4/5
ELE 2020.
Everybody rise once again. Event. This one is on another level. Now backstory time. When I was 13 years old I once exchanged Busta Rhymes' classic 'Extinction Level Event' album for Shania Twain's mega-seller 'Come On Over' because I thought there'd be hell to pay. I was scared-not of the apocalyptic intro in demonic, robotic overtones-but of my mother screaming at me after the rapper shouted "all my N words" through my speakers to a skinny white kid in a British seaside town not far from Preston (I know Busta knows there. Shouting it out on the remix of London's own Estelle's mega hit 'American Boy' back in the day...how much time has passed and how old are we when we call that song back in the day?). Alas I ended up buying both years later. True story...they're both bangers! Now man, I feel like a sequel. Let's go Rhymes. Tearing da roof off to give you some more. Don't act like the best rap name ever, Trevor Smith wasn't making end of the world albums like 'The Coming', 'When Disaster Strikes', 'Extinction Level Event', 'Anarchy', 'It Ain't Safe No More' and 'The Big Bang' for years and you weren't listening. And now in this Kobe to Chadwick, corona to police brutality tragic, terrible year of 2020 that feels like the end of days like an old Schwarzenegger movie (even The Terminator has been laid up in hospital), Busta is back like that or he never cut off those dreads with 'Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath Of God' or 'ELE 2' for this Rhymes rapture like Baker (with all these sequel albums it's time for 'Come Home With Me 2' by Cam'Ron. I can see the album artwork now. Cam next to what his son looks like today, 18 years later. 'Come Back Home With Me'). To all those socially isolated and stuck, locked down at home in quarantine, just wishing they could see his epic energy live again like this writers fist ever gig (OK...it was All Saints. You can't blame a guy for trying to get some credibility after not impressing you much). Even the artwork skull here is wearing a mask, complete with Mad Max horns like you all should do (minus the spikes, even though it is the apocalypse). Remember when that multimillion dollar, 'Alex Mack' like silver surfing video for 'What's It Gonna Be' featuring a dynamite Damita Jo, Janet Jackson like 'Scream' with MJ came out? It changed the game, no matter how dated it now looks (it's still a classic though). Or the epic, periscope cartoonish 'Gimme Some More' clip for arguably two of the biggest singles for the artist who likes to 'Turn It Up' and "fire it up' like a Hasselhoff on the gas 'Knight Rider' ignition. Like the 'Ringer's' very own author of 'The Rap Book' aswell as 'Basketball' and 'Movies and Other Things' Shea Serrano tweets it, "there wasn't much I got more excited about in 1997 than a new Busta Rhymes video." Me too.
Extinction. It's been a minute since Busta Rhymes has been back on his bull#### with 2012's Smaug lord, 'Year Of The Dragon' flame rhyme, fire breather. An eight wonder years, aside from tapes as good as the sonic, energetic 2006 classic 'New Crack City' which like producer Clinton Sparks said about the rest of his collection from that time, aren't mixtapes, but albums. Still sounding fresher than anything today out the boom bap booth. But in 2020 he ain't done yet! Taking it back to the golden era 90's time were he and Missy Elliott got their freak on and made rap fun. HOLLAAAAA! Albeit still with epic, event albums that showcased their skill sets as the best in the game. Superheroes like comic book characters or Public Enemy, Beastie Boys and DMC's before them. But it's not all peaches and cream like 112 as "we've learned nothing" he says 22 years later in 2020 on the intro to the sequel to the 1998 classic. "Daddy what's it going to be like in the year 2021". "There's only five years left n####!" Chris Rock who serves as this 'Extinction' evenings compare screams on the second coming, counting down on the Pete Rock produced opener with the legendary raps of Rakim. "I tried to warn them on 'The Seventh Seal'" he says after Busta blasts, "now my President is gone how convenient the world is ending", over a sample of New York's finest friend Nas' iconic 'The World Is Yours' in this fight for the planet. "Sorry country I know you really don't want this really but/'Till we get us some justice we f#####g every city up," he warns on the opening steps he takes to the streets of 'The Purge' masked revolt, standing behind the protestors of the Black Lives Matter movement and leading the charge, whilst passing the mic to anyone who hears him and wants to wax lyrical in reply. Like the 'Strap Yourself' lyrical and delivery dexterity of a ra, raa rapper who has rhymed with everyone from Tribe to Dr. Dre prescribed production. Bringing another voice on the Chris introduced, mic rocking 'Czar' that ante's up with M.O.P. (attention please, attention please) and the urgency of this dramatic, big beat as he references 'Cuban Linx' like the built for sequel strategy album classic he also rapped back over. And how about the old school sample going 'Outta My Mind' with Bell Biv DeVoe? Don't this s### make you want to jump, jump? Pass that courvoisier and f### coronavirus for this part two. Because a sinister six tracks in he's already adding new classics to his catalogue with this dynamite over the skyline for his discography like the last album cover. Like the inspired interlude of influence by Minister Louis Farrakhan that feels like the 'Wrath Of God'. Then there's the 'Slow Flow' that brings ODB and his Noreaga "whut, what's" back from the dead, showing that there is no one like Ol' Dirty Bastard when it comes to raw rhymes like Wu Tang is for the children. Or Busta as he brings the Rhymes and "Illmatic". Give him his mics. All of 'em.
But 'Don't Go' on an abstract quest with Q-Tip that reunites Rhymes with Kaamal for the first time on a Busta album since 'The Big Bang'...and the aftershock is explosive. Killing them with the slow flow again like they did on A Tribe Called Quest's 2016 comeback classic for all you midnight marauders, 'We Got It From Here' like their black and white, Subway kaleidoscopic music video for 'Dis Generation' like a scenario lament or an underground concrete 'Solid Wall Of Sound'. Thank you for your service. Pumping iron with anime animated fists of fury and fire barbells, the artist who dropped more with than Raekwon (figuratively or literally) is bench pressing the competition like he used to. Now what do you do when you're branded? The rejuvenation machine has made Captain America brawn out of this Incredible Hulk...and nobody can shield themselves form his gamma ray raps. Your speakers are about to go 'Boomp' with his signature crowd cheering ad-lib for this heat rock of an album with more bangers than fireworks night, leaving anyone in his brimstone wake looking like a Guy Fawkes rag doll in need of a penny for a guy whose been funky since Parliament. Can I borrow a dollar? This is about to be a common classic like part one of a surprise album from Sense as this great genre still looks to find forever. 'True Indeed'. Riding in a Maybach to the Port of Miami with Rick Ross for some 'Master Fard Muhammed' and even showing this South Beach talent more heat like LeBron in a Florida bubble. Same can be said for the new kid Anderson .Paak on Busta's block, or 'Yuuuu'. 'Oh No' you didn't still think he had it like this over beats and rhymes for days that he Buss a Bus busts? All before 'The Don and The Boss' get together as a Vybz Kartel collaboration and 'Best I Can' rhapsody with Rapsody shows this legend can still lead the new school like a remix flip. Like the spiritual sequel in beat interpolation and sample reflection of 'I Know You Want' for the 'Where I Belong' Mariah Carey giving them the high note reunion that's only missing a Flipmode Squad like Rah Digga or Spliff Starr hype man. 'Deep Thought' permanates this project that's about to punctuate your players all the way to your oozing cerebellum. Segueing into the young Michael Jackson sampling of 'The Young God Speaks' and the just 'Look Over Your Shoulder' honey 'I'll Be There' sampling single featuring the new G.O.A.T. Kendrick Lamar and Busta Rhymes trademark 'Break Ya Neck' pace when he used to steamroll bars with the good doctor. But in this apocalyptic aftermath Busta and Mary of the J. Blige variety give one of the deepest and decadent cuts in 'You Will Never Find Another Me' like an all you need Meth Tical collao, or her best since she told The Game, 'Don't Worry'. As the 'Power Book II: Ghost', 'Umbrella Academy' and Netflix 'Mudbound' star who is still the Queen sings, "feels like you tatted my name in pencil. Was I, I not good enough for the ink". Whilst the back-to-back 'Freedom' with Nikki Grier even rivals that throne, "eye for an eye. Knee for a knee," as Busta says, "let me give you some more science". All these collabos and still not one with Black Sabbath's bat eating Ozzy Osborne in the year of COVID-19 this Halloween (this means war). All this and Bus can still bust himself like Ludacris or Jay-Z with Missy, even if he had no features like J. Cole. All before the kinetic 'Satanic' closer that shows we really are catching hell ("what happened to 'Jesus Walks'" Rhymes asks in a time Kanye allies with Trump like even Lil' Wayne today). Pearly gate or flames licking like the grim reapers scythe or devil's tail. Still in the same big three, new music release Friday of new albums from Common ('A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 1') and the 20th anniversary of Outkast's outstanding 'Stankonia' (with a sweet Snoop Dogg permed remix of 'So Fresh, So Clean'), this is the biggest and the baddest. Did they forget this was as everybody hates Chris calls it "the human iPod" with a catalogue you can't touch like, 'Touch It', 'Break Ya Neck', 'Make It Clap', 'Put Your Hands Were My Eyes Can See' and so much more that 'Light's Your A## On Fire' as he comes back? 'Respect (The) Conglomerate'. 'Call The Ambulance', come and pick up your people. The 'Extinction' isn't over. This is the 'Wrath'. Everything still remains raw. 'It Ain't Safe No More', 'When Disaster Strikes'. This is 'The Coming' of 'Anarchy' like 'The Big Bang'. Wreck yourself, because he's got you all in check. Woo ha! This is the wrath of Busta, God. Hear him reptar ROAR Rugrats! TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Playlist Picks: 'Don't Go (Feat. Q-Tip)', 'Look Over Your Shoulder (Feat. Kendrick Lamar), 'You Will Never Find Another Me (Feat. Mary J. Blige)'.
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