2008-07-26-0217-55 by you.

It’s hard to believe today that there was ever a question of whether Busta Rhymes could achieve commercial success without selling out. But back in ’98, that’s just the position he was in. As the underground and mainstream scenes began to move apart like tectonic plates, Busta slowly but surely began to distance his self from the music he put out while affiliated with the Native Tongue Movement.

So while everybody else was living it up ’98, Busta looked to the upcoming millennium and uncertainty that surrounded it. With another year winding down and suspicions of the world coming to an end, he played on these themes throughout his album. If Prince provided a soundtrack for partying in ’99; then Busta provided the soundtrack for the riots, looters, chaos and destruction that everybody secretly prepared for. The first six songs (intro included) are straight fire. Nottz laced Busta with 3 straight bangers in the forms of “Everybody Rise,” “Where We Are About To Take It,” & “Extinction Level Event (Song Of Salvation.)” A fresh Swizz Beatz makes another banger with the Casio keys on “Tear Da Roof Off,” while he assembles the entire Flipmode Squad together for a space odyssey on “Against All Odds.” Read the rest of this entry »