Busta Rhymes

With five platinum albums, one platinum single and three gold singles on his lengthy recording resume, Busta Rhymes has been one of rap's most bankable stars.

As the lone rapper on the Area 2 tour with Moby and David Bowie, Busta Rhymes saw that the patrons of the genre-bending extravaganza enjoyed listening to music that makes them move. That's why regardless of the tempo or the subject matter, Busta is always able to connect with listeners, whether they are familiar with his music or not.

"Vibe is priceless," Busta told Billboard magazine. "You just have to be able to communicate in a way that can help them relate to what you specifically want them to relate to. If people see you smiling, they're going to smile with you."

Unfortunately, several events in the last few years led Busta Rhymes to give his sixth, and possibly most upbeat album to date, a dramatic title. " It Ain't Safe No More' applies to the current state of the day, "Busta told

XXL magazine. "Since Columbine High School, we've just been experiencing the most consistent foul shit, more threatening than at any other time that has existed during our life. Shit has been tragic consistently."

Despite chaos impinging upon our daily lives, Busta has established himself as one of hip-hop's most steady figures. A member of legendary rap group Leaders of the New School, Busta Rhymes in the early 1990s emerged from the Long Island-based rap group as one of hip-hop's hottest new talents thanks to his fiery appearances on songs with A Tribe Called Quest, Craig Mack and others.

With his first album, 1996&..39;s "The Coming," Busta Rhymes showed that his unyielding energy, inventive beats and impeccable imagery would set him apart from any other artist. In fact, the vibrant, colorful "Woo Hah!! Got You All In Check" video established Busta as the most creative hip-hop personality, someone who would sport outrageous outfits, contort his face for effect and still rock rhymes of the highest caliber. "I set standards visually with the videos," Busta told XXL magazine. "From the special effects to the kind of concepts."

Each of Busta's subsequent albums, 1997's "When Disaster Strikes," 1998's "E.L.E.: Extinction Level Event: The Final World Front," 2000's "Anarchy" and 2001's "Genesis," was certified platinum and demonstrated that the wiry rapper was a pillar of consistency in a genre in which heroes are discarded as quickly as they are crowned.

Busta used his musical success to branch out into film (has appeared in such critically acclaimed movies as "Finding Forrester," "Narc" and "Shaft") and as a pitchman (he's been the face of everything from Mountain Dew to Miller Lite). As he amassed acclaim and wealth, the multi-media star made sure to share his good fortune with others.

"I live for this shit," Busta told XXL. "This is the fun for me. I'm not gonna do nothing that ain't exciting and challenging. I already know what I could do with the music. I wanna know what I could up against the hottest shit. The statement is made the loudest when you are a survivor. I've survived every turning point."