Total Devastation: The Best Of Busta Rhymes [PA]

Performer: Busta Rhymes
Artist: Zhane; Mystikal; Janet Jackson; Erykah Badu; Rampage The Last Boy Scout
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Personnel includes: Busta Rhymes, Rampage The Last Boy Scout, Zhane, Erykah Badu, Janet Jackson, Mystikal. Producers include: Rashad Smith, Busta Rhymes, Easy Mo, Bee, DJ Scratch. Compilation producers: Elektra Records. Includes liner notes by Soren Baker. Digitally remastered by Pat Kraus (Warner Bros. Records In House Studios). One of the most gifted and instantly recognizable rappers of the '90s, Busta Rhymes parlayed a madcap personality and seemingly inexhaustible energy into stardom during an era when hip-hop was dominated by gangstas and materialism. Busta's music sounded fairly distinctive -- herky-jerky funk laced with offbeat samples and eerie, apocalyptic production touches -- but the star of the show was his wildly off-kilter, dancehall-influenced flow, which was really like nothing else in rap. Still, despite many astounding individual moments, his albums were so sprawling that none really maintained their momentum from start to finish, making him an excellent candidate for a best-of. The 18 cuts collected on Rhino's chronologically arranged The Best of Busta Rhymes are chosen as well as one could hope, spanning all the singles and vitally necessary cuts from his four platinum solo albums (although diehards might find a personal favorite missing). There's also the hit non-LP reworking of "Turn It Up" (with new lyrics and a "Knight Rider" sample), plus two singles from the classic Leaders of the New School debut Future Without a Past. The leap in his technique from the LONS cuts to the brilliant "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check" is startling, but the collection's true revelation is the way it brings Busta's versatility into its sharpest focus yet. There's plenty of his trademark mania, of course, but there are also softer collaborations with female singers, dance-oriented club tracks, and creepy, more subdued mood pieces. Since this is only Busta's best, things never fly off in too many different directions, and fans who might miss the out-of-control feel of his albums may also find it easier to realize that whatever Busta tries, his rhymes remain as dizzyingly intricate and witty as ever. The Best of Busta Rhymes paints as definitive a portrait as possible of one of rap's most electrifying talents, but, more than that, it's simply an irresistible listen. ~ Steve Huey This Rhino collection makes a case for Busta Rhymes as one of the most talented and significant MCs in hip-hop. Busta's dazzling, associative wordplay and catch-me-if-you-can intelligence blaze out of the speakers every time he's on the mic. His flow, a herky-jerky spill of dancehall cadences and exaggerated vaudevillian gestures, is tightly controlled and totally manic at once. He also strikes an appealing balance between the raw intensity of hardcore gangster rap and the accessible dexterity of Native Tongues outfits like A Tribe Called Quest. All of these qualities are on magnificent display on THE BEST OF BUSTA RHYMES. Since the set's 18 tracks are arranged chronologically, the listener can chart Busta's progression from a young upstart in Leaders of the New School, through his breakout debut single (the irrepressibly infectious "Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check"), and all the necessary highlights from his four platinum solo albums. One of the testaments to Busta's greatness is his range and versatility--he sounds as at-home on soul-smooth duets with female R&B singers ("It's a Party" with Zhane, "One" with Erykah Badu) as he does spitting lickety-split rhymes on "Dangerous." Thanks to Rhino for putting together this definitive, much-needed compilation.

Brooklyn-born rapper Busta Rhymes first came to prominence in the early 1990s as a member of the Leaders of The New School, whose two albums found a place in the hearts of many hardcore hip-hop fans. Later in the decade, he embarked on the solo career that was inevitable, considering his talent, charisma, and unique style, with his distinctive brand of in-your-face, dancehall-flavored rhyming sticking out among the sound-alike MCs. He continued his style of apocalyptic imagery funneled through a hard-partying attitude into the 21st century, releasing the excellent THE BIG BANG in 2006.

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