Busta Rhymes: "His Death Stopped My Career!" Busta Rhymes Finally Opens Up About His Grief, Nearly Dying & How He Turned His Life Around!
Nov 27, 2023
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In this revealing conversation, Busta Rhymes, a legendary rapper known for his dynamic style and impactful lyrics, opens up about his tumultuous journey. He candidly shares how growing up in a challenging environment shaped his identity. Busta recalls the struggles of his early career, facing rejection and familial pressures. His reflections on grief from losing his manager and the near-death experiences that changed his perspective on life are particularly poignant. Ultimately, he emphasizes the importance of resilience and the drive to succeed against all odds.
Busta Rhymes attributes his success to the strong foundation instilled by his parents and the sense of community in his upbringing
Busta Rhymes accidentally discovered his talent as an MC at a young age, which propelled his rap career
The passing of his manager in 2012 had a profound impact on Busta Rhymes, forcing him to navigate his career without guidance and reflect on the sacrifices he made for his music
Deep dives
The Early Influence of Family and Community
Busta Rhymes reflects on his upbringing in Brooklyn and the strong influence of his parents and community. He emphasizes the importance of respect, discipline, and integrity instilled by his parents and highlights the sense of community where neighbors played a role in parenting and holding children accountable. This upbringing laid a solid foundation for his later success.
Finding His Passion and Rise in Hip-Hop
Busta Rhymes recounts the moment at 12 years old when he inadvertently became an MC. After being disrespected in a rap cypher, he challenged himself to return the next day and deliver his own rap, which ended up earning him respect and launching his rap career. He shares his journey from breakdancing and beatboxing to pursuing hip-hop and becoming one of the top MCs in the industry.
Challenges, Sacrifices, and Grief
The passing of his manager and friend, Chris, in 2012 had a profound impact on Busta Rhymes. He describes the grief and the challenges he faced in managing his career without Chris. Busta reflects on the sacrifices he made for his music, including missing important moments in his children's lives. He acknowledges the guilt associated with those sacrifices and the need to strike a balance between pursuing his passion and being present for his loved ones.
Finding Passion in Dance and Hip Hop
The podcast episode explores the speaker's childhood experiences of performing Michael Jackson and James Brown dance routines for their family and friends. The speaker explains how these performances sparked a desire to seek attention and develop talents in hip hop, such as break dancing and graffiti art. They discuss the allure of hip hop culture and its ability to create a sense of celebrity and significance. The speaker emphasizes the importance of finding a passion and chasing the feeling it brings, even if the specific career path is not yet clear.
Overcoming Struggles and Finding Purpose
The podcast delves into the speaker's personal journey of addiction, grief, and self-destructive behavior. They share their experience of hitting rock bottom, including excessive drinking, weight gain, and sleep apnea. The speaker describes the wake-up call they received from their son, which motivated them to make a change. They discuss the process of reclaiming their health and finding a support system through bodybuilding and mentorship. The speaker emphasizes the importance of pursuing what one loves, mastering their craft, and the impact of staying true to oneself.
If you enjoy hearing about inside the music industry and its artists, I recommend you check out my conversation with will.i.am, which you can find here:
From Trevor to Busta, love of the rap game to global success, and rock bottom to rebirth. This is Busta Rhymes as you’ve never heard him.
Trevor George Smith Jr. or ‘Busta Rhymes’, first reached fame with the hip-hop group, ‘Leaders of the New School’, and began his solo rap career in 1996, since then has released 11 studio albums and received 12 Grammy Award nominations for his work.
In this conversation Busta and Steven discuss topics, such as:
Growing up in the hood
Starting out in music
Becoming an MC by accident
Using rap as a way out of work
Becoming addicted to entertaining and the reaction of people to his raps
Rapping to protect himself
Selling crack at 12 years old
Failure not being an option for his father
His father standing in the way of his musical career
Getting booed off stage early in his career
His mother signing his record deal at 17 years old
What lessons he would tell his kids to reach success
Why you need to be selfish to reach success
His manger dying in 2012
How his manager taught him ever he knew
His emotional down turn
How his whole life was going in a totally different direction