Line #17 Music/BustaRhymes


1	[[quoteright:329:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/BustaRhymes2_7343.jpg]]
2	Busta Rhymes (real name: Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., born May 20, 1972) is an American rapper. He is known for his [[SignatureStyle distinctive style]] that combines [[MotorMouth rapid-fire delivery]] with a Reggae-influenced flow, gonzo humour and LargeHam tendencies.
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4	Named after Vikings wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes by [[Music/PublicEnemy Chuck D]], Busta was born in the East Flatbush area of Brooklyn, New York to Jamaican parents. He was part of rap crew Leaders of the New School while still in high school; he first entered the hip-hop mainstream by appearing on Music/ATribeCalledQuest's [[AllStarCast posse track]] "Scenario" from ''Music/TheLowEndTheory'' (known these days as the verse that inspired Music/NickiMinaj's "dungeon dragon" hook).
5	----
6	!!Discography:
7	[[AC:With Leaders of The New School:]]
8	* ''A Future Without A Past'' (1991)
9	* ''T.I.M.E.'' (1993)
10
11	[[AC:Solo Albums:]]
12	* ''The Coming'' (1996)
13	* ''When Disaster Strikes...'' (1997)
14	* ''E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front'' (1998)
15	* ''Anarchy'' (2000)
16	* ''Genesis'' (2001)
17	* ''It Ain't Safe No More...'' (2002)
18	* ''The Big Bang'' (2006)
19	* ''Back on My B.S.'' (2009)
20	* ''Year of the Dragon'' (2012)
21	* ''Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God'' (2020)
22	* ''The Fuse is Lit'' (2022)
23	* ''BLOCKBUSTA'' (2023)
24	[[AC:Mixtapes:]]
25	* ''Surrender'' (2004)
26	* ''The Countdown to The Big Bang'' (2006)
27	* ''I Bullshit You Not'' (2009)
28	* ''Catastrophic'' (2012)
29	* ''The Abstract and The Dragon'' (2013, with [[Music/ATribeCalledQuest Q-Tip]])
30	* ''Catastrophic 2'' (2014)
31	* ''The Return of the Dragon (The Abstract Went on Vacation)'' (2015)
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33	----
34	!!Woo-Hah!! Got these tropes in check:
35	* AttentionWhore: Was considered this by fellow Leaders of the New School member, Charlie Brown, which eventually led to the group's disbandment.
36	* BearsAreBadNews: The skit at the end of "Do The Bus A Bus" on the ''Extinction Level Event: The Final World Front'' features a scout master who refuses to play Busta Rhymes for the scouts. He doesn't notice the grizzly bear sneaking up behind him until it's too late, despite warnings from the scouts.
37	* BoastfulRap: A lot.
38	* ConceptVideo: "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See" is based on the first part of ''Film/ComingToAmerica'', while "Dangerous" is based off ''Film/LethalWeapon''(and a bit from ''Film/TheLastDragon''). Part of "Pass the Courvosier" takes a scene from ''Film/RushHour2''.
39	* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: His albums ''When Disaster Strikes'' and ''Extinction Level Event: The Final World Front'' (and its 2020 sequel) deal with apocalyptic themes.
40	* FreestyleVersion: He does freestyle versions a lot, for instance over such songs as Music/KendrickLamar's "Backseat Freestyle" and "Poetic Justice" and Drake's "Best You Ever Had".
41	* GlamRap:
42	** Busta's later albums (usually starting after ''Anarchy'') have sometimes been criticised for abandoning his apocalyptic themes and surreal humour and moving more towards this direction. (Compare "Arab Money" to "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See", for instance.)
43	** The video for "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAYXRtNxsGA Pass the Courviosier]]". Between the GorgeousPeriodDress, [[CoolCar awesome 30's cars]], and sweet hats, [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools a lot of fun is had with this trope]].
44	* HairTriggerTemper: TMZ covered this aspect of him twice, once with him in a rage against a gym owner, then one where he nearly got into a fight with a fan.
45	* HeterosexualLifePartners: With producer Swizz Beatz and his own hype man Spliff Starr.
46	* ImportantHaircut: Famously chopped off his iconic dreadlocks in 2005, rocking the short Caesar haircut ever since (pictured above). Thought he did try to restart his dread journey several years later, it was short-lived.
47	* LargeHam: Busta Rhymes is one of rap's shining beacons of ham-ness. Even when simply doing a laid back interlude on someone else's album, his instincts will inevitably take over; as evidenced by his appearance on Music/MaryJBlige's "Intro Talk", where he goes into ham mode ''twice'', despite trying to remain calm:
48	---> ''"So just chill, and like, check it out... cause I’m gonna go wild\
49	And do it like this, and like that\
50	I flip on the rhymes, show indeed that Busta Rhymes be'' '''''wildin!'''''" ''(EvilLaugh)''
51	* MidVidSkit: The "Dangerous" video, a WholePlotReference to ''Film/LethalWeapon'', takes a break after the second verse so Busta can do his impression of [[Film/TheLastDragon Sho'Nuff, the Shogun of Harlem]]. Then Riggs(also played by Busta) fights with Sho'Nuff during the chorus.
52	* MotorMouth: For a recent example with radio airplay, check his verse on Music/ChrisBrown's "Look at Me Now". His fastest rhyming is on ''E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event)'', specifically his collaboration with Mystikal, "Iz They Wildin Wit Us & Gettin' Rowdy Wit Us?"
53	* OdeToIntoxication "Get High Tonight", Busta's love letter to smoking weed.
54	* OverlyLongGag: The intro to ''Extinction Level Event'', "There's Only One Year Left!!! (Intro)", has a long monologue wherein Busta recounts what will happen after TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt in increasingly comical detail (and in a voice that gradually becomes an evil growl).
55	* RapRock: "This Means War!!!"--which samples Music/BlackSabbath's "Iron Man"--and "We Made It" with Music/LinkinPark.
56	* {{Sampling}}: "Touch It" famously sampled "Technologic" by Music/DaftPunk.
57	** The chorus of "Dangerous" samples the first four lyrics from "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xayd1c0wtOE We're Not Candy]]", a [[TheEighties 1983]] Long Island Regional Poison Control Council PublicServiceAnnouncement warning children that [[DrugsAreBad pills are not candy]].
58	** "Gimme Some More" samples part of the soundtrack from the original 1960 version of ''Film/{{Psycho}}''.
59	** "Woo-Hah! Got You all in Check" samples Galt [=MacDermot=]'s "Space". And you know this because the album precedes the track with nearly half the piece.
60	* ShoutOut: During the intro of "Break Ya Neck", Busta raps "[[Music/RedHotChiliPeppers Give it away, give it away, give it away now]]".
61	* SpotlightStealingSquad: Him stepping into the spotlight and gaining more exposure than his bandmates are the primary reasons why his group Leaders Of the New School broke up in the 90s.
62	* StopAndGo: Once per verse on "Break Ya Neck", the music comes to a complete stop for exactly one bar before coming back in again.
63	* SuddenlyShouting: His infamous track "Touch It" is built around this premise. He'd do four bars in a relatively low tone, then (TURN IT UP!), suddenly he's practically yelling his lines in your ear before switching back...and on and on it went. Taken up to eleven with the remix with basically EVERYONE on it.
64	* {{Supergroup}}: A member of the influential [[Music/DeLaSoul Native]] [[Music/ATribeCalledQuest Tongues]] collective, alongside his former LONS bandmates, though they're considered fringe/peripheral members by the core members.
65	* SurrealMusicVideo: "Gimme Some More" is gangsta-centric take on old 1930s-1940s cartoons with lots of FishEyeLens, weird costume and background designs, and even visible freeze-frames at the end of each shot of Busta to add to the clusterfuck.
66	* StuffyOldSongsAboutTheButtocks: “Light Your Ass On Fire” (his collaboration with Music/PharrellWilliams, who coproduced the track with Chad Hugo as The Neptunes). Unsurprisingly, he goes up to eleven with the similes and comparisons, even dropping in a reference to [[Series/GoodTimes Willona and Thelma]].
67	* VocalDissonance: At least back then, where his gruff vocals were an anomaly to his rail-thin physique. Nowadays, he's got the body to match his vocals.
68	* WholePlotReference: The "Dangerous" video is this to ''Film/LethalWeapon''.

Context Music / BustaRhymes