Case of the P.T.A." and "Sobb Story," and critics and a cult following of fans hailed them as a refreshing, vital force within the Native Tongues scene. Nevertheless, that album failed to make a dent with consumers.

Although his group's commercial viability was in question, Busta Rhymes was emerging as a superstar. His wild, upward-combed hair and tall, lanky frame created a memorable image. Busta Rhymes's breakout moment occurred
on the song "Scenario" (1991), by A Tribe Called Quest. The song also features Charlie Brown and Dinco D., but it is Busta's closing verse that attracted the fans. Here he debuts his sound-effect style of rapping, somewhere between rhyming and beat boxing, which became his signature. His frenetic flow, coupled with vigorously enacted lyrics like "rroaw rroaw like a dungeon dragon," have made him a unique voice in hip-hop.

Busta Rhymes's rising star did little to save his group's follow-up effort, T.I.M.E. (1993), from obscurity. The group disbanded, and Busta Rhymes embarked on a solo career marked by a flamboyant image. His hair was a fountain of dreadlocks and he dressed in loud, cartoonish costumes. Thanks to another magnetic cameo appearance, this time on the 1995 remix of Craig Mack's "Flava in Ya Ear," Busta Rhymes experienced a resurgence with diehard rap fans. He collaborated with the video director Hype Williams, whose bold treatments emphasized Busta Rhymes's colorful, attention-grabbing style. Busta Rhymes's first solo single, "Woo-Hah," and first solo album, The Coming (1996), were platinum smashes.

Busta Rhymes developed his partnership with Hype Williams, making videos as fast-paced and frenzied as his delivery and beats. Their clips were hip-hop's most inventive. The video "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See" received three MTV Video Music Award nominations. The song, from the album When Disaster Strikes (1997), is built on a tribal beat and a clever rhyme sequence, in which the first lines all end with the slang term "yo."

Each of Busta Rhymes's solo albums went platinum, and he recorded a dizzying array of songs with other artists. His biggest collaboration, "What's It Gonna Be?!," with Janet Jackson, is another highlight. The song sold more than 1 million copies, and the high-tech video cost more than $2 million to produce. The album behind it, Extinction Level Event (Elektra, 1998) also includes a duet with Ozzy Osbourne, endearing Busta Rhymes to new rock audiences. His slot on Puff Daddy's 1998 No Way Out arena tour showcased his expressive performing style.

Along with selling records, Busta Rhymes found steady work as a film actor. His first significant role was in the John Singleton movie Higher Learning (1995). He also appeared in Shaft 2000, Finding Forrester (2002) and Halloween: Resurrection (2002). Busta Rhymes started another group, Flipmode Squad, of which he is the lead member, and a record label of the same name.

In 2001 Busta Rhymes severed his long relationship with Elektra and signed to the newly formed J-Records, headed by the music industry legend Clive Davis. His first J-Records release, Genesis (2001), seemed to lag in sales in its first months of release, but thanks to a club remix of the marketing mantra "Pass the Courvosier," featuring P. Diddy, it joined his other albums in the platinum club. His second J-Records album, It Ain't Safe No More (2002), boasts a dancehall-tinged single "Make It Clap" and the smooth "I Know What You Want" with Mariah Carey and the Flipmode Squad.

Unlike artists who need to reinvent themselves over time, Busta Rhymes maintains a formula that remains constant and relevant to his fans. Futuristic and frenetic, his dynamic rapping style pulses with a vitality seldom matched by his peers.

SELECTIVE DISCOGRAPHY:

The Coming (Elektra, 1996); When Disaster Strikes (Elektra, 1997); Extinction Level Event (Elektra, 1998); Anarchy (Elektra, 2000); Genesis (J-Records, 2001); It Ain't Safe No More (J-Records, 2002). With Leaders of the New School: A Future without a Past . . . . (Elektra, 1991); T.I.M.E. (Elektra, 1993).

dara cook