Rapper Busta Rhymes Charged With Punching His 50-Year-Old Assistant In The Face Multiple Times

Grammy-nominated rapper Busta Rhymes, born Trevor Smith Jr., was arrested by the New York Police Department on Tuesday following accusations of third-degree assault.

As reported by a spokesperson for the NYPD, in the early evening of Jan. 14, a man in his 50s was punched in the face multiple times following a verbal dispute with an unidentified assailant. The incident took place in Brooklyn’s Dumbo neighborhood near the corner of Jay and Front Streets. 

The NYPD spokesperson revealed of the man, “The victim sustained swelling to the left side of the face,” and confirmed that they were “transported to NYC Health and Hospitals/Woodhull in stable condition.”

Smith, 52, was given a desk appearance ticket – meaning he must show up in court to answer the criminal charges against him, but will not be held in police custody until then.

Tabloids reported that Smith’s victim was his assistant, whom he regularly berated for his cell phone usage as a vehement advocate for unplugging from the internet.

In 2024, Smith told the audience of the Essence Festival of Culture, “Aye f— them camera phones…let’s get back to interacting like humans, put them weird-ass devices down! I ain’t from that era…f— your phone!

Smith refused to share details of the alleged attack with The Post, saying, “An article in the paper as opposed to a six or seven-million-dollar settlement? I’m not risking it, sorry.”

Smith has a history of legal troubles and was previously arrested for gun possession in 1998, which he pleaded guilty to, and was sentenced to five years probation. In 2008, Smith’s driver accused him of attacking him during a financial dispute, which Smith also pleaded guilty to, and was sentenced to three years probation. He was arrested for assault in 2015 when he threw a protein drink at a gym employee’s head. After pleading guilty again, Smith was sentenced to anger management classes. 

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