On this day in Hip-Hop history, we celebrate the birth of one of the genre’s most electrifying and larger-than-life figures. Born on May 20, 1972, in Brooklyn, New York, Busta Rhymes has long stood as a towering presence in the culture—visually, sonically, and lyrically.
A 11-time Grammy nominee and the unapologetically animated leader of the Flipmode Squad, Busta has often flown under the radar regarding receiving his full due. While accolades speak for themselves, his foundational impact on New York’s Hip Hop scene and his fingerprints on the genre’s early push into the mainstream can’t be overstated—if you know where to look.
Busta’s career took flight with Leaders of the New School, the rambunctious Long Island collective he co-founded with Charlie Brown, Dinco D, and Cut Monitor Milo. The group made noise in the early ’90s, gaining national exposure while opening for Public Enemy. PE frontman Chuck D christened him “Busta Rhymes,” borrowing the name from former NFL wide receiver George “Buster” Rhymes.
During his time with Leaders of the New School, Busta’s explosive delivery and outsize charisma quickly set him apart. The group released two albums—A Future Without a Past… and T.I.M.E.—before Busta’s star power led him toward solo superstardom.
Even before going solo, his dynamic presence landed him guest spots on landmark tracks with heavyweights like Big Daddy Kane, The Notorious B.I.G., A Tribe Called Quest, TLC, and KRS-One. His unmatched energy also translated to the screen, with early acting roles in Strapped and Higher Learning showcasing his versatility before his debut solo album ever dropped.
In 1995, Busta Rhymes released his debut solo LP The Coming, hailed as a masterpiece of Hip Hop featuring his smash hit single “Woo Hah!”, his first solo single. The commercial successes of this album allowed Busta Rhymes to finally get the respect he deserved (and for the most part already had in the artist community) as a solo artist. Busta’s follow up albums When Disaster Strikes and Extinction Level Event (Final World Front) were just as successful as the first.
Through the 2000s, Busta continued to be a powerhouse. With the release of his greatest hits album Total Devastation: The Best of Busta Rhymes and new original album Genesis, Busta was once again among the top of the charts with this smash hit, “Pass the Courvoisier Part II,” featuring Pharrell and P. Diddy. Throughout the early 2000s, Busta’s music could be heard in clubs across the globe, and his influence on the culture could be seen, heard, and felt.
His seventh studio album, The Big Bang, was precisely what the title describes, as it was his first #1 album on the Billboard 200 chart. Selling 209,000 copies in the first week alone, this LP showed that time was not a factor in Busta’s popularity and appeal and that his high-energy style could remain on top regardless of how the game changed around it. This album spawned what is probably Busta Rhymes’ most famous song, “Touch It,” whose remixes skyrocketed Busta to the top of every radio chart regarding airplay.
In the 2010s however, Busta has yet to reach the same level of success as he did in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s but has been able to remain on tour and is still leaving his mark on the industry. In 2012, he was part of the Grammy-nominated single “Look At Now” which was a summertime hit, again proving that no matter the decade, Busta Rhymes can still turn the party up.
From everyone here at the Source Magazine, happy birthday, Busta. Thank you so much for what you have done for Hip-Hop, and may you see many more golden years of success.