Busta Rhymes

At a time when "gangsta rap" dominated the airwaves and pop culture, Busta Rhymes introduced his own unique style of hip-hop, punctuated by lightning-speed rapping over exotic beats, which put him on the map and on top of the charts. Rhymes launched his music career with the East Coast rap crew Leaders of the New School and quickly emerged not only as the group's breakout star, but as a promising talent poised for a successful solo career. After the group disbanded, Rhymes earned solid critical reviews and delivered chart-topping singles with back-to-back hit albums The Coming (1996) and When Disaster Strikes (1997). A consummate entertainer, Rhymes branched out to film and television acting throughout his career, including dramatic turns in John Singleton's "Higher Learning" (1995) and Gus Van Sant's "Finding Forrester" (2000). Yet it was in music where Rhymes continued to have the most success, through hit albums and memorable guest vocals that established him as an influential and highly marketable figure in hip-hop.