A little rain is no match for a dragon.
Busta Rhymes performed at the New York State Fair’s Suburban Park stage on Sunday night, showcasing why he is a certified hip-hop legend. He took the stage at 8:30 p.m. after DJ Scratchator spent 25 minutes warming up a wet crowd with snippets of songs by Snoop Dogg, 2Pac, Biggie, Jay-Z, Fatman Scoop and DMX.
Then a video introduced “the dragon,” as Busta is also known, and he immediately set fire to the stage with hits like “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See” and “Turn It Up (Remix)/Fire It Up.” The estimated 16,000 fans in attendance gladly responded by putting their hands in the air every time, though some stayed back under nearby beer tents when it rained multiple times.
The storm actually forced the NYS Fair to close its gates and shut down Midway rides in the afternoon, but rain, nor sleet, nor snow will stop Busta Rhymes. “Nothing stops the show when the dragon has been summoned,” he promised.
He showcased his playful side, asking the ladies in the crowd to “Make It Clap.” (“It” being their derrières.) He reveled in the “preferred imbalance” in the audience, which skewed more female than male, as he performed verses from sexy 2000s hits Lumidee’s “Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)” and the Pussycat Dolls’ “Don’t Cha.”
Some of the show toed the line between PG-13 and R-rated, but Busta made it clear that fans of all ages were welcome. He shouted out a mother taking a young child to what appeared to be his first concert, then Busta mentioned seeing a Rolling Stones concert with 15-year-old fans when Mick Jagger was 75 years old.
“I want that when I’m 75,” said the 53-year-old rapper.
The man born Trevor George Smith Jr. was still happy to throw it back to his earliest hits, including “Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check” (which turns 30 next year) and A Tribe Called Quest’s “Scenario.” He even dropped his 2020 track “Outta My Mind,” which heavily samples the 1990 new jack swing classic “Poison” by Bell Biv DeVoe, and saluted legends he’s worked with like Mariah Carey (“I Know What You Want”) and Janet Jackson (“What’s It Gonna Be?!”).
He also gave props to himself, letting the crowd know that he will soon receive the first-ever Rock the Bells Visionary Award at the MTV Video Music Awards. Busta Rhymes, called “one of hip-hop’s greatest visual artists” by MTV, will perform and be honored during the 2025 VMAs, hosted by LL Cool J, on Sunday, Sept. 7.
The accolades don’t stop there, either. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame earlier this month, has sold more than 20 million records, been nominated for 12 Grammy Awards, and was named one the top 50 lyricists of all time by The Source magazine.
Busta Rhymes lived up to his reputation and then some with his impressive rapid-fire verses like on “Gimme Some More” and Chris Brown’s “Look at Me Now.” The ASL interpreter on stage could have broken his wrist just trying to keep up with the lyrics in sign language.
Busta Rhymes performs on the Suburban Park stage at the New York State Fair in Geddes, N.Y., on Aug. 24, 2025. (Geoff Herbert | gherbert@syracuse.com)Geoff Herbert | gherbert@syracuse.com
The high-energy emcee, accompanied by fellow Flipmode Squad member Spliff Starr, assured the audience that he doesn’t use pre-recorded vocals. He uses “pure breath control” in his performances, as he’s done since the analog days of hip-hop on vinyl turntables.
“We don’t need special effects, because we are the special effects,” Busta boasted.
At one point, though, it felt like a perfectly timed special effect when the DJ ended a song with a bass rumble during a break from the rain. The sky broke open and it began pouring as Busta looked up, wondering if he was somehow responsible.
The rest of the show included bits of DJ Khaled’s “All I Do Is Win,” Queen’s “We Are the Champions,” the fierce “Dangerous,” and the bounce-tastic beat of “Break Ya Neck.” The dance party wrapped around 9:30 p.m. with “Pass the Courvoisier, Part II,” and everyone jumped — and smiled.
Busta Rhymes set list
Aug. 24, 2025, at Suburban Park Stage, New York State Fair
Ante Up (Remix) (M.O.P. cover)
Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See
Turn It Up / Fire It Up
Make It Clap
Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh) (Remix) (Lumidee cover)
Touch It
Don’t Cha (Pussycat Dolls cover) / Seven Nation Army (White Stripes cover)
I Know What You Want
What’s It Gonna Be?!
Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check
Scenario (A Tribe Called Quest cover)
Look at Me Now (Chris Brown cover)
All I Do Is Win (Remix) (DJ Khaled cover)
We Are the Champions (Queen cover)
Break Ya Neck
Gimme Some More
Dangerous
Outta My Mind
Pass the Courvoisier, Part II
This photo provided by the New York State Fair shows Busta Rhymes performing on the Suburban Park stage Aug. 24, 2025.NYS Fair
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