Slick Rick
Slick Rick performing at the 2009 Fresh Fest concert in Los Angeles, California
Background information
Birth name	Richard Walters
Born	(1965-01-14) 14 January 1965 (age 47) London, England
Origin	The Bronx, New York City
Genres	Hip hop
Occupations	Rapper, record producer
Years active	1982–present
Labels	Def Jam, Columbia, CBS Records, PolyGram, Universal
Associated acts	Doug E. Fresh, Nas, Prince Paul, Dana Dane

Richard Walters (born January 14, 1965), better known by his stage name Slick Rick, is a Grammy-nominated British American rapper. He has also been known as MC Ricky D and Rick the Ruler. He began his career in late 1983, in the hip hop genre, where he recorded a series of acclaimed recordings such as "La Di Da Di" and "Children's Story". Walters is best known for his storytelling innovations in this genre. His music has been frequently sampled and interpolated by other artists such as TLC, Black Star, The Notorious B.I.G. and Snoop Dogg, with many of these songs later becoming hit singles. Slick Rick rose to stardom in an era known to fans as the Golden age of hip hop.

Career[link]

Born and brought up in the south-west London suburb of Wimbledon, Walters later moved with his British Jamaican family to The Bronx in 1977 where he met Dana Dane with whom he later formed a hip hop duo known as the Kangol Crew. Walters received his characteristic eye patch after being blinded in the right eye by broken glass as an infant.^[1] Once he gained a degree of wealth, Walters earned a reputation for wearing the eye patch over his right eye, and a significant amount of gold and diamond jewelry.

He first gained success in the rap industry by joining Doug E. Fresh's Get Fresh Crew, using the stage name MC Ricky D. He was featured on the single "The Show" and its popular B-side "La Di Da Di". "La Di Da Di" featured Walters' rapping over Doug E. Fresh's beatbox. Both tracks gained some mainstream attention. In 1988 Walters' solo debut The Great Adventures of Slick Rick came out on Def Jam Records. The album was very successful, reaching the #1 spot on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop chart. It also featured three charting singles: "Children's Story", "Hey Young World", and "Teenage Love". These are now some of Walters' best known songs.

In 1990, Walters shot a bystander and his cousin whom he had hired as a bodyguard and who later admitted to having Walters shot outside a club. Walters was indicted on two counts of attempted murder and pled guilty to all charges, which included assault, use of a firearm, and criminal possession of a weapon. He spent five years in prison, two for the second degree attempted murder charges he received for the shooting, and three for his struggle with the Immigration and Naturalization Services over his residency in the US. He was bailed out by Russell Simmons, head of Def Jam Records. After being bailed out Walters recorded his second album, The Ruler's Back. The album got mixed reviews and wasn't as commercially successful as his debut. In the documentary film, The Show, Russell Simmons interviews Walters while he was imprisoned on Rikers Island.^[2]

Walters' third studio album Behind Bars was released while he was still incarcerated. It was met with lukewarm sales and reviews. After being released from prison in 1996, Walters remained with the Def Jam label and on May 25, 1999, released a fourth album entitled The Art of Storytelling. Generally considered the authentic follow up to his 1988 debut, The Art of Storytelling was an artistically successful comeback album that paired him with prolific MCs like Nas, OutKast, Raekwon, and Snoop Dogg among others. On October 6, 2008, Rick was honoured on the VH1 Hip Hop Honors show.

"La Di Da Di", "Mona Lisa" and "Children's Story" are among Walters most well known songs, with "La Di Da Di" being covered nearly word-for-word by Snoop Dogg on his 1993 album Doggystyle. Lines from "La Di Da Di" were borrowed by other multiple high profile artists. "Children's Story" was sampled by Montell Jordan for his 1995 hit, "This Is How We Do It", and rapper Everlast covered the song for his album Eat at Whitey's. Rapper Eminem also borrowed from the song extensively in his diss track "Can-I-Bitch". "Children's Story" was covered with similar lyrics by the MC duo Black Star on their 1998 album Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star, as well as by Tricky on the album Nearly God. It was also paid tribute to by A Tribe Called Quest on their song "8 Million Stories". With a similar backing and very similar lyrics, rapper The Game also made a similar song which was named "Compton Story". "Compton Story" was on the Mixtape BWS Radio 5 made in 2008. The chorus of Notorious B.I.G.'s song "Hypnotize" is also derived from "La Di Da Di". The opening track on Jay Z's Blueprint albumn is also a cover of Slick Rick's "The Rulers Back" and borrows heavily from the original lyrics.

Slick Rick and the Soul Rebels Brass Band are scheduled to collaborate on June 21, 2012 in Washington DC at the historic Howard Theatre which re-opened in April 2012.^[3]

Slick Rick has been referenced in numerous songs:

• The Nicki Minaj song "Super Bass": "...slicker than the guy with the thing on his eye"
• The D12 video from their mixtape, Return of the Dozen Volume 2, where Bizarre raps in the track "Outro": "...patch on my eye, I'm the new Slick Rick".
• In the Keri Hilson song Knock You Down, Kanye West raps: "Hey young world, I'm the new Slick Rick/They say I move too quick..."
• In the Amy Winehouse song "Me and Mr Jones", Winehouse sings: "You made me miss the Slick Rick gig..."
• In the R.A. the Rugged Man song "Supa", R.A. raps: "...specifically wordplay Slick Ricky I'm slicker than Slick Ricky"
• In the Junior M.A.F.I.A. song "Player's Anthem" B.I.G. raps: "This type of s*** happens everyday!"
• In the Kanye West song "Touch the Sky" Kanye West raps: "Back when Slick Rick got the shit to pop, "
• In the MC Ren song "Same Old Shit" sampled Slick Rick: "This type of shit happens everyday!"
• In the CunninLynguists song "Old School" Deacon the Villain raps: "Before [...] Slick Rick had his rings"
• The Insane Clown Posse song "Fearless" features the lyrics: "...I'll sneak up to Slick Rick, and snatch off his eyepatch..."
• The Gorillaz, Andre 3000, & James Murphy song "DoYaThing" where Andre repeats: "...Is you really Slick Rick? No, you Dana Dane."

Rapping style[link]

Slick Rick’s style is commended by music critics. Music journalist Peter Shapiro says, “'Children's Story' was important because of its narrative structure and Rick’s understanding of how crucial little sonic details—such as his use of a female voice and his yawning rap—were to hip hop style.”^[4]

He is largely known for his story raps, such as ‘Children’s Story’ and ‘La Di Da Di'. Shapiro writes that he "largely introduced the art of narrative into hip hop… none of the spinners of picaresque rhymes who followed did it with the same grace or humor.”^[5] Allmusic states that he has the “reputation as hip hop's greatest storyteller.”^[6] In the book Check the Technique, Slick Rick says, “I was never the type to say freestyle raps, I usually tell a story, and to do that well I’ve always had to work things out beforehand.”^[7] Kool Moe Dee comments, “Slick Rick raised the lost art of hip hop storytelling to a level never seen again.”^[8] Devin the Dude notes that Slick Rick’s ‘Indian Girl’ is a good example of the type of humor that existed in hip hop’s golden era,^[9] and Peter Shapiro says that “he was funnier than Rudy Ray Moore or Red Foxx.”^[4]

Slick Rick uses very clear enunciation and raps with the “Queen’s English”.^[4] O.C. states: “The Great Adventures of Slick Rick is one of the greatest albums ever… the stuff he was just saying on there, it was so clear… the [clear] syllable dude was Slick Rick for me”.^[10] He is also renowned for his unique “smooth, British-tinged flow”^[7] which contains distinct structures. In the book How to Rap, it is noted that on the song ‘I Own America’, he “puts a rest on almost every other 1 beat so that each set of two lines begins with a rest.”^[11] Kool Moe Dee stated that, “Rick accomplished being totally original at a time when most MCs were using very similar cadences.”^[12] He has what is described as “singsong cadences”;^[6] Andy Cat of Ugly Duckling mentions that Slick Rick uses a melodic delivery on the track ‘Hey Young World’.^[13] Slick Rick is also known to extensively use punch ins, especially in his story rhymes as different characters;^[14] Kool Moe Dee says Rick used “multi-voices to portray multiple characters.”^[8]

Personal life[link]

Rumours suggested that Walters planned to release a new album, "The Adventure Continues," in 2007. However, in a recent XXL Magazine interview, he denied the claim.^[15] Rick is supposedly "waiting for a market to open up for a mature audience."

Legal issues[link]

After performing on a Caribbean cruise ship in June 2001, Walters was arrested by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) as he re-entered the United States through Florida. He was promptly told that he was being deported because he was a British citizen since he had been born in London and moved to the States as a child. Rick was continuously refused bail, but after 17 months in prison he was released on November 7, 2003.^[16][17] In October 2006, the Department of Homeland Security began a new attempt to deport Walters,^[18] moving the case from the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit based in New York to the more conservative Eleventh Circuit. The court is based in Atlanta, Georgia but the trial was expected to proceed in Florida, where immigration agents originally arrested Walters.

On May 23, 2008, New York Governor David Paterson granted Slick Rick a full and unconditional pardon on the attempted murder charges.^[19] The governor was pleased with his behavior since the mishap. Slick Rick has volunteered his time to mentor kids about violence.^[20]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• The Great Adventures of Slick Rick
  • Released: November 3, 1988
  • Billboard 200 chart position: #31
  • R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #1
  • Last RIAA Certification: Platinum^[21]
  • Singles: "Teenage Love", "Children's Story" & "Hey Young World"

• The Ruler's Back
  • Released: July 2, 1991
  • Billboard 200 chart position: #29
  • R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #18
  • Last RIAA Certification: None
  • Singles: " A Woman in Love With Other Men", "It's A Boy" & "I Shouldn't Have Done It"

• Behind Bars
  • Released: November 22, 1994
  • Billboard 200 chart position: #51
  • R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #11
  • Last RIAA Certification: None
  • Singles: "Behind Bars" & "Sittin' In My Car"

• The Art of Storytelling
  • Released: May 25, 1999
  • Billboard 200 chart position: #8
  • R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #1
  • Last RIAA Certification: Platinum^[21]
  • Singles: "Street Talkin'"

Singles[link]

Featured singles[link]

Appearances[link]

• 1986: "The Show (Oh My God! Remix)" (from the Doug E Fresh album Oh My God!)
• 1989: "If I'm Not Your Lover (12" remix from the Al B. Sure! album In Effect Mode)
• 1991: "Get Bizzy" (from the Greyson & Jaysun album Livin Like a Troopa)
• 1994: "Let's All Get Down" (from the Nice & Smooth album Jewel of the Nile)
• 1994: "Move On..." (from the compilation The Show (Original Soundtrack))
• 1996: I Like (From the Montell Jordan album More)
• 1996: "Got To Give It Up" (from the Aaliyah album One in a Million)
• 1997: "Just Another Case" (from the CRU album Da Dirty 30)
• 1998: "Fresh" (from the Jermaine Dupri album Life In 1472)
• 1998: "Faces Of Def" (bonus track on Jayo Felony's Whatcha Gonna Do)
• 1998: "Unify" (from the Kid Capri album Soundtrack to the Streets)
• 1998: "Pimpin' Ain't Easy" (from WWF Aggression with Ice-T & Charles Wright)
• 1999: "If We Give You A Chance" (from the Warren G album I Want It All)
• 1999: "Your Moms House"
• 1999: "Night Riders" (from the Rahzel album Make The Music 2000)
• 1999: "So Fresh" (from the Will Smith album Willennium)
• 1999: "Don't Come My Way" (from the Whiteboys soundtrack with Common)
• 1999: "Da Art of Storytellin' (Pt. 1)" (from the OutKast album Aquemini)
• 2000: "Why Not" (from the Erick Sermon album Def Squad Presents Erick Onasis)
• 2001: "What We Do (For Love)" (from the De La Soul album AOI: Bionix)
• 2001: "Pie" (from WWF The Music, Vol. 5 with The Rock)
• 2001: "Girls, Girls, Girls" (from the Jay-Z album The Blueprint)
• 2001: "Guidance Counselor"(from the Little-T And One Track Mike album Fome Is Dape)
• 2001: "Hey Young World, Part 2" (from the Macy Gray album The Id)
• 2002: "Women Lose Weight" (from the Morcheeba album Charango)
• 2004: "The Return (Remix)" (from the Jay-Z/R. Kelly album Unfinished Business)
• 2005: Performs live for Vox Entertainment @ Club Strata NYC
• 2005: "The Sun" (from the Ghostface Killah album Put It on the Line)
• 2005: "Irresistible Delicious" (from the Missy Elliott album The Cookbook)
• 2006: "Vows" (from the Juggaknots album Use Your Confusion)
• 2007: "Hip Hop Police" (from the Chamillionaire album Ultimate Victory)
• 2008: "VH1 Hip Hop Honors" (Honoree)
• 2009: "Y.O.U." (from the Asher Roth album Asleep in the Bread Aisle - UK bonus track)
• 2009: "Auditorium" (from the Mos Def album The Ecstatic)
• 2009: "We Will Rob You" (from the Raekwon album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II)
• 2009: "Family Jewels" (from the Dynas album The Apartment)
• 2010: "Rock The Bells 2010" (from album The Great Adventures of Slick Rick)

Filmography[link]

• Backstage appearance on Jay-Z's Fade to Black DVD.
• Cameo in Ludacris's music video for the single, "Number One Spot".
• Cameo, wearing his excessive jewelry in the New York Shit music video (2:56) by Busta Rhymes featuring Swizz Beatz.
• Himself in the game Def Jam: Fight for NY.
• Drug kingpin in the 1999 movie Whiteboyz, co-starring fellow rappers Doug E. Fresh, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Fat Joe, Dead Prez and Mic Geronimo.
• Cameo in the film Brown Sugar, which starred Taye Diggs and Sanaa Lathan.
• Himself in the seminal Run DMC film Tougher Than Leather, performing the song "Treat Her Like a Prostitute".
• Interviewee in 1995 documentary The Show
• Opened Chris Rock's Apollo Theatre comedy Show Bigger & Blacker
• Featured in the 2011 film Rhyme and Punishment, which documented his time in prison.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Slick Rick on Myspace
• Slick Rick at the Internet Movie Database
• Slick Rick on Facebook

DJ Premier
Background information
Birth name	Christopher Edward Martin
Born	(1966-03-21) March 21, 1966 (age 46) Houston, Texas, United States
Origin	Houston, Texas, USA
Genres	Hip hop, East Coast Hip Hop
Occupations	Record producer, DJ
Instruments	Drum machine Keyboard Sampler Turntable
Years active	1984 – present
Labels	Wild Pitch/EMI (1987–1990) Chrysalis/EMI (1991–1998) Virgin/EMI (1998–2003) Year Round (2003–)
Associated acts	Gang Starr Foundation, M.O.P., Royce da 5'9", Christina Aguilera, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Nas, Kool G Rap, Blaq Poet, Apathy, Big L, Bun B, D.I.T.C., Game, Termanology, AZ, Buckshot LeFonque, Mobb Deep, Torae
Website	DJ Premier on Myspace

Christopher Edward Martin (born March 21, 1966),^[1] better known by his stage name DJ Premier (also known as Preem, Premo, or Primo for short), is an American record producer and DJ, and was the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Gang Starr, together with emcee Guru. Born in Houston and raised in Prairie View, Texas, he has lived in Brooklyn, New York, for much of his professional career. Rolling Stone identified Premier as arguably Hip-Hop's greatest producer of all time.^[2]

The Source named DJ Premier one of the five greatest producers in hip-hop history,^[3] while the editors of About.com ranked him #1 on their Top 50 Hip-Hop Producers list.^[4] He also made the "Finals" in the search for The Greatest Hip-Hop Producer of All Time by Vibe.^[5] He attended Prairie View A&M University.^[6]

Productions[link]

Premier is known for producing all of Gang Starr's songs as well as many of the Gang Starr Foundation's songs. His work also includes production for heavyweight rappers such as (alphabetic order) Apathy, Big L, Bun B, Canibus, D.I.T.C., Fat Joe, Game, Jay-Z, Kanye West, KRS-One, Lord Finesse, M.O.P., Mos Def, Nas, Rakim, Royce Da 5'9", The LOX, The Notorious B.I.G., Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, rock band Limp Bizkit, Big L, Big Daddy Kane, Ill Bill, Joell Ortiz, and pop/R&B singer Christina Aguilera, among many others.

Premier collaborated with MC Jeru the Damaja on the album The Sun Rises in the East, released in 1994, as well as the 1996 follow-up, Wrath of the Math.^[1] Also from the Gang Starr Foundation, Premier produced and supervised Group Home's Livin' Proof; although overlooked at the time of its 1995 release, the album has since come to find similar acclaim.^[1] Among others in that are closely tied to the Gang Starr Foundation who have worked with DJ Premier include Afu Ra, Bahamadia, Krumbsnatcha, Big Shug, Smiley the Ghetto Child, and NYGz. He recently produced the majority of Blaq Poet's Tha Blaqprint in 2009 and will produce the entirety of NYGz debut album.

Style and influences[link]

DJ Premier's style of production epitomizes the New York sound of his earlier peers. He is known for sampling jazz, funk, and soul artists, as well as sampling an artist's past work when creating a new track for that same artist. For example, on Jay-Z's "So Ghetto", from the 1999 album, Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter, Premier samples an older Jay-Z song, 1997's "Who You Wit II".^[7] In addition, his encyclopedic memory of hip-hop lyrics allows him to distinctively speak with his hands by scratching in lyrics from several different songs to construct new phrases.^[8] Premier's beats are known for his oft-imitated combinations of short vocal samples, often from multiple artists, to create a chorus. Premier has also experimented with atonal samples that are not confined to soul, jazz, and funk. For example, he sampled chopped up seminal electro-acoustic music from the 1960s on the track “Mental Stamina” by Jeru the Damaja.

In an interview with XXL Magazine, DJ Premier was asked how his sound evolved, to which he replied, "Marley Marl is my number one inspiration. Jam Master Jay, Mixmaster Ice and UTFO. Grandmaster D and Whodini. DJ Cheese, Grandmaster Flash, Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa. Jazzy Jay, even Cut Creator. Seeing them do what they do. It’s black music, it’s black culture, it comes from the ghetto. How can you not relate to ghetto people when that’s the rawest form of blackness? Even though it’s not a good place in regards to the economy and how bad people have it in the neighborhood, the realism’s there, and that’s what we were born out of. So I very much pay respect by doing the same type of music in return." DJ Premier attended Prairie View A & M University and may have been influenced by the musical atmosphere at the university.^[9]

Relationships with artists[link]

The early line-up of the Gang Starr Foundation in the mid-1990s included Jeru The Damaja, Group Home, Big Shug, and Gang Starr. DJ Premier was fully responsible for the production of Jeru the Damaja's first two albums, The Sun Rises in the East and Wrath of the Math. Jeru released three albums since then, with Premier having nothing to do with any of them.^[1]

As far as Group Home was concerned, Premier commented, "They don't respect what fed them," in a 2003 interview, going on to say that the only reason he produced a track on their second album was because Guru said he would rhyme on it.^[10]

Besides the Gang Starr Foundation, Premier is closely affiliated with M.O.P., which he names as one of his all-time favorite groups. The relationship started with the remix of “Rugged, Neva Smoove” in 1994, a single from the group's first album, which also included the exclusive B-side “Downtown Swinga.” From then, Premier produced about one-third of the songs on each subsequent album and overseeing and mixing the projects. On M.O.P.'s 2009 Foundation album, however, DJ Premier provided only one track, which was called "What I Wanna B."

Recent and future projects[link]

DJ Premier has his own record company named Year Round Records. Among its artists are New York group NYGz, New Jersey rapper Nick Javas, and Houston rapper Khaleel. Tha Blaqprint by Blaq Poet, which has thirteen Premier productions, was released by Year Round Records through Fat Beats Records. On December 7, Premier's label Year Round Records released a digital compilation album titled Get Used to Us. At the moment Year Round plans to release a debut album fully produced by DJ Premier with the NYGz tenatively called Hustla's Union: Local NYG along with a Nick Javas debut album named Destination Unknown. Khaleel, another label-mate of Year Round Records, is planned to release a debut album titled Already!.

DJ Premier hosts a weekly 2 hour show Live From HeadQCourterz on SIRIUS Satellite Radio's Hip-Hop Nation on Fridays.

DJ Premier was one of the artists followed in the 2012 documentary Re:GENERATION music project. The film followed his production of the song Regeneration using live performance of his work by the Berklee Symphony Orchestra [1]

In a recent interview, DJ Premier said he will produce a beat for Immortal Technique's upcoming album, titled The Middle Passage. He contributed a song on Game's last album The R.E.D. Album called "Born in the Trap." and a song on Bushido's last album Jenseits von Gut und Böse.^[6] In an interview in 2012, DJ Premier confirmed on Shade45 that he is working with Eminem on his upcoming album.

Discography[link]

• The Sun Rises in the East (with Jeru The Damaja) (1994)
• Livin' Proof (with Group Home) (1995)
• Wrath of the Math (with Jeru The Damaja) (1996)
• Beats That Collected Dust (2008)
• Tha Blaqprint (with Blaq Poet) (2009)
• DJ Premier Presents Get Used To Us (2010)
• Beats That Collected Dust Vol. 2 (2011)
• Premo Pimpin' EP (with Wais P) (2011)
• StOoDiOtYmE EP (with Bumpy Knuckles) (2012)
• The Kolexxxion (with Bumpy Knuckles) (2012)
• TBA (with Nas)
• TBA (with M.O.P.)
• Pete Rock v.s. Premier (with Pete Rock)
• Return Of The Boom Bip (with KRS-ONE)

References[link]

External links[link]

• DJ Premier on Twitter
• DJ Premier at Allmusic
• DJ Premier discography at Discogs
• Fansite/newsite about DJ Premier

Busta Rhymes
Background information
Birth name	Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr.
Born	(1972-05-20) May 20, 1972 (age 40)
Origin	Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop
Occupations	Rapper, actor
Years active	1989–present
Labels	Conglomerate, Cash Money
Associated acts	Leaders of the New School, A Tribe Called Quest, Flipmode Squad, Spliff Star, Dr. Dre, N.O.R.E., The Notorious B.I.G., Pharrell, Swizz Beatz, DMX, Mystikal, Wu-Tang Clan, M.O.P.,

Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., (born May 20, 1972),^[1] better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes. Early in his career, he was known for his wild style and fashion, and today is best known for his intricate rapping technique, which involves rapping at a fast rate with lots of internal rhyme and half rhyme, and to date has received eleven Grammy nominations for his musical work. About.com included him on its list of the 50 Greatest MCs of Our Time (1987–2007),^[2] while Steve Huey of Allmusic called him one of the best and most prolific rappers of the '90s.^[3]

Early life[link]

Busta was born in Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in Flatbush, Brooklyn, to Jamaican parents Geraldine Green and Trevor Smith, Sr. in 1972. Smith attended George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School, alongside Jay-Z, DMX and The Notorious B.I.G.^[4][5][6][7] He went to Uniondale High School on Long Island, graduating in 1990.

Music Career[link]

Leaders of the New School and rising popularity: 1990–1993[link]

Hip-hop crew Leaders of the New School began recording in 1989 and released their debut album A Future Without a Past... in 1991 on Elektra Records. In early 1992 the group appeared on A Tribe Called Quest's posse cut "Scenario," in which Busta's climactic verse propelled him into the cultural consciousness.^[8] In 1993, they released T.I.M.E. (The Inner Mind's Eye). Soon after, however, internal problems arose because of Busta's increasing popularity, and the group broke up on the set of Yo! MTV Raps.

After LONS broke up, Busta Rhymes began making guest appearances on several hip-hop and R&B artists singles such as R&B group Boyz II Men, he appeared on the track "Intro Talk" on Mary J. Blige's landmark debut album, What's the 411?, he also appeared on the album jacket of fellow hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest's Midnight Marauders, with a host of other fellow hip-hop pioneers. In 1993, he appeared in a cameo role in Yo! MTV Raps hosts Doctor Dré and Ed Lover's film, Who's the Man?, and in the HBO film, Strapped, and co-starred alongside Ice Cube and Omar Epps in the John Singleton film, Higher Learning (which was in post-production until it was released in 1995). The following year, he teamed up with Puff Daddy, LL Cool J, and future Flipmode Squad member, Rampage and former classmate The Notorious B.I.G., on a remix to Craig Mack's "Flava In Ya Ear", soon after he would team up again with The Notorious B.I.G. among a plethora of rappers such as Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and Coolio on the single, "The Points" which appeared on the soundtrack to the 1995 film, Panther.

[edit] The Coming and When Disaster Strikes: 1995–1997

In the summer of 1995, Busta Rhymes started work on his first album The Coming, and a month after recording the album, he released it in March of 1996. A month before the album was released, he broke out with a solo hit single, "Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check". Later, he started work on his second album, When Disaster Strikes, which would not be released until September 1997. It produced the hit singles "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See" and "Fire It Up".

[edit] Extinction Level Event (Final World Front): 1998–1999

In 1998, Busta recorded Extinction Level Event (Final World Front). Its lead single, "Gimme Some More" — which sampled Bernard Herrmann's theme from Psycho — reached number 6 in the UK singles chart in January 1999. Busta enjoyed further transatlantic success in April when the single "What's It Gonna Be?!", featuring Janet Jackson, reached the US and UK Top 11. The album received prominent notice for featuring the fastest rapping Busta has ever performed, particularly on a song called "Iz They Wildin Wit Us?", featuring a guest appearance by Mystikal.^[1]

J/Arista/BMG[link]

Busta Rhymes performing in 2006

Anarchy & Genesis (2000-2001)

In 2000, Busta recorded his final album for Elektra, entitled Anarchy. After Busta signed to J Records, a label started by the then recently ousted Arista Records chief and founder Clive Davis, he released a greatest hits collection^{[citation needed]} alongside a new album of original work. Continuing the Biblical theme of his previous albums, he titled his record Genesis. The album featured collaborations with Mary J. Blige, P. Diddy, Kelis, and others. Genesis was powered by the hit single with Kelis, "What It Is", and his solo single released in November 2001, "Break Ya Neck". The final single was the summer smash "Pass the Courvoisier, Part II", which featured Pharrell and P. Diddy. Despite the success of the two singles, this album did not sell as well as previous releases.

It Aint Safe No More (2002-2004)