In 2005, Trevor Smith, better known as Busta Rhymes, stood facing a mirror in a New York City barbershop. He was cutting his signature dreadlocks to signify his new deal with Interscope Records and a new direction for his music. Between each strand cut, Smith marveled at the transformation of the man in the mirror, looking half terrified, half excited as he explained to those operating the cameras that he had begun growing his hair when he was just 17. But like the biblical hero Samson, with every lock of hair that hit the floor, Busta unknowingly lost strength and creativity, once an exceptionally original artist, Busta now stood rubbing his newly shaved head, staring at himself in the mirror.
Rhymes was once a pinnacle of golden-era hip-hop. His lethal tongue guided listeners through record after neck-bending record accompanied by the production of some of hip-hop’s greatest producers, including his good friend J. Dilla. Busta’s fast-paced lyrical style alongside his ever changing and ranging content made him one of the most versatile rappers to ever hit the scene.
As an original member of the Leaders of the New School crew, Busta’s talent has put him on records with members of the influential and highly respected Native Tongues crew, including collaborations with De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest. However, his undeniable talent was easily noticed by the public as well as his fellow New School group mates. An infamous interview on “Yo! MTV Raps†shows Busta and his group mates arguing over Busta’s show stealing antics and rightfully so, as Busta’s infectious energy almost always surpassed that of his cronies. Eventually the group split up after the release of their 1993 album “T.I.M.E.†Dinco and Charlie had little success with their respective solo careers while Busta’s popularity continued to rise.
Between 1996 and 2000, Busta, who was signed to Elektra Records, released four classic records worthy of rewinds and multiple spins in all tape decks and CD players. In 2001 and 2002, Busta released two albums signed to J Records, an imprint of Arista Records. “Genesis†and “It Ain’t Safe No More†showed Busta as a more commercialized artist, spawning club hits and MTV-worthy videos from each album; however, he still tried to remain true to his roots as an older head, still working with Pete Rock, Dilla and DJ Scratch.
Fast track to 2009, Busta Rhymes still stands dreadless after the lackluster release of his Interscope debut, “The Big Bang.†On the horizon is his second Interscope release, the constantly renamed “B. O. M. B. (Back On My Bullshit),†which plans for a March release. The flagship single is “Arab Money,†a controversial track that was described by the folks at The Smoking Section as “auto-tuned racism†because of the songs hook in which auto-tune is used over poorly pronounced gibberish attempting to be passed for Arabic. With a flop like this at the forefront of his album, “B.O.M.B.†only seems to follow the same formula Busta’s been on since “Genesis,†– club bangers accompanied by a few conscious joints, sprinkled with one or two “what happened to hip-hop?†tracks. Busta lost his edge with his dreadlocks; a once-fierce presence on the microphone and on stage has been reduced to another industry rapper looking to keep his face on MTV for just one more year.
Landon Antonetti is a journalism junior, and production manager for WRFL.
Landon Antonetti is the most beautiful man on campus, even without dreadlocks.