Busta Rhymes
By All Music Guide
By All Music Guide
Born in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, in 1972 of Jamaican heritage (a definite influence on his rapping style), Busta moved to Long Island in 1983 and, at Uniondale High School, met up with MCs Charlie Brown, Dinco D., and Cut Monitor Milo. Inspired by fellow Long Islanders Public Enemy and Eric B. & Rakim, the foursome united as Leaders of the New School and signed a deal with Elektra Records right out of the gate, when Busta was only 17 years old. Much respected in the hip-hop underground for their Afrocentric philosophy and tough rapping styles, Leaders of the New School debuted in 1991 with Future Without a Past... but released only one more album, 1993s T.I.M.E., before breaking up the following year.
Out on his own for the first time, Busta called on some friends, appearing on A Tribe Called Quests Scenario, the incredible remix of Craig Macks Flava in Ya Ear (also featuring Notorious B.I.G. and LL Cool J), as well as other projects with Boyz II Men, Mary J. Blige, and TLC. He also appeared in the 1995 John Singleton film #Higher Learning and earned a solo contract with Elektra. Bustas first album, The Coming, proved a huge hit; the single Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check hit the Top Ten and pushed the album into gold-record territory. His second album, When Disaster Strikes, debuted at number three in September 1997. Extinction Level Event followed a year later, and in mid-2000, Busta released Anarchy while appearing on the silver screen in a remake of the blaxploitation classic #Shaft. 2002s It Aint Safe No More and 2006s Aftermath-released The Big Bang followed. While shooting a video for a remix of the latter albums Touch It, Bustas bodyguard was shot to death.
