Busta Rhymes (Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr.) was born on May 20, 1972 is an American hip hop musician and actor.

Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the name Busta Rhymes (from former NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes) after watching him perform. He is also a follower of the Five Percent Nation. Busta Rhymes was a member of Leaders of the New School and released two albums with the group before breaking out with a 1996 solo hit single, "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check."

Smith was born in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, and is of Jamaican heritage. When he was 12, his family moved to Uniondale, New York, a suburb of New York City on Long Island, where he was raised and eventually met up with other artists from the growing area hip hop community, including rappers Jay-Z and The Notorious B.I.G.

Smith's debut solo album, The Coming, was released by Elektra Records in 1996. The album was a mix of reggae and hip hop, and it included the United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) top 10 single "Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check." His follow-up, When Disaster Strikes was successful in the US and sold well overseas.

In 1998, Smith recorded Extinction Level Event (Final World Front), the theme of which was an assertion that the world would end in the year 2000. Its single, "Gimme Some More" – which sampled Bernard Herrmann's theme from Psycho – reached number 5 in the UK singles chart in January 1999.

After leaving Elektra, Smith signed to J Records, a new label started by recently ousted Arista Records chief and founder Clive Davis. In 2001 he released a greatest hits record alongside a new album of original work. Continuing the Biblical theme of his previous albums, he titled his record Genesis.

In 2002, Smith released his sixth studio album It Ain't Safe No More. The album was moderately successful, with a hit song featuring Mariah Carey and the Flipmode Squad called "I Know What You Want." After its release, he left J Records. In 2004, he signed with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment.