Portrait of Busta Rhymes

Birthday profile

Busta Rhymes

Busta Rhymes, American rapper, producer, and actor

Born
May 20, 1972
Age in 2026
54
Zodiac sign
Taurus
Birth year
1972

About Busta Rhymes

Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He has received 12 Grammy Award nominations, making him one of the most-nominated artists without a win. Billboard and Vibe ranked him among the 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, while Forbes listed him among the greatest rappers on their list of the "50 Top Rappers of All Time". Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes. Rhymes was an original member of Leaders of the New School, a group that attracted national attention while opening on tour for Public Enemy. He gained further exposure for their guest appearance on A Tribe Called Quest's "Scenario". Shortly after, Leaders of the New School disbanded, leading Rhymes to become a sought-after solo artist, appearing on numerous tracks for other artists before his debut solo album, The Coming (1996). Critically acclaimed, the album debuted within the top ten of the Billboard 200, received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and was nominated for a Grammy Award. He has released eleven total solo albums, with the most recent being Blockbusta (2023). His most notable singles include "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check", "It's a Party", "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See", "Dangerous", "Turn It Up" (Remix)/"Fire It Up", "Gimme Some More", "What's It Gonna Be?!", "Pass the Courvoisier, Part II", "I Know What You Want" and "Touch It". He has also featured on the hit songs "Don't Cha" by The Pussycat Dolls, "Rumble in the Jungle" by Fugees, and "Look at Me Now" by Chris Brown. In addition to his music career, he founded the record label Conglomerate (formerly Flipmode Entertainment) and its namesake hip hop collective (formerly known as Flipmode Squad). In 2025, Busta Rhymes was awarded the inaugural Rock the Bells Visionary Award by the MTV Video Music Awards. Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Leaders of the New School released their debut album, A Future Without a Past..., in June 1991 on Elektra Records.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Busta Rhymes timeline

  1. Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor.
  2. Leaders of the New School released their debut album, A Future Without a Past..., in June 1991 on Elektra Records.
  3. In 2025, Busta Rhymes was awarded the inaugural Rock the Bells Visionary Award by the MTV Video Music Awards.

The world when Busta Rhymes was born

Busta Rhymes was born in 1972. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1972

  • #1 song"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" – Roberta Flack
  • Top movieThe Godfather
  • Top TV showAll in the Family
  • Best-selling bookJonathan Livingston Seagull – Richard Bach

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentMark Spitz wins 7 gold medals at Munich Olympics
  • Top headlineWatergate break-in begins Nixon's downfall
  • Technology milestoneAtari founded
  • Defining fadPong (first mainstream video game)
  • Notable inventionPong video game
  • World population3.85 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderRichard Nixon
  • Sports championOakland Athletics (World Series)
  • Also wonLos Angeles Lakers (NBA)
  • U.S. population209.9M

1972 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Busta Rhymes's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19722026
Gas$0.36$3.45/gal
Average home$19,800$435,000
Average income$12,600$67,500
Minimum wage$1.60$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$1.70$11.95
Postage stamp$0.08$0.73
Population209.9M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, IMDb, MusicBrainz. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.