Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes performing in 2022
Born	Trevor George Smith Jr. (1972-05-20) May 20, 1972 (age 53)[1] New York City, U.S.
Other names	Trevor Taheim Smith
Education	Uniondale High School
Occupations	Rapper singer songwriter record producer actor music executive businessman
Years active	1986–present[2]
Works	Discography production
Children	6
Relatives	Rampage (cousin)
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Origin	Hempstead, New York, U.S.
Genres	East Coast hip-hop[3] progressive rap[4]
Instruments	Vocals samplers drums
Labels	Empire Conglomerate Epic Violator Republic Cash Money Young Money Universal Motown Interscope Aftermath J Elektra
Member of	Flipmode Squad
Formerly of	Leaders of the New School
Website	bustarhymesuniverse.com
Musical artist
Signature

Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes. He has received 12 Grammy Award nominations, making him one of the most-nominated artists without a win. Billboard and Vibe ranked him among the 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, while Forbes listed him among the greatest rappers on their list of the "50 Top Rappers of All Time".^[5][6]

Busta Rhymes was an original member of Leaders of the New School, a group that attracted national attention while opening on tour for Public Enemy.^[7] He gained further exposure for their guest appearance on A Tribe Called Quest's "Scenario". Shortly after, Leaders of the New School disbanded, leading Rhymes to become a sought-after solo artist, appearing on numerous tracks for other artists before his debut solo album, The Coming (1996). Critically acclaimed, the album debuted within the top ten of the Billboard 200, received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and was nominated for a Grammy Award.

He has released eleven total solo albums, with the most recent being Blockbusta (2023). His most notable singles include "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check", "It's a Party", "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See", "Dangerous", "Turn It Up" (Remix)/"Fire It Up", "Gimme Some More", "What's It Gonna Be?!", "Pass the Courvoisier, Part II", "I Know What You Want" and "Touch It". He has guest appeared on the hit songs "Don't Cha" by The Pussycat Dolls and "Look at Me Now" by Chris Brown. In addition to his music career, he founded the record label Conglomerate (formerly Flipmode Entertainment) and its namesake hip hop collective (formerly known as Flipmode Squad).