Busta Rhymes - The Big Bang

Submitted by OTB - Jun 17, 2006

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Busta Rhymes

The Big Bang

Aftermath/Interscope

Artist Website || No tour dates available

2 years in the making and 4 years since his last full length LP dropped, the anticipation of "The Big Bang" has been incredible. Label woe after label woe it seemed as if Busta might not ever find a home/situation that suited him, but then the good Dr. (Dre) gave him the prescription he was looking for, creative freedom.

Upon album title alone I expected an onslaught of "smack you in the face "club bangers that I’ve come to enjoy out of the Leader of the New School. However, "The Big Bang" does not sound anything like the over the top energetic, riot starting style and flow that Busta Bust has been known for on his previous 6 releases. Initially I expected each progressing track to be the new "Put Your Hands…" or "Woo Hah…" or even the Dre produced "Break Ya Neck". This was obviously to no avail. I suppose that I was so taken back by the over all maturity of this album that I almost lost sight of the genius that is "The Big Bang".

With a who’s who list of cameos ranging from Nas, Q-Tip (A Tribe Called Quest), Raekwon (Wu-Tang), will.i.am (Black Eye Peas) and Missy Elliot to the late Rick James (RIP), Marsha (Floetry), Mr. Porter (D12) to Steve Wonder and production by some of the games finest (Dr. Dre, J Dilla (RIP), Swizz Beats, Havoc, Green Lantern, DJ Scratch, Timbaland), all arrows seem to point to "classic" ratings.

Highlights on the album include the Q-Tip assisted "You Can’t Hold the Torch" and "Get You Some", Steve Wonder assisted "Been Through the Strom", Rick James assisted "In the Ghetto", Mr. Porter assisted "They’re Out To Get Me", Raekwon assisted "Goldmine" and Busta’s solo "Cocaina" and "New York Shit" (minus the annoying Swizz Beats intro, adlibs and hook..)

All highlights aside, "The Big Bang" falls short of "classic ratings with contrived radio friendly tracks like the second single "I Love My Bitch" assisted by will.i.am and Kelis and the first single "Touch It", which should’ve the remix for the album cut. There’s also a sense of force feeding a concept on the Dre produced and Missy Elliot assisted "How We Do It" as Busta doesn’t seem at all at home. As "Don’t Get Carried Away" starts off so brilliantly w/ Busta hitting the 1st verse like the vet he is, Nas fails to pick up where he left off spitting one of the most uninspiring verses the "Gods Son" has laid down to date. With all production and lyrical creativity aside, on "Legend of the Fall Offs", where Dre actually sampled a grave digging for the drums and a human heart beat for the baseline, it still comes up short almost causing you to wonder if they fell victim to over production.

With the Radio, BET and MTV airwaves being flooded w/ the ever popular and growing southern hip hop movement, "Big Bang" is a breath of fresh air and all together is definitely worth the purchase. Who knows, with Biggie gone (RIP) Jay in "retirement" acting as Def Jam President and 50 making LA his new home, maybe New York has found new king in Busta Rhymes. If you ask me, the crown is his.