Massachusetts Island’s Connection to Busta Rhymes

If you didn't know, now you know that an island in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts is called "Busta Rhymes Island."

That's right. A 1,600-square-foot island tucked away in the middle of Worcester County's Mills Pond is named after one of the most legendary rap performers.

To think Busta Rhymes would have any affiliation to this island seems a little irrational, but after seeing the landmark boldly identified on Google Maps, you can't help but wonder.

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After all, Busta did make an appearance in Massachusetts back in 2002 when he hosted an after-party in Fall River. Based on this information, we knew we needed answers behind the island.

According to the Boston Globe, "Busta Rhymes Island" was first discovered in 2009 when a Google search of the rapper and Boston was linked to the tiny plot.

In 2018, Mass Live reported that a Shrewsbury resident Kevin O'Brien is actually the official mastermind behind the name. He decided the island would honor a favorite rapper of his, which led him to go with "Busta Rhymes Island." From there, he applied a geotag on Google Maps, and the rest is history.

The island is located near O'Brien's residence. Since 2005, he has maintained it and has even planted fruit bushes on the land. The pond is mainly used for fishing and canoeing, and overall, it is a nice place to enjoy nature.

Busta Rhymes was born Trevor Smith Jr. and emerged in the music industry in the '90s and 2000s with his intense, complex rap style. He is known for major hits like "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check" and his popular feature on Chris Brown's "Look at Me Now."

Surprisingly, a landmark named after a well-known celebrity isn't unusual for Massachusetts.

Google Maps identifies a parcel of land in Rochester as "Shaquille O'Neal's Hideaway," and it's hidden right in the middle of Snow Pond.

As cool as it is to have Massachusetts landmarks named after iconic celebrities like Busta Rhymes and Shaquille O'Neal, it's unfortunate that it's not technically official.

For what it's worth, Google Maps still identifies that piece of land as "Busta Rhymes Island," so we could say it's "pretty official" for Massachusetts residents.