Genesis

by

Busta Rhymes

Edit

I remember when I saw first saw Busta Rhymes in the Leaders Of The New School. Although it was a group, Busta always stood out amongst the others. My boys and I in high school, always said that one day Busta Rhymes will go solo. LONS did make their mark with "Case Of The PTA", "Sobb Story", "What's Next", and on A Tribe Called Quest's "Scenario" and the "Scenario" (Remix) but eventually after their 2nd disc, "T.I.M.E." flopped, Busta decided to test the solo waters. That was Busta Rhymes' smartest move. His first solo CD, "The Coming" was an impressive debut. It included the singles, "Woo Hah!" and "It's A Party" featuring Zhane, as well as, "Everything Remains Raw", "Ill Vibe" w/Q Tip, "Flipmode Meets Def Squad" w/Redman, Keith Murray, Jamal, Rampage and Lord Have Mercy, and a song with the LONS, "Keep It Movin'". Busta had definitely made his mark and he had a promising career ahead of him. His 2nd disc, "When Disaster Strikes", included one of his best singles of all time, "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See". To this day in 2002, that song can pump in any club or party and the crowd will get hyped up. "When Disaster Strikes", "E.L.E." and "Anarchy" were all filled with the same Busta Rhymes that we are used to and each time out he gives us a little something different while sticking to the same formula that has always kept us fans of his music. His other singles and tight songs have included "Things People Do For Money Part 2 w/Rampage", "Body Rock" w/Rampage, Puff Daddy and Mase, "Gimme Some More", "Everybody Rise", "What's It Gonna Be" w/Janet Jackson, "Party Is Goin' On Over Here", "Salute Da Gods", "Tear Da Roof Off", and "Why We Die" w/Jay Z and DMX. After switching from Elektra to Clive Davis' J Records, Busta Rhymes is back with his 5th disc, "Genesis". The song "What It Is", produced by The Neptunes, was the first single from the Violator 2 compilation CD. I am sure that most people are tired of the Neptunes , but if you can get past the chorus from Kelis, this is still a tight song. The first single from "Genesis" is the Dr. Dre produced, "Break Your Neck". This song is definitely off the hook and just what the doctor ordered for diehard Busta fans. The Neptunes' "As I Come Back" takes Busta's words from "Scenario" and twists them around to make the chorus. If you have any kind of a system in your ride then you need to check this song out. This song is my favorite song on "Genesis". On Just Blaze's "Everybody Rise Again" Busta takes the energy from the prequel on "E.L.E.", "Everybody Rise" and slows the pace up this time which still brings good results. My 2nd favorite song is "Better Stay Up In Your House". This song features Rah Digga and it is off the hook for real. It samples Curtis Mayfield's "Eddie You Should Know Better" from the Superfly soundtrack and Busta and Rah Digga trade lines like they have been rapping together for over 10 years. Yogi from P Diddy's Hitmen did an excellent job with the beat as well. Other gems include the Dr. Dre produced "Truck Volume" and "Holla", "Match The Name With The Voice" w/Busta's Flipmode Squad" and "We Got What You Want" which are both produced by Just Blaze and "There's Only One" w/Mary J Blige. Overall, by listening to the 20 tracks on this CD, yes I did say 20, 1 intro and 19 actual real songs, not 13 songs and 7 interludes, you will realize that Busta Rhymes really put his effort into this CD. Yes he does have an all star production team, however, you still have to know what to do with it. "Genesis" is definitely worth your time and your money. Any fan of Busta's 4 previous CDs will enjoy "Genesis". The new Flipmode Squad CD should be out some time in May.

Busta Rhymes' fourth solo album, "Genesis," is in a way a combination of the style's he used on his previous three albums. The only problem that I had with the album is that Busta does not play to his strengths enough. He had an exceptional talent for rhyming extremely fast and yet still crisp. However, basically the only track that has a fast rhyming Busta is the first single released, "Break Ya Neck." A track like this just teases the listener and makes us want more of his frantic yet controlled style of rapping.

What "Genesis" does supply is a wide range of unique beats that probably have Swizz Eats (...) his drawers. The Neptunes, who appear to be the fad right now, make a guest appearance on "As I Come Back," a standout track. Dr. Dre has his hand in a couple songs, and as long as Dre is making beats and not rapping on them, things are alright. As guest appearances go, surprisingly the Flipmode Squad entity is respectable, with Busta and Rah Pigga trading back verses in "Better Stay Up In Your House," a solid track. "Match the Name With the Voice," which features the entire crew is one of the better songs on the album as well. Shockingly, even P. Diddy saves face with his verses on "Pass the Courvosier."

A problem with this album is that every song is basically shallow, and doesn't contain much meaning. Granted, I don't expect Busta to be coming up with ways to save the ozone layer, or invent a way to keep those rodents out of Richard Gere's poopy pipe, but he could at least tell some more stories instead of dropping the continues "Bounce my [expletives]" theme. The album is pretty good, and if a new rapper would have given out this product, then it would get a lot of love. However, because Busta is an aged, mature rapper, we expect more out of him. I think all Busta Rhymes fans really wish that he would get back to that Leaders of the New School stuff, when he was just classic and original; but thats just the way it goes. Rappers evolve, get rich, and can't rhyme about being poor and rapping on street corners anymore. As album's go, I will listen to this for a few weeks and then just drop it in my rotation, but its not something that I will listen to every day when I wake up. If you are a Busta Rhymes fan, then you will be satisfied with this because it does have great beats and polished rapping; but it is definitely not his best work. Late®