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"Busta-Rhymes" CD Cover Download

Amazon.com Review: Arguably the most idiosyncratic MC in contemporary rap, Busta Rhymes flaunts his musical genius on his J Records debut. "Break Ya Neck," an uptempo headbanger produced by the good Dr. Dre, features Busta flipping his trademark rapid-fire delivery over some postmodern beats. The Neptunes lace Busta with some spacey heat-seeking rhythm tracks on "What It Is," featuring Kelis, while on "As I Come Back" Busta unleashes some potent dungeon-dragon roars and Jamaican-patois-inflected rhymes. Pedigreed knob twiddlers Pete Rock and Diamond D drop by to provide the dreadlocked wonder with some crisp beats and the first lady of the Flipmode Squad, Rah Digga, rips up some rhymes on "Betta Stay Up in Your House." Busta's clearly ditched the apocalyptic postmillennial musings heard on his last three studio albums for a more party-themed sound. Sure, he dabbles in a little bit of dorkery by enlisting the talents of P. Diddy on "Pass the Courvoisier," but all in all his eclectic rhymes and the plethora of wildly unpredictable beats makes Genesis a keeper. --Dalton Higgins

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Busta Rhymes CD Cover Download

Amazon.com Review: Product DescriptionBuy your Busta Rhymes: The Big Bang CD at the official NBC StoreThis is Busta’s first new album in four years plus Dr. Dre cosigns by signing him to Aftermath. Will the success enjoyed by 50 Cent, Eminem and The Game work for Busta? Surprisingly, Busta has never sounded so mature -- joining a brigade of over 30 rappers who are thinking beyond the corner. Songs like "In the Ghetto," "Been Through the Storm" and "You Can’t Hold a Torch" reflect a more grown-man outlook, which is a refreshing departure. There are the requisite fast-chatter club tracks, some predictably formulaic ("Touch It"), some better than expected ("I Love My Bitch"), some that will leave you scratching your head ("I’ll Do It All," featuring Latoya Jackson). Unfortunately, the album is also overloaded with more guests than needed --Stevie Wonder and Q-Tip were good, while Rick James middling and Swizz Beatz should stick to producing. It’s hard to tell what expectations to put on this album. It’s not going to trump 50 Cent sales but it’s also a better effort than Busta has put forth on his last few, and that’s worth letting it bang. --Oliver Wang

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Busta Rhymes CD Cover Download

Amazon.com Review: Busta Rhymes opens his second album with a ridiculous monologue predicting global destruction before the year 2000. The only thing in danger of vaporizing over the next two years is Rhymes's career. Listening to Busta's gruff voice for well over an hour is an endurance test of the highest order, especially after MTV and radio have relentlessly subjected listeners to his "Woo-haa!" battle cry. Thankfully, Busta makes his pipes contort in every way possible on When Disaster Strikes... From mellow to wild, over an eclectic mix of samples that range from Seals & Croft to KC & the Sunshine Band to Henri Mancini. Sean "Puffy" Combs produces a track called "The Body Rock" that sounds like an old-school Tribe Called Quest cut, while Erykah Badu helps Busta forget the rampant sexism and violence for a minute as the unlikely duo gets spiritual on "One." Disaster avoided...for now. --Aidin Vaziri