I was walking through the crowd when someone softly grabbed my hand. I looked down and saw a big chain with ‘Flip Mode’ on it. I looked up, and there was Busta Rhymes. He said, ‘What’s up? You know what you’re getting into now.
As a teenager, Trevor George Smith, better known as Busta Rhymes, joined the 5% Nation. This movement, influenced by Islam, teaches that black men are gods and black women are called Earth’s. But here’s a thought: why can’t women be gods too? If men are gods, it seems only fair that women should be planets like the Moon to balance things out.
In high school, Busta met Joanne Woods. According to the New York Post, they were complete opposites. Busta was an aspiring rapper from Brooklyn, while Joanne was a quiet, shy girl from a middle-class family. Despite their differences, they started dating and eventually moved in together. Joanne told the New York Post that they often argued over silly things like who left the toilet seat up or why the toothpaste cap was off. She said, “He’s a Taurus, really stubborn and always finding something to complain about. But deep down, he’s got a soft heart.”
Busta’s career took off with the legendary group Leaders of the New School. Their final disagreement was caught on camera during a 1993 episode of Yo MTV Raps. “Please don’t film this,” someone pleaded. The group disbanded shortly after, and Busta went solo in 1993. Tragically, that same year, Joanne went into labor when she was just five months pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy named Tahim, who only lived for a few hours. In 1994, they welcomed their son TOA.
Busta secured a production deal with Elektra Records and created his own label, Flip Mode, signing notable acts like Rah Digga and Spliff Star. His debut solo album, ‘The Coming,’ came out in 1996, followed by ‘When Disaster Strikes’ in 1997. Both albums hit number one and went platinum. While Busta toured, Joanne stayed home, rarely traveling with him or attending industry parties. Their relationship deteriorated, and in 1997, a gossip website reported that Joanne caught Busta in bed with another woman. Furious, Joanne reportedly damaged Busta’s car and ripped several locks from his head. “Not the Lox, Jesus!”
Despite their strained relationship, Joanne revealed to the New York Post that Busta proposed to her three times. She said yes each time, but they never went through with the wedding. Despite their on-again, off-again status, Joanne wasn’t overly concerned about Busta being unfaithful. She remarked, “If he was, I didn’t know about it, but I can’t be naive to the fact that stuff was probably happening.”
It wasn’t long before Busta’s indiscretions were exposed. In 1998, he began an affair with a woman named Jill Mkelly, who later gave birth to a baby girl named Mariah. A DNA test confirmed Busta was the father. Although Busta agreed to pay $1,200 a month in child support, Jill and her lawyer sought an increase. According to MTV.com, around 1999, Busta had another daughter named Casey with Ronda, who was previously married to Kid from Kid ‘n Play.
Around this time, Joanne reportedly ended their relationship. ABC News reported that she obtained a restraining order against Busta and had him arrested for failing to pay child support. Despite these issues, they reconciled in time for the birth of their fifth child, a baby boy named Takai, in 1999. Joanne gave birth to their sixth child, a baby boy named Trillion, in 2001.
By 2002, Busta and Joan had finally decided to part ways after a tumultuous relationship. Their split was anything but smooth, especially when it came to the custody battle over their three sons. In court, Busta made headlines by accusing Joan of being in a new relationship with a woman. He claimed one of their sons had walked in on Joan and her girlfriend in a compromising situation.
Joan didn’t deny the incident, but her lawyer retorted, “Where else should they have sex? It’s their home!” The custody battle dragged on for four years. In 2006, the judge made a decision. Despite no evidence of abuse or negligence, the judge was influenced by references to Joan’s same-sex relationship and awarded full custody to Busta. Joan was given visitation rights twice a week and every other weekend.
Since Busta was often away on tour, the children were ordered to live with his mother in New York. This outcome sparked outrage. How could Busta, who wouldn’t be around due to his career, get full custody just because Joan was in a same-sex relationship?
Joan was devastated. She believed Busta’s fight for custody was driven by his discomfort with her new relationship. “He’s a great father in some ways,” she said, “but fighting me out of hurt ego only harms the kids, not me!” She also accused Busta’s mother of badmouthing her in front of the children. “My kids can repeat word for word what she says about me,” Joan shared. “I’m a gold digger, money hungry, a lesbian—you name it, she’s called me everything.”
Despite winning custody, Contact Music reported that Busta Rhymes was still angry while promoting his seventh studio album, ‘The Big Bang’. During an interview with a New York radio station, he lashed out at Joanne, saying, “No more child support chick for you, Brad. Worthless baby mother, this ninja, in 2006.” That same year, his custody battle ended, and he welcomed his seventh child, Miracle, with an unidentified woman. How many kids does this guy have?
In that same year, Karen Steffans released her book, ‘Confessions of a Video Vixen’, which we’ve linked in the description box. In her book, she described Busta as well-endowed but complained about his lack of skills in bed. During a 2006 appearance on Power 106 radio station, Busta played a game called the Hat of Forbidden Questions. When asked, “Who was the last celebrity you slept with?” he quickly answered, “Lionel Richie’s daughter.” Not Nicole, real quick! So, was Cora lying?
In 2007, Busta was linked to ‘Flavor of Love’ reality star, Delicious. While Delicious insisted they were just friends, author Terrence Dean spilled some interesting tea. Terrence wrote a book about down-low men in hip hop, which we’ve also linked in the description box. Terrence told Bossip that Delicious, intrigued by his book’s title, asked him a direct question. Their conversation reportedly went like this:
“You know I used to date someone in the business, right?”
“Who are you talking about?”
“Come on, Terrence, you know who I’m talking about. He’s a rapper.”
“Did he have long hair?”
“Yep.”
“Well, what do you want to know? Spit it out. I won’t tell anyone, except for Bossip. Oops! I mean, you can trust me.”
“Do you know anything? Because I’ve heard some things.”
“Yeah, I know some things.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah, don’t play with me, Terrence. For real, we all know.”
Since Busta had cut his long locks in 2005, everyone assumed their conversation was about him. Behind the scenes, he’s been quite busy.
According to an anonymous blogger who started a website called “Busta Rhymes Gave Me Herpes” in September 2011, a shocking story unfolded. In her introductory post, she claimed that during her encounter with Busta, he disregarded the fact that she was on her menstrual cycle, removed her feminine product, and proceeded with intimate actions. She described this experience as causing her severe physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual distress. She also alleged that Busta infected her with HSV-2, and she believed he was aware of his condition due to his reaction when she informed him and his prior symptoms.
To prove her claims to skeptics, she provided explicit details about Busta, emphasizing her intent to warn other women and prevent them from experiencing the same ordeal. Her allegations quickly spread across gossip websites, but Busta never publicly responded. The blog remained active until 2015.
In the years that followed, Busta Rhymes’s reputation continued to suffer due to his aggressive behavior. In 2013, an employee at Cheeseburger Baby in Miami accused him of using a homophobic slur after a dispute over condiments. Then in 2015, he faced assault charges for throwing a strawberry protein drink at a New York City gym employee. These incidents only added to his controversial public image.
In August 2020, rumors about his preferences started circulating online again. Things might get messy. A guy posted on his YouTube channel that he was out with his partner and a friend in New York, heading to a gay club. As they crossed the street, someone gently grabbed his hand. “I Want to Hold Your Hand, I Want to Hold Your Hand, y’all are crazy!” he said. Then he noticed a big diamond-covered chain with “Flip Mode” on it. He looked up and saw it was Busta Rhymes.
According to the guy, Busta invited him to join his party section at the club. “You should come in and party with me,” Busta said, still holding his hand. The guy was excited and agreed, but told Busta he needed to let his partner and friend know first. Sadly, his partner didn’t want to hang out with Busta, so he missed the chance to party with him that night
In 2021, during Gay Pride Month, news outlets rushed to the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan to cover a tragic shooting outside the Dream Downtown Hotel. For those who don’t know, Chelsea is one of New York’s iconic gay neighborhoods, filled with vibrant gay bars and nightclubs. So, while reporters were documenting the scene, guess who strolled by at 4 a.m.? Yep, it was Busta Rhymes! What was he doing out there at that hour? And he wasn’t alone; he had a bodyguard and another person with him. People started asking, “Who was that? A man or a woman? Come on, spill the tea!”
This sighting sparked a lot of speculation. Some people pointed to past incidents to suggest Busta might not be interested in women. Like that time at a concert when a woman grabbed him inappropriately, and he publicly humiliated her. Or the time in Las Vegas when he threw a drink on a woman who grabbed his butt. “Keep your hands to yourself, folks!”
Jump to 2024, a celebrity bodyguard named Big Homie CCE shared a story on the Cam Capone News YouTube channel. He was at a club with model and musician Don Benjamin and a few others, including a gay lawyer. According to CCE, Busta was at the club too, and as soon as he saw the gay lawyer, he made sure to invite him into his VIP section. CCE described Busta as someone who enjoys having “fun boys” around in his VIP area, adding more fuel to the rumors about Busta’s preferences.
What on earth is a Super Zest Monster? A SZM-Sism! Despite the chaos in his love life, Busta has a great relationship with all of his children. He’s also a legendary artist with 11 studio albums and a collection of Billboard, BET, and Soul Train Music Awards. Most people don’t mind what he does behind closed doors, as long as he keeps making music that makes you nod your head and break your neck. And that’s a wrap for this wild ride. If you enjoyed this video, let us know in the comments below.