#TBT: Early Busta Rhymes

Before Busta Rhymes was jacked, he was skinny.

Before he was bald, he had dreadlocks.

Before he was collaborating with Lil Wayne, he was with the likes of Q-Tip and J Dilla.

Busta Rhymes has released 9 studio albums over his prolific career, and his earlier work is regarded as some of the best from the late 90s era of hip-hop. Albums like The Coming, When Disaster Strikes, ELE: The Final World Front & Anarchy helped to define the 90s hip-hop sound, and along with the help of one Hype Wililams, Busta Rhymes found his way in living rooms across America while TV stations like MTV and BET played his legendary music videos daily.

The true epitome of the audio/visual experience, these videos are still amongst the best you'll see. The VHS-like graininess amplifies that vintage feel, if the dreadlocks on Busta Rhymes wasn't enough nostalgia for you for one day. Let's take a look at 10 classic, early Busta Rhymes cuts.

The dark, kind of eerie vibe from Busta Rhyme's debut album The Coming, launched this actor-turned-rapper in to the hip-hop world. He wilds on this record with a classic 90s flow.

The second single from The Coming was one of Busta Rhyme's most popular tracks. The title is synonymous with 90s rap, and even your dad could probably answer "Woo Hah!!" with "Got you all in check!"

New York City was the mecca for rap in the 90s, and this cut is a prime example of the collaborative vibe that was taking place in the big apple around that time. Busta Rhymes and Q-Tip linked up a decade+ before "Thank You" for quite the cut. 

Aside from creating a great song with this track, Busta Rhymes and Hype Williams definitely created one of the best hip-hop music videos of all time. In 1999, MTV ranked this at #20 for the best videos ever made. Agreed.

Another Busta Rhymes x Hype Williams collab means another one of the greatest videos you'll watch on the 'Tube today. Busta Rhymes unparalleled charisma creates the perfect character for Hype Williams' imaginative genius. "Dangerous" is a bangin' tune too.

Complete with a sample from the Knight Rider theme and yet another artsy video from the When Disaster Strikes era, the "Turn It Up (Remix) / Fire It Up" is recognizable from a mile away. The futuristic vibe really sets this one apart from the rest of 90s hip-hop.

Hype Williams and Busta Rhymes continue their regal success with music videos with "What's It Gonna Be!?" Janet Jackson's perky sexiness and X-rated chorus makes this one that much more special.

Busta & Hype go to looney tunes land for "Gimme Some More," off the 1998 album Extinction Level Event: The Final World Front. A handful of iconic costume changes later, we have yet another classic.

If the world ever ends, it should look like a Hype Williams music video. Complete with tons of honeys and that zaney Busta Rhymes personality, this video is the jam.

This one didn't get the Hype Williams video treatment, but it is one of the smoothest hip-hop tracks to come out in the year 2000. Off the Anarchy album, this is a classic deep cut from Busta Rhymes' old school past.