Chuck D Salutes Busta Rhymes Ahead Of Hollywood Walk Of Fame Honor
Busta Rhymes will be honored with the 2,818th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Friday (August 1) at 11:30 a.m. PT, marking a major moment in his decades-long career.
The ceremony will take place at 6201 Hollywood Boulevard in front of East Town, with Big Boy hosting and appearances from Chris Rock, LL COOL J and Chuck D set to celebrate the occasion.
“He stretched the solo identity beyond a rapper in sight, story, style and sound beyond the category,” Chuck D tells AllHipHop. “He animated the position and expanded the Hip-Hop possibilities beyond the bars.”
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With more than 20 million albums sold globally, 12 Grammy nominations and seven Top 10 Billboard 200 debuts, Busta’s influence spans generations. His catalog includes over 60 million gold and platinum-certified records, and his rapid-fire delivery on tracks like “Break Ya Neck” even earned him a Guinness World Record in the early 2000s.
“The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce will be adding Busta Rhymes, one of Hip-Hop’s most enduring and electrifying voices, as a new member of Hollywood’s iconic sidewalk,’” Ana Martinez, producer of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, said. “‘His talent and influence are undeniable. His star on the Walk of Fame will stand as a testament to his lasting impact on Hip-Hop music and how important it is to the American culture.”
Born in Brooklyn and raised in Long Island, Busta first broke through as part of Leaders of the New School before launching his solo career with 1996’s The Coming. His follow-up, When Disaster Strikes, is considered the turning point of his career. He followed that momentum with hits like “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See,” “Touch It” and “Break Ya Neck,” solidifying his place as one of Hip-Hop’s most dynamic performers.
BET Jams named “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See” the Greatest Hip-Hop Video of All Time, and MTV once called him “one of Hip-Hop’s greatest visual artists.” JAY-Z and KRS-One have both referred to him as “the greatest performer of all time,” while Phife Dawg dubbed him “the James Brown of Hip-Hop.”
His list of collaborators reads like a hall of fame: Dr. Dre, Janet Jackson, Eminem, Missy Elliott, Snoop Dogg, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Ozzy Osbourne and Dave Chappelle have all worked with the rap icon.
In 2022, he received the BMI Icon Award, and in 2023, he was honored with the BET Lifetime Achievement Award. The following year, he picked up the Global Icon Award at the MTV EMAs.
(By the way, it’s Chuck D’s birthday on August 1. Everyone go wish the Public Enemy legend a good day!)