When I first saw the group Leaders Of The New School, which consisted of Charlie Brown, Dinco D, Busta Rhymes and Milo, I always knew eventually that Busta Rhymes would go solo. This isn't a knock against the group because collectively they did sound nice until they allowed Milo to get on the microphone. When you saw their videos, Busta Rhymes always was the one who stood out amongst the crowd. This was clearly the case on A Tribe Called Quest's "Scenario". This track featured A Tribe Called Quest and Leaders Of The New School. Although this track is definitely one of the best rap collaborations of all time ,in my opinion, Busta Rhymes clearly stole the show. Once group friction hit an all time high after the release of their 2nd disc "T.I.M.E.", Busta Rhymes could be heard on any rap collaboration known to man. The best of these collaborations being Craig Mack's "Flava In Ya Ear (Remix)" which included The Notorious BIG (RIP), LL Cool J and Rampage. Busta Rhymes' solo career began shortly after all of these guest appearances. Many hip hop fans may have debates and discussions about which one of Busta Rhymes' solo CDs are his best and there are many to choose from:

"The Coming" (1996)
"When Disaster Strikes" (1997)
"Extinction Level Event-E.L.E. (1998)
"Anarchy" (2000)
"Genesis" (2001)
"It Ain't Safe No More" (2002)

In my opinion, Busta Rhymes' best solo offering was his 1st, "The Coming". Busta Rhymes knew that it would be a difficult transition from being in a group, then to being a guest appearance artist, then to being a solo artist, so he put his all into his solo debut. This CD would be the make or break period for Busta's career. Once you heard tracks like "Everything Remains Raw", "Ill Vibe" w/Q-Tip, the first single "Woo Hah" and my favorite from this CD "Flipmode Squad Vs. Def Squad" w/Redman, Keith Murray, Jamal, Lord Have Mercy and Rampage, you knew that Busta Rhymes was going to be around for awhile. "When Disaster Strikes" is my 2nd favorite Busta CD but you could tell that the CD was catered mostly to his breakthrough single, "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See". After his 4th CD, "Anarchy", Busta Rhymes switched labels from Elektra to J Records and "Genesis" was definitely a fresh start as tracks like "Break Your Neck", "Better Stay Up In Your House" w/Rah Digga and the Neptunes Remix to "Pass The Courvoisier" definitely gave Busta's career a new beginning. However, once he dropped "It Ain't Safe No More", although "Call The Ambulance" is a Neptunes banger, it seemed as if Busta Rhymes was happy with just making party tracks and not being as hungry as he was back in the earlier days of his rap career.

However, it's amazing what a label change and a good doctor can do as Busta Rhymes is defintely back for sure with "The Big Bang". Busta Rhymes made the switch to Aftermath Records and I began to hear tracks like "I'll Hurt You", "Rock Cocaine", "Look Who" w/Dr. Dre and "Ping" which used the beat from the TV show "Three's Company". Busta's official 1st single was the Swizz Beatz' produced "Touch It". Although I knew that this was the same "party" Busta that I began to hate, I knew that Dr. Dre wouldn't disappoint me with the whole CD and I was correct. "Touch It" spawned many remixes with different artists like Mary J. Blige, Rah Digga, Papoose, Lloyd Banks, DMX, Missy Elliott and even R&B newcomer, Ne-Yo but when someone decided to put all the different remixes together to make one gigantic remix that's when I knew that would be a sign of good things to come. Busta's 7th solo disc starts off with the impressive "Get You Some" which features Q-Tip and one of Dr. Dre's new signees, Marsha of Floetry, on the hook. Busta Rhymes shows confidence as it seems as if he's trying to put his stamp back in the rap game over a tight Dr. Dre and Mark Batson track. One of my favorite tracks on this CD is "N.Y. S***" which features Swizz Beatz on the hook and DJ Scratch on the boards. No one knows who the real king of NY is on the mic, but Busta Rhymes definitely has a 2006 anthem for aynbody ever affiliated with the state of NY. Busta Rhymes actually sounds as if he has something to prove as he is rapping and the results sound pretty good. "NY S***" is going to be Busta's 3rd single after the forgettable "I Love My Chick" which was Busta's 2nd single.

I was clearly floored when I heard "Been Through The Storm" w/Stevie Wonder and "In The Ghetto" w/ Rick James. If someone told me that one of the most respected rappers in the game had a song with Stevie Wonder and a song with Rick James on the same CD, I wouldn't believe it until I saw the CD cover for myself. What I like most about these 2 songs is that Busta is actually talking about something with substance instead of sticking to the same formula that most rappers do today by talking about bling bling, traps, money, going to the club and degrading women. Busta is actually talking about something that you would actually think about at a later date, which usually doesn't happen. The way that Stevie Wonder and Rick James blend in with Busta's lyrics on these tracks is amazing. On "Cocaina", Busta sounds as if he got a flashback from his debut CD, as his lyrcical content is clearly on point over another Dr. Dre and Mark Batson. My favorite track on "The Big Bang" has to be "You Can't Hold The Torch". J Dilla (RIP) produces a tight track, as he always did when he was on the boards. The track reminds me of something that would have been on A Tribe Called Quest's "Midnight Marauders" CD. Q-Tip sounds as if he hasn't lost a step on the mic and him and Busta sounds just as good as they did back in the day on previous collaborations in the past like the bonus track, "One, Two, S***". On "Goldmine" Raekwon The Chef and Busta make a great collaboration over a tight Erick Sermon and Dr. Dre track. Dr. Dre and Busta Rhymes are executive producing Raekwon's next offering, Only Bulit For Cuban Linx Part 2". If Raekwon sounds as good as he does on "Goldmine" and on his contributions on Ghostface's "Fishscale", he may have another classic CD in the making like his solo debut. Dr. Dre performs classic surgery on "Don't Get Carried Away" as he speeds things up for Busta Rhymes and Nas to make a memorable track. They have another track, "Rough Around The Edges" that is on mixtapes everywhere, but Busta thought that "Don't Get Carried Away" fit better on this CD. "They're Out To Get Me" has Busta talking about the people in his past that didn't believe in his skills and now that he is a well respected rapper how they have changed their behavior to him so they can try to reap the benefits. D 12's Mr. Porter produces the track, which is actually pretty good despite the fact that the chorus may get on your nerves after awhile. Things end with "Legend Of The Fall Offs" which talks about MCs rapping past their prime. Busta is saying that if your career as a rapper is over, just accept it like a man and move on to your next career instead of making duds as CDs and taking a chance of ruining your legacy.


"The Big Bang" is not without its faults as sometimes "party" Busta ruins things as usual. The Dr. Dre produced "How We Do It Over Here" w/Missy Elliott should have been left off of the CD as things just don't work for me on this track. "I Love My Chic" works as a single, but when you compare the track to the rest of the CD, Busta would have been better off with just releasing New York S*** as the second single. "I'll Do It All" shouldn't have made this CD either. Busta said that he was making songs for over 3 years for this CD and that him and Dr. Dre picked the best 15 tracks. Busta, I know that there was a song better than "I'll Do It All" that could have made this CD.

Overall, Busta Rhymes has definitely impressed me with "The Big Bang". Does Dr. Dre have something to do with that? Of course he does, but there is a passion behind Busta Rhymes that I only hear on his guest appearances and on CD's like "The Coming", "When Disaster Strikes" and "Genesis". There are alot of songs that Busta didn't put on "The Big Bang" that could have made this CD even a bigger hit than it is now. Anyone that listens to mixtapes should definitely check for tracks like "Address Me As Mister" w/Papoose & Raekwon, "Rough Around The Edges" w/Nas, "Look Who" w/Dr. Dre, "Ping", "High", "Get That Gwop" w/Slim Thug and "Cannon" w/TI. Clinton Sparks also released a nice mixtape recently with Busta entitled "New Crack City". If you are a fan of Busta Rhymes then you can't afford to pass up on "The Big Bang".

James' Top 6

1) You Can't Hold The Torch w/Q-Tip & Chauncey Black
2) New York S*** w/Swizz Beatz
3) In The Ghetto w/Rick James
4) Don't Get Carried Away w/Nas
5) Been Through The Storm w/Stevie Wonder
6) Goldmine w/Raekwon

Busta Rhymes (Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr.) seventh solo album is "The Big Bang" (2006) a fifteen track release which includes guest appearances from Q-Tip, Marsha, Missy Elliot, Swizz Beatz, Stevie Wonder, Rick James, Chauncey Black, Raekwon, Kelis, will.i.am, Nas, Mr. Porter and Latoiya Williams. Production comes from Dr. Dre, Mark Batson, Swizz Beatz, DJ Scratch, Sha Money XL, DJ Green Lantern, J Dilla (R.I.P.), Eric Sermon, will.i.am., Denaun Porter, Timbaland and Jelly Roll. Busta opens the album up collaborating with Marsha of Floetry and A Tribe Called Quest's lead MC Q-Tip on "Get You Some", all three come on point providing a stellar introduction backed by some tight Dr. Dre/Mark Batson production. First time I heard "Touch It" I knew it would be a club banger, Busta rhymes with a fast flow backed by Swizz Beatz distinct production. This cut has also spawned a popular remix, which has appearances from Mary J. Blige, Rah Digga, Missy Elliott, Lloyd Banks, Papoose & DMX. Next up Busta teams up with Missy Elliot for "This is How We Do It Over Here". Busta and Swizz represent their city with pride on "New York S***" a track which NY catz are bound to be bumping. One of the album's deepest track follows Busta takes his audience through his life talking about his parents, trials and tribulations on "Been Through The Storm", while Stevie Wonder soulfully sings, one of my favorite part's of this cut is when the orchestra drops in around the three minute mark to close off an impressive track. Busta Rhymes samples the late Rick James for "In The Ghetto" then hooks up with Marsha of Floetry again for the smooth "Cocaina". My favorite track on this album is "You Can't Hold A Torch", Busta Rhymes, Q-Tip and Chauncey Black collab for a quality head nodder about fronting MC's and how the Rap game has changed and is lacking love. One of the real highlights of this album for me is the return of Q-Tip, Busta and Q have a natural chemistry which goes back to the ATCQ days. The Wu's Raekwon and Busta provide another solid cut with "Goldmine". The albums second single "I Love My B****" has Busta, Kelis and the Black Eyed Peas will.i.am. dropping a relationship type cut which falls under skip material for me. Dr. Dre provides another excellent beat for "Don't Get Carried Away" a fastpaced cut, which Busta and Nas rip up. Denaun Porter (of D-12) produces and appears on the next track "They're Out To Get Me" a track where Busta talks about fake friends. Busta pays tribute to a fine woman on "Ill Do It All" while LaToiya Williams sings passionately. The album's closer is the ominous "Legend of The Fall Offs", Busta addresses what its like when stardom ends. Busta Rhymes provides an impressive album with his latest release "The Big Bang", tight and distinct production, good appearances and on point rhymes make this album worth checking out.

Been following Bus since The Coming, which is a classic (pick it up if you don't have it). When Disaster Strikes was a good follow up, not as good as the first, but nobody can deny "Put your Hands..." or "Dangerous" and its pretty consistant, besides lacking in the lyrical department. E.L.E. is a masterpiece and when it came out, I only expected better and better from Bus.

Then Anarchy came out...only a handful of tracks are good
Genesis...some great tracks here and there, some awful tracks otherwise.
It Ain't Safe No More...only 2 tracks are even listenable...

Finally, after 3 downers, Busta puts out a good consistent CD. Nobody should expect him to make another The Coming or E.L.E. Thats like asking Rakim to make another Paid in Full or Follow the Leader. Dr. Dre has revitalized Bus. Kudos to you both.

I just heard The Big Bang, I could have listened a month ago when it leaked, but I was hearing general reviews of "average" and "disappointment" which I refused to accept, so I initially ignored it.
"Get You Some" comes on. I hear a pop/R&B style chorus on a high budget production, which is some kind of tradition for rappers these days. Who remembers the days when one could count on Busta Rhymes to do
the complete opposite of all his competitors in rap? Who remembers the days when the Busta Rhymes introduction song was without question reserved for crazy, high energy spastic flows and chants on the chorus, perhaps
indeed a roar here and there. It was almost like an unwritten rule. Focus was concentrated on the lyrical content, creating tracks which became progressively more complex, a thick and enchanting forest of unprecedented talent for wordplay.
There are many poets who are commended in this world by academics, but one, being a "rapper", they have forgotten. I would border upon saying that he was a genius.
On 'Get You Some', however, the beat is typical Dr Dre, still adhering to his eastern fixation, which has been done many times before, something quite uncharacteristic of a strong Busta Rhymes track.
The first track on a true Busta album has to be insane, something innovative, something we have never heard before,
especially for the album following a nigh 4 year hiatus proclaimed by the artist himself to be his 'best'.
Take, for example, in chronological order, the introduction songs to his 4 Elektra Records albums:
'Do My Thing', 'Whole World Lookin At Me', 'Everybody Rise', 'Salute da Gods!!' 'Get You Some' and any of these 4 songs are not to be
mentioned within the same breath, they are a universe apart in all respects.

Of course, there is a multitude of reviews of 'The Big Bang' to choose from, so it is best to let you decide for yourself.
It's not my place to patronize you, or to tell the consumer how to spend money, I am simply discussing Busta Rhymes.
I firstly quote Busta Rhymes, "The best piece of hip-hop you are going to hear in 5-10 years", and the first line on this
supposedly legendary album is:

"Who told y'all to let a ********** back on the block with the bull****/see yall done ****** up now"

Or perhaps on "How We Do It Over Here", featuring the terrible Missy Elliot adorned once again with her overused sexually explicit ramblings.

"See how I'm drillin 'em baby/bus a bus back ***** killin 'em crazy"

And I could actually continue very easily with such lines, for the lyrical level on 'The Big Bang' rarely progresses from such
clichéd lines of nonsense.

Who remembers 'Enjoy Da Ride' from his fourth album 'Anarchy'? On 'Cocaina' Busta adopts a similar vocal pitch, and I expect to hear at least a glimpse of his old greatness
but he just fails to rhyme anything new, once again.

There is a clear pattern here: Busta has run out of rhymes. Some people brand those who make such damning conclusions as
"haters", but I propose to any one who considers disposing of your hard-earned cash on this disc, that I am a great admirer of Busta Rhymes'
intense and unique first 4 albums of his career, indeed I was really quite desperate to like 'The Big Bang'. On this album,
this creatively exhausted rapper masks his lack of lyrical proficiency with high budget productions, high profile guest appearances
(e.g. Stevie Wonder), and arrogant success consumed self-proclamations, that he "be the God". I don't even expect Busta Rhymes
to realise what has happened to himself, because he is so self-absorbed that he actually believes that the 'Big Bang' is a
classic, i.e. on par with B.I.G's 'Ready To Die', Nas' 'Stillmatic' or his very own 'The Coming'.

It is quite sad really, because we will never hear another 70 minutes of music anywhere near as brilliant as "E.L.E" ever
again. Yet nevertheless it does make me appreciate his first 4 albums all the more, a steady insane soundtrack to 4 years of my life,
in this world of lyrical decline in rap, coupled with increasing popularity, due to rap music merging into mass-appeal pop music
for heavy rotation "In Da Club" viz. "Touch It" or for play at 11 year old girls' slumber parties, viz. 'I Love My Chick'.
This is why the majority of the reviews for this album are positive: most people like mindless club bangers such as 'Touch It',
yet there are a few, albeit rare, correct reviews here. Take note of this truth, that Busta Rhymes has fallen off.


Trevor Smith may have gained resounding mainstream success, he may have gained his first billboard #1, but he has lost the
respect of the true followers of his former greatness, and can now never be considered as the strongest lyricist in the entire
world, whither he was indeed headed after his first few offerings.

Listen to any of his Elektra albums if you don't want to waste your money, for the man you hear on this record is not Busta Rhymes, but plain old Trevor Smith.

Busta's best album to date has to be ELE hands down. The last Busta album I have of his is Anarchy and that was just good not great. It kind of signaled a sign of the times for him. Genesis and It ain't safe no more didn't do anything for me because the singles he realeased weren't anything special. I don't know why Busta chooses to releases the more pointless songs on his albums as singles. On most of them he's just cursing for the hell of it or talking about the same sill topics women, violence, I'm a badman, etc. Busta doesn't reach any level of consciousness.The only good thing I can say about this album is that Dr. Dre did some beats, he did some work with NAS who, to me, is the best hip hop MC (not just your average rapper)around, and he brought Q-TIP back into the Limelight. With that said, Busta seems to have lost more than his dreadlocks with this album.