Busta Rhymes "Genesis"

Posted on 11.27.2001

Busta Rhymes
Album : Genesis
Release Date : Nov 27, 2001
Label : J-Records

Review :

While many hit-makers from the 90’s have since faded out, Busta Rhymes has remained one of the most consistent artists. Biggie and Jay-Z have been acclaimed for gaining respect from the streets while entertaining the mainstream, but Busta is still the only New York emcee to captivate audiences of all levels from pure energy. This human cartoon revolutionized rap music videos and personifies electricity. After severing ties with his former label, Elektra, and former Flipmode member, Lord Have Mercy, Busta stands tall to release the first project on J Records. The album starts off with words from the label’s owner, the legendary Clive Davis. He reminds Busta to "keep it gutter, keep it grimy." Busta does exactly that, delivering his fifth LP of consistent bangers.
Genesis takes off right where Anarchy left off, hitting off the populace with infectious party music. The first two singles, "What It Is" and "Break Ya Neck" (produced by Neptunes and Dr. Dre respectively) have already strong-armed their ways into regular rotation. New club bangers like "As I Come Back" and "There’s Only One," featuring Mary J. Blige, are abundant on the LP. Fans of the underground have material to sink there teeth into as well. "Shut ’Em Down 2002" is heavy horn influenced Pete Rock gem, and the title track is a lyrical highlight on the album. Neither of these songs are destined to be singles, but they offer the most replay value.

Busta’s music is definitely not without its flaws. For an artist with five albums out, he’s managed to not touch on any relevant topics or explore serious subject matter. In a time where our country is going through turmoil and political drama, one would expect more emcees to address the current events or moral questions. Busta’s failed to evolve at all, and his music isn’t much different than what he was making in 1996. This is not necessary a bad thing, however. Several emcees try to veer into new fields and embarrass themselves horribly, and Busta is definitely comfortable at doing what he’s known for.
Busta Rhymes succeeds in dropping another installment in his saga of solid albums. If you’re looking for some entertaining music to bump, you can’t go wrong with Busabus. However, if you’re looking for a more timeless record, Genesis may be towards the bottom of the list. Although this album is collection of quality songs, it’s not nearly as strong as some of the other projects released at the end of the year. Busta would have been better off dropping this during the drought earlier this year.

Track Listings :

1. Intro
2. Everybody Rise Again
3. As I Come Back
4. Shut ’Em Down 2002
5. Genesis
6. Betta Stay Up in Your House
7. We Got What You Want
8. Truck Volume
9. Pass the Courvoisier
10. Break Ya Neck
11. Bounce (Let Me See Ya Throw It)
12. Holla
13. Wife in Law
14. Ass on Your Shoulders
15. Make It Hurt
16. What It Is
17. There’s Only One - Mary J. Blige
18. You Ain’t Fuckin’ Wit Me
19. Match the Name With the Voice
20. Bad Dreams