AMERICAN rapper Busta Rhymes released his ninth studio album, Year of the Dragon, last week through Google Play.

The free album has guest appearances from dancehall artiste Vybz Kartel, Rhythm and Blues singers Anthony Hamilton, Robin Thicke and Trey Songz, as well as hip hop acts Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Reed Da Villian, Gucci Mane, Maino, and Cam'ron.

Wine and go Down is the song with Kartel.

In a recent interview with Billboard magazine, Busta Rhymes explained the reason for his free issue.

"I've never put out an album for free before, but I've got people that have been rocking with me, spending their money for the past 20 years of my career. I take great pleasure in aligning myself with people who understand what the 'Busta Rhymes brand' is about, and Google definitely has a whole lot of people who do," he said.

The 40-year-old Busta Rhymes, whose real name is Trevor Smith, was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Jamaican parents. His first taste of success came in the early 1990s as a member of the rap collective, Leaders of the New School.

After the group broke up, he built an impressive résumé by appearing on songs by hip hop and R&B artistes including Boyz II Men, Mary J Blige, A Tribe Called Quest, and the Notorious BIG.

Busta has worked with a handful of Jamaican acts such as Bounty Killer on the deejay's My Xperience album, appearing on the track Change like the Weather which also featured Junior Reid.

Sean Paul was featured on the remix of the rapper's Make it Clap, a favour Sean Paul returned after Busta Rhymes hopped onto the remix of his hit song, Gimmie the Light.

Busta Rhymes is featured on the remix of Popcaan's Only Man She Want.

He has performed in Jamaica several times, his last appearance was at the Sir Arthur Guinness celebrations at the National Stadium in 2010.

Busta Rhymes' hits includes Put Up Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See, Gimmie Some More, What's it Gonna Be (featuring Janet Jackson) and I Know What You Want (featuring Mariah Carey).

Last year, he scored his first number one on Billboard's R&B Hip Hop Singles chart. He performed on singer Chris Brown's Look at Me Now, which also featured rapper Lil Wayne.