Busta Rhymes
Biography
Busta Rhymes, born Trevor Tahiem Smith Jr. on May 20 1972 in Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York, is an American rapper, singer, musician, record producer, record executive and actor. He is the son of Jamaican parents Geraldine Green and Trevor Smith and graduated from Uniondale High School in the class of 1992. As an actor he is credited with roles in films such as The Grammys, The Boondocks and the documentary You Don’t Stop: 30 Years of Hip‑Hop. In music he was an original member of Leaders of the New School and later joined the Flipmode Squad. He is also known by the aliases Basta Rayms, Busta Remo, Busta Rhymez and Trev.
Career overview
Busta Rhymes, born Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr. on May 20 1972 in Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York, is listed on The Movie Database as a male actor with 75 credited appearances. The TMDB profile identifies acting as his primary known activity and records a substantial body of work across film and television.
In addition to his extensive list of credits, the Czech‑language film portal Kinobox notes that he achieved recognition through roles in several movies, specifically “The Grammys,” “Boondocks,” “The,” and “You Don’t Stop: 30 Years of Hip‑Hop.” These titles are cited as part of the filmography that contributed to his public profile as a performer beyond his musical career.
While his early career centered on music—as an original member of Leaders of the New School and later as a solo rapper—his acting résumé, as documented by TMDB and the Kinobox source, demonstrates a parallel development in visual media, with a range of appearances that have established him as a recurring figure in contemporary film and television productions.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
76 titles- The Naked Gun (2025) as Bank Robber
- The 99th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (2025) as Self - Performer
- Everybody Still Hates Chris (2024) as (voice)
- Piece by Piece (2024) as Busta Rhymes (voice)
- 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (2024) as Self
- The Legacy of J Dilla (2023) as Self (archive footage)
- The Crossover: 50 Years of Hip Hop and Sports (2023) as Narrator (voice)
- 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (2022) as Self
- Janet Jackson: Japanese Singles Collection - Greatest Hits (2022)
- Tamron Hall (2019) as Self - Guest
- The Masked Singer (2019) as Dragon
- The Masked Singer (2019) as Dragon (archive footage)
- Desus & Mero (2019) as Self
- Devil's Pie: D'Angelo (2019) as Self
- Survivor's Guide to Prison (2018) as Self
- King of the Dancehall (2017) as Allestar
- Straight Stuntin Chronicles: Volume 3 - The Man in the Mirror (2016) as Self
- Fresh Off the Boat (2015) as Busta Rhymes
- Master of None (2015) as Busta Rhymes
- The Game: The Documentary 2 (2015) as Self
- Club Life (2015) as Himself
- Stretch and Bobbito: Radio That Changed Lives (2015)
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2014) as Self
- Nas: Time Is Illmatic (2014) as Self
- Generation Iron (2013) as Self
- WWE: The Best of SmackDown - 10th Anniversary, 1999-2009 (2012) as Self (archive footage)
- Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest (2011) as Self
- The Unforgiven (2011) as Lick Wilson
- Breaking Point (2009) as Al Bowen
- DJ SWB Volume 6 | This Is How We Do (2009) as Self
- DJ Juice: The King is Back Mixtape Blend DVD Vol. 70 (2009) as Self (archive footage)
- The Shop (2006)
- Nick Cannon Presents: Wild 'N Out (2005)
- The Boondocks (2005)
- The Game: The Documentary (2005) as Self
- Miley's New Year's Eve Party (2004) as Self - Musical Guest
- Full Clip (2004) as Joshua Pope
- SMACK: Platinum Edition (2004) as Self
- Snoop Dogg's Buckwild Bus Tour (2004) as Self
- DJ Domination: World Domination (2004)
- Busta Rhymes - Everything Remains Raw (2004) as Busta Rhymes
- Mobb Deep: Infamous Allegiance: Part 1 (2004)
- Punk'd (2003) as Self
- Dude...We're Going to Rio (2003) as Buster
- Ice-T's Pimpin 101 (2003) Songs
- Last Call with Carson Daly (2002) as Self
- Halloween: Resurrection (2002) as Freddie Harris
- Narc (2002) as Darnell 'Big D Love' Beery
- It's Black Entertainment (2002) as Self
- Halloween: Resurrected (2002)
- Hype Williams: The Videos Vol. 1 (2002)
- Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001) Songs
- BET Awards (2001) as Self - Performer & Honoree
- 106 & Park (2000)
- Diary (2000) as Self
- Shaft (2000) as Rasaan
- Finding Forrester (2000) as Terrell Wallace
- Shaft: Still the Man (2000) as Self
- One Love: The Bob Marley All-Star Tribute (1999) as Self - Perfomer
- The Rugrats Movie (1998) as Reptar Wagon (voice)
- The Chris Rock Show (1997) as Self
- The Daily Show (1996) as Self
- The Steve Harvey Show (1996) as Zack
- The Wayans Bros. (1995) as Busta Rhymes
- Higher Learning (1995) as Dreads
- Space Ghost Coast to Coast (1994)
- MTV Europe Music Awards (1994) as Self - Honoree
- Who's the Man? (1993) as Jawaan
- Strapped (1993) as Buster
- The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992)
- Yo! MTV Raps (1988) as Self
- MTV Video Music Awards (1984) as Self
- Saturday Night Live (1975) as Self - Musical Guest
- American Music Awards (1974) as Self - Musical Guest
- The Grammys (1959) as Self
- Conspiracy of Thieves as Winston
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Busta Rhymes best known for?
Busta Rhymes is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including The Naked Gun (2025), Piece by Piece (2024), Tamron Hall (2019), The Masked Singer (2019).
When and where was Busta Rhymes born?
Busta Rhymes was born on May 20, 1972 in Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York, USA.
How many credits does Busta Rhymes have?
Busta Rhymes has accumulated over 76 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1959 to 2025.
What is Busta Rhymes's background in cinema and television?
Busta Rhymes, born Trevor Tahiem Smith Jr. on May 20 1972 in Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York, is an American rapper, singer, musician, record producer, record executive and actor. He is the son of Jamaican parents Geraldine Green and Trevor Smith and graduated from Uniondale High School in the class of 1992. As an actor h...
Busta Rhymes by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- MTV Europe Music Awards (1994) as Self - Honoree — aged about 22
- The Grammys (1959) as Self — aged about 12
- The Boondocks (2005) — aged about 33
- American Music Awards (1974) as Self - Musical Guest — aged about 2
- Nick Cannon Presents: Wild 'N Out (2005) — aged about 33
- Space Ghost Coast to Coast (1994) — aged about 22
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