Toppa Top 10: Busta Rhymes’ Biggest Bashment Tunes

Words by Jesse Serwer, Photo via UpNorthTrips—

Here’s something you didn’t know about Busta Rhymes: back when he was a schoolkid, he used to impress his friends by telling them that he was the Trevor Sparks whose name they’d seen on Brooklyn dancehall flyers. While that of course wasn’t true (the real Trevor Sparks, of King Jammy’s fame, died of a stroke in 2004), the artist born Trevor Smith wanted to be a deejay before he set his sights on being a rapper, and, appropriately, he’s always shown love to dancehall.

The originator of a manic, gruff rhyme style that owed as much to late ’80s/early ’90s toasters like Shabba Ranks as to his hip-hop forebears, the Jamaican-American MC has also been hip-hop’s biggest patron of JA talent, supplying key co-signs and clutch crossover remixes to everyone from Sean Paul to Popcaan. With his long-awaited Vybz Kartel collaboration “Wine and Go Down” fresh out of the oven, here’s a look at ten more notable bashment tunes from the one called Bussa Buss.

10. Popcaan feat. Busta Rhymes, “Only Man She Want”

In recent years, a remix with Busta has been the surest sign that a dancehall artist is breaking through to the U.S. market. That was definitely the case with Popcaan earlier this year, as “Only Man She Want” resulted in his first appearance on the Billboard charts—and his first collaboration with a major artist from beyond Jamaica.

9. Bob Marley feat. Busta Rhymes and Flip Mode Squad, “Rastaman Chant”

Busta and Spliff Star recorded an update of “Rastaman Chant” for Chant Down Babylon, the 1999 Island Records compilation which spliced Rakim, Lauryn Hill, MC Lyte and other contemporary artists into classic Bob Marley songs. The duo then performed the song with Julian Marley at the Bob Marley All-Star Tribute concert in Jamaica, which was broadcast on TNT that same year.

8. Demarco Featuring Busta Rhymes, “Hustler”

This isn’t the only tune Busta recorded with Demarco during the latter’s late-aughts breakthrough period but it’s the best one.

7. “Kill Dem” (feat. Pharrell, Bounty Killer and Mavado)

What di blooclaat yuh a talk bout?????? Busta rapped the entirety of this Wu Tang-inspired, Neptunes-produced track from 2009’s Back on My Bullshit in patois, then tapped Mavado (who really slays his verse) and Bounty Killer for an even more massive remix. But the best part of the whole thing might be female vocalist Tosh’s squeaky interjections. [NOTE: Content is blocked by UMG. Click the link to watch/listen on YouTube]

6. Beenie Man and Future Fambo feat. Busta Rhymes, “Rum & Redbull (Remix)”

Dancehall reached an all-time low in late 2010 and early 2011—almost nothing was reaching U.S. and U.K. radio and clubs. One notable exception was Beenie and Fambo’s drinking song “Rum & Redbull,” a smash made even more huge when Busta hopped on the remix.

5. Leaders of the New School feat. Collie Weed,  “Spontaneous (13 MCs Deep)”

Busta’s original group with Charlie Brown, Dinco D. and Cut Monitor Milo, Leaders of the New School featured nine more MCs from their Uniondale, Long Island stomping grounds on the massive posse cut, “Spontaneous (13 MCs Deep).” The highlight of which was definitely a mini-dancehall set by Busta’s cousin Milo and a deejay called Collie Weed.

4. Sean Paul feat. Busta Rhymes, “Gimme the Light (Remix)”

Remember what we said earlier about a remix with Busta being the surest sign that a dancehall artist is breaking through to the U.S. market? Well, that was definitely true of Sean Paul’s rise to superstardom in 2002 and ’03. Dutty Rock‘s lead single was already smash on its own but after it received Busta’s blessing, the sky was the limit for S.P.

2. “Make It Clap” Remix featuring Spliff Star and Sean Paul

Busta dropped a version of “Make it Clap” with just him and Spliff Star on his album It Aint’ Safe No More, but it’s the Sean Paul version of the tune that became the album’s lead single, and one of Busta’s biggest club hits, right at the moment when dancehall ‘s U.S. crossover moment was reaching its peak.

Busta Rhymes : Make it clap (remix) by BLACKMUSICS

2. Bounty Killer feat. Busta Rhymes and Junior Reid, “Change Like the Weather”

Fresh off of his solo breakthrough with “Woo Haa!” Busta featured alongside Junior Reid on this single from Bounty Killer’s hip-hop heavy 1996 album My Xperience, released jointly on TVT and VP Records. The bouncy, Erick Sermon-produced “Change Like the Weather” was not only Busta’s first collaboration with established Jamaican dancehall artists, it was also one of the first of many hip-hop tunes from frequent hip-hop/dancehall fusionists Bounty and Reid.

1. Busta Rhymes feat. Shabba Ranks, Akon, Major Mackerel and Mavado, “Clear the Air (Remix)”

For the original “Clear the Air,” Busta teamed up with a guy who’s easily one of his biggest influences, Shabba Ranks, plus Akon and a dope sample–based production from British MC/beatmaker Dready—the guy behind “Wine & Go Down.” Then he went and outdid himself with a massive remix also featuring the Gully Gad and—here’s the real score—Major Mackerel, plus a gang of classic dancehall riddims coming in from all directions.