After preparing us for such an event on the outro of When Disaster Strikes..., and then releasing the alright-but-not-great Flipmode album, Trevor "Busta Rhymes" Smith unleashed his third solo album on the population, the ridiculously titled E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front, an album that followed a similar formula to his previous effort, only with way less guests. The project was intended to be Busta's final album, not because he was retiring, but because on January 1st 2000, the apocalypse was inevitably to begin suddenly and without prior evidence or reasoning to this being the case, and we were all to suffer greatly before our inevitable painful deaths - no time to get in the studio, then. Or at least that's what Busta thought. Inevitably, that didn't happen, or at least it didn't in our minds - Busta believed the world had indeed gone to shit, and he decided to convey that "shit" through his fourth album, Anarchy. But that's a story for another day.
Today, we're talking about E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front, a title that I will be shortening to just Extinction Level Event for the remainder of this review if that's alright with you.
Extinction Level Event was a 19 track effort that had quite a few things in common with his previous album When Disaster Strikes.... There was a long-ass spoken intro and a long-ass spoken outro too, the first three tracks were all done by the same producer, there was a track featuring a popular female singer, a lead single that remains one of the best hip-hop songs in existence, and there were a lot of solo songs - a good thing, as one person who doesn't need guests is Busta Rhymes, a man bound to destroy them anyway. When Disaster Strikes..., however, had a rather guest-heavy bottom half, with there being no guests within the first 9 tracks, and about 3900 in the remainder of the project, which made the album look a little poorly sequenced at first glance. Extinction Level Event, however, spreads its four collaboration tracks pretty evenly throughout, which is already a positive. The guests? Well, we have Flipmode Squad, albeit only on one song, and Mystikal, which seemed like a good match, but also Janet Jackson in her first singing spot for a rapper ever, and then bloody Ozzy Osbourne, which is just weird. Busta had got in some pretty hefty names, then, and the producer list was similarly exciting - Bus-a-Bus invited the up-and-coming Nottz to do the first three tracks, and he had once again invited DJ Scratch along for the ride, which is a great thing - Scratch is easily one of my favourite beat makers ever. We also had Swizz Beatz (sceptical look ensues), Jamal (OK?), Diamond D and Rockwilder, along with a few of the Hitmen to finish things off.
Busta's third album looked like it was going to be a success, then, and I for one was very bloody excited. A couple years ago, as I was getting into his music, I decided, to let the hype build, that I would sit through all my GCSEs before listening to Busta's albums, and by the time they were over I would have happily eaten through several brick walls to get at this thing. Odd times. Anyway, would it live up to the hype? Only one way to find out.
1. Intro-There's Only One Year Left!!! (producer not listed)
Now it's 2024, this intro is more funny and ironic than anything, but then again, I can definitely imagine it scaring the ever loving shit out of listeners back in 1998, or at least the ones who had a semblance of belief towards the Y2K theory. Despite it inevitably not ageing well, this is still easily one of the best rap album intros ever, even if Busta does decide to start shouting random bullshit at the end - the voice that gets slowly deeper teamed with the vivid descriptions of torture is positively bone-chilling.
2. Everybody Rise (prod. Nottz)
Over a poignant yet creepy piano instrumental from Nottz, Busta decides to actually address his own beliefs of where the world was headed, and the results are spectacular. Busta's trademark screaming which would normally be funny and joyous sounds pretty horrifying on the hook here, and when we get to that one verse, things truly heat up, as Bus proves himself as an incredible and engaging lyricist to those unfamiliar with him. The repetition of "get what's yours from out this fucker 'fore your time run out!!" is powerful too. What a bloody way to open an album. "EVERYBODY RIIIIIIIIISEEEEEE!!!!"
3. Where We Are About To Take It (prod. Nottz)
Busta's preference for long and random song titles comes to a head on this album, so I'd watch out for that - the title of the project should give you a clue that that would be the case, though. This Nottz beat is nice as hell, and Busta is still sounding pretty manic on this track, if not quite so much as on the previous one. Some of his lines are bloody good, though, and his delivery is always the thing that really allows them to pack that punch they need. "We here to stay, nigga, FUCK paying a visit!" is a personal favourite of mine. And this is yet another one verse wonder? Bloody hell, this stuff is good.
4. Extinction Level Event (The Song Of Salvation) (prod. Nottz)
Pretentious song title aside, this song is just as good as the previous two. Nottz' beat is creepy in a paranormal way, and Busta's delivery is fully on point here, with him accentuating words constantly as if he had a bad case of hiccups in the studio that day. This is also the first song to contain more than one verse, something rather out of the ordinary for a mainstream rap album in the late '90s. These first three songs make for one of the most entertaining one-two-three punches in hip-hop history - if only Busta and Nottz had done a full collaborative album. Imagine how good that would have been!
5. Tear Da Roof Off (prod. Swizz Beatz)
According to Wikipedia, this was the lead single, but there are no proper physical copies of it on Discogs, and the only video for it was tacked on the front of the "Party Is Goin' On Over Here" video, which I think came out after the album anyway. Can never trust Wikipedia. This track is a banger - Swizz Beatz provides easily one of the best instrumentals of his entire career (which isn't saying all that much if we're being honest, mind you), and while Busta's flow may seem disjointed and repetitive to some, I think the energy and occasional bursts of maniacal shouting make for one of Busta's catchier tracks. I could see why people might find this annoying, but to me it's yet another great single in the Trevor Smith catalogue.
6. Against All Odds (feat. Flipmode Squad) (prod. Jamal)
The only track on the album to feature any of Busta's Flipmode Squad buddies, and also the last appearance of Lord Have Mercy on a Busta album, which is very sad, as he was arguably the best member of the Squad (after Busta, obviously). This track is most notorious for the final line of Busta's verse, which aged so, so well. I won't type it here - just listen to it, and you'll see what I mean. And, if you listen to it, you'll probably like it: the beat, weirdly provided by Def Squad affiliate Jamal (who did contribute verses to Busta's first two efforts, but I don't think had had his hand in production before), is energetic and haunting, and all of the rappers sound a lot better than they did on that group album they dropped a couple of months before this. The hook is catchy too. People who bought the CD are gifted a skit that isn't available on streaming, and it's pretty funny, if a bit random.
7. Just Give It To Me Raw (prod. Swizz Beatz)
Swizz Beatz, spurred on by the fact that he had actually made a good instrumental, for "Tear Da Roof Off", decided that for his second contribution to Busta's album, he would try to be a little more experimental. However, the results of this were predictably terrible, as this is quite easily the worst beat on the whole album. Talk about clunky. Busta does his best on here, but his flow ends up sounding kinda repetitive, and even with the reference to Raekwon's "Ice Cream" in there, his verses don't say much of interest. Thankfully, Busta gave Swizz the sack after this - he doesn't pop up again.
8. Do It To Death (prod. Rockwilder)
Rockwilder provides one of his trademark instrumentals that just sort of sounds like random noise on here, and while this would have confused any other rapper as much as the prospect of an album without an intro skit, Busta predictably is able to control and manoeuvre the beat as easily as he would a Go-Kart (that is if Busta actually ever tried a Go-Kart, which is quite a funny image now that I think about it). His random spurting into gibberish is quite funny, and the line "fuck around and be the next "Formerly Known As" artist" is clever too. This doesn't exactly scream "replayability", but in the moment it's a damned exciting listen. The hook grates on the brain like an annoying coworker, though.
9. Keepin' It Tight (prod. Rashad Smith, co-prod. Armando Colon)
The beat on this one is sort of just there in the background, but other than that I still enjoy this one, as Busta once again kills his verses, and the hook is great. This is one of those songs where I feel there's nothing to say - it's not incredible, but I still like it. Uhhh... that's it!
10. Gimme Some More (prod. D.J. Scratch)
11. Iz They Wildin Wit Us & Gettin Rowdy Wit Us? (feat. Mystikal) (prod. Darrell Delite Allamby & Kenny [Kenny Flav] Dickerson)
Aside from the fact that it has the stupidest song title in Busta's long career of stupid song titles, this is yet another track that I just love. I find it interesting that Busta sequenced the two speediest tracks on here right next to each other, but I think it's a good thing - have the epitome of energy right in the middle of the album, and come down after that. Mystikal's verse is predictably incomprehensible, but the catchy hook, brilliantly speedy Busta verse and bullet train beat all make this into one of the best tracks here. Love it.
12. Party Is Goin' On Over Here (prod. D.J. Scratch)
These song titles are truly something, aren't they? Anyway, Scratch-a-tor is back for another beat, and one could argue that this instrumental is even better than that of "Gimme Some More", if one was okay with being stabbed repeatedly by anyone who heard him say this (people do love "Gimme Some More"). The beat on here is bloody nice, and Busta predictably sounds excellent over it - yes, nothing of what he says is particularly profound or insightful, but that isn't what you come to a Busta album for anyway. That chorus is damned catchy, but interestingly so are the verses, and they aren't even supposed to be! One of Busta's most underrated singles.
13. Do the Bus a Bus (prod. D.J. Scratch)
14. Take It Off (prod. Hassan Big Haas The Fantom)
This was the song that worried me the most upon listening through this album for the first time, as the title insinuates that this is going to be one of those dismal sex songs that rappers just love to put on their albums for some reason. However, I needn't have bothered worrying, as this is just another party song, which demands you to take off most of your clothes simply due to the heat on the dance floor. The track is one of the more forgettable on the project - the Haas G beat has a Caribbean flavour that's mildly entertaining, but largely inoffensive, almost like background music, and Busta seems to be recycling ideas on here. Can you believe the guy who produced this also made Ghostface Killah's "Apollo Kids"? Still, I don't mind this track - it just doesn't stand up to the rest.
15. What's It Gonna Be?! (feat. Janet Jackson) (prod. Darrell Delite Allamby)
16. Hot Shit Makin' Ya Bounce (prod. Deric Angellettie & Nasheim Myrick)
I mean, it's pretty hilarious, but still, is that really the song title, Busta? Anyway, this track is pretty fun, if once again sounding a bit too forgettable and similar to a lot of the material we've already heard. Busta makes it worthwhile - his verses are absolutely brilliant on here.
17. What The Fuck You Want!! (prod. Diamond D)
Well, I'd quite like you to return to the actual topic of the album, but jeez, no need to snap, my man! Anyway, this track is easily the most aggressive here, as you can probably tell by the ridiculous song title. Apparently someone in the studio made fun of Busta's extensive collection of apocalyptical memorabilia, leading him to snap out at them in a big way, and thankfully this makes for one of the more exciting songs in the final third of the album - "derange your whole circular shape into triangular, nigga!!" is one of the best lines on the album, and I won't argue about that.
18. This Means War!! (feat. Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath) (prod. Busta Rhymes)
Yup, you read that right. Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath. And if that wasn't strange enough, it turns out that this is simply a remake of Sabbath's "Iron Man", only with new lyrics from Ozzy himself, and obviously some aggressive Busta verses. As much as I appreciate the idea here, this ultimately fails slightly in execution, and ending the album with something as satirical as this probably wasn't the best idea, was it now, Bus?
19. Outro-The Burial Song (prod. D.J. Scratch)
Busta takes one of the best beats on here (yet another DJ Scratch gem), and decides that instead of rapping, what everyone really wants is for him to talk over it for five minutes about the end of the bloody world. Still, this is pretty creepy, but yeah, it's way too long for a spoken word outro.
As much as I may have been critical of some of the songs on here, I think that's me just comparing them to the rest of the material on the album, and taken on their own, songs like "Take It Off" and "Hot Shit Makin' Ya Bounce" are still wildly entertaining and fun. As for the rest of this thing... it's bloody phenomenal. I absolutely love this project, and, honestly, it's one of my favourite albums of all time. Busta Rhymes destroys pretty much every verse here, and almost every instrumental just hits. One thing that Busta also excels at that most rappers often will stumble with is hooks - his are always catchy and fun, and he never does that stupid goofy singing that people like Ghostface Killah and Nas always do, which just ends up sounding miserably bad. No, Busta understands the assignment - make a fun album full of bangers and clever lines, and he does it to a tee. Sure, you could argue that this thing is a little too long, but with tracks like "Gimme Some More", "Everybody Rise" and "Party Is Goin' On Over Here", surely some songs are going to appear to be inferior. I feel like I'm glazing Busta hard right now, so I'm going to stop, and finish with this by saying that you should definitely listen to this album. It's fun, it's catchy and it's consistent. All it's missing is a bit of substance, but who really wants that from Busta anyway? If you want meaningful, poetic lyrics, go to Common. If you want a nice bit of chilled out fun, Busta's your man. Incredible piece of work right here.
Best Tracks: Everybody Rise, Where We Are About To Take It, Extinction Level Event (The Song Of Salvation), Tear Da Roof Off, Gimme Some More, Iz They Wildin Wit Us & Gettin Rowdy Wit Us?, Party Is Goin' On Over Here, What's It Gonna Be?!, What The Fuck You Want!!
Worst Tracks: Just Give It To Me Raw, This Means War!!
Want to see some more whimsical praise of Busta? Well, he's my favourite rapper, so there's plenty more where that came from.
Images for the album cover and "Do the Bus a Bus" single taken from Discogs.
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