Veteran rapper, Busta Rhymes officially joined the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 1, 2025, nearly 30 years after his debut album The Coming.
The rapper was honored with the 2,818th star in the Recording category, cementing his place among music’s greatest legends.
“Imma start off by thanking my mother; my moms is my greatest superhero. My father, too, but the reason why I’m leaning so much on my moms is ’cause my mother and my father had two different approaches in how they wanted to do whatever they could to secure the win for me,” the “Touch It” artist said.
He noted that his father was a licensed electrical contractor who couldn’t envision a sustainable career as a rapper. As such, his father would insist that a teenage Busta accompany him, during the summertime, on jobs to be mentored into learning the trade.
“I got two beautiful Jamaican parents. My father, his love was tough, but I understood to love it and appreciate it as I got older,” he said.
“You can try to imitate Busta, but you can’t duplicate him”
Radio personality Big Boy hosted the event, while LL Cool J and Chuck D delivered heartfelt tributes.
LL Cool J praised Busta in his tribute calling him an “excellent performer”. “When I think about Busta Rhymes: awe-inspiring power, commitment to his craft.. Commitment to excellence as an artist and performer…Busta was born to do something universal,” Cool J said.
Chuck D also reflected on giving Busta his iconic rap name, recalling how he first believed in the young artist’s talent.
“My generation was into disco, [but] I like the way this thing is put together,” Chuck D shared about being exposed to hip hop. “The biggest thing we tell them [mentees] is ‘be different,’ be outstanding.” The rapper added that he encouraged Busta to “be difficult” or complicated with his skill set, so he can’t be outdone or undone by his peers.
“You can try to imitate Busta, but you can’t duplicate him,” Chuck D said
The ceremony was both a celebration of his career and a nod to the community that helped shape his rise.
Rhymes got the star in the category of Recording. His music career was launched with his debut album The Coming in 1996, but his sophomore album “When Disaster Strikes…” cemented him as a trailblazing rapper and performer.
Busta has sold more than 20 million records worldwide and has received 12 Grammy nominations. His top hits include “Touch It,” “Break Ya Neck” and “”Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See.”