Busta Rhymes, while no longer my favourite rapper of all time, remains as a top tier MC in my book, one of the more underrated rappers who undeservedly gets thrown around far too often in "best rappers without a classic album" conversations - did these people even hear The Coming? His unique delivery and flows teamed with his rather diverse vocabulary (which perhaps does use the n-word a little too often) make him a rapper who I am always excited to see on a feature list - inevitably he'll bring a well-written and impeccably performed verse to the table, that will almost certainly have extremely positive effects on the song, aside from perhaps his outshining the host, which has happened on numerous occasions.
Of course, this only applies to guest verses prior to 2021 - as these days the man has started to completely fucking suck. But oh well. Every dog has his day, and it seems Busta's is up. At least he gave us a solid 30 years of great music and brilliant verses. He really did deserve that Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction, plus every platinum plaque he has received over the years. The man is truly a legend.
That said, the album I'm covering today is certainly a weird one - while It Ain't Safe No More...'s main single, a collaboration with Mariah Carey titled "I Know What You Want", was one of the highest charting and most successful tracks of Busta's entire career, the album itself was a commercial flop, failing to breach Billboard's top 40, let alone top 10 like some of his previous records. Sure, the lead single "Make It Clap" wasn't very popular, but neither was "Get Out!!" and Anarchy still charted decently well. And since his other album with J Records, the very solid Genesis, had sold pretty damn well, it didn't seem to be the label that was to be blamed for the record's flop either (although Busta's departure from it the following year might seem to indicate that). So was it the music?
Well, that's what I'm here to find out. Well actually, I already know, since I've listened to this album many times and have owned it for years, but hopefully my dear readers will know too by the end of this review.
1. Intro
Presumably a dare from one of the executives. There's no way Busta, or indeed anyone around him, thought that this utter bullshit would help people actually want to listen to the rest of the album. There's no way, right? Fucking hell.
2. It Ain't Safe No More... (feat. Meka) (prod. Dilla)
Those that made it past the worst introductory track in hip-hop history - no, I'm not exaggerating - would be presented here with a title track that is altogether pleasant, if nothing that stands out when it comes to any of the artists involved. While the chorus here is pretty terrible, I find Busta's flow and lyrics during the verses to be somewhat engaging, if perhaps nowhere near as quotable as some of the performances he layed down on previous records - he seems to be back in the apocalyptic bag that fuelled his first four albums here, and I'm all for it. Meanwhile, Dilla's production work is also pretty nice for an opening track, if not really matching the darker tone of the lyrics very well. This is a decent opening track, but I'd be lying if I said I'd ever revisit it. And that chorus really doesn't help matters.
3. What Do You Do When You're Branded (prod. DJ Scratch)
Another celebratory sounding beat, this one with a slightly more Anglo-Saxon edge, is the backbone for this cut which is all flash and little substance - not that that's something it stands out for in the Busta catalogue. I kind of enjoy this, but once again I'm realising as I re listen that I don't really remember anything that Busta says on here, which wasn't even the case on the overly long and mostly drab Anarchy. Hell, the ridiculously stupid chorus and the equally inane song title are the only things that I remembered about this one at all. Busta does sound aggressive on here, and he maintains a dope flow, but there are no punchlines, no funny lyrics, not even a cohesive theme outside of the fact that Busta and his gang may and probably will fuck you up (as emphasised in the skit at the end). This one sounds nice, but when you read into it it becomes very apparent that there really wasn't much effort put in. It's decent.
4. Call the Ambulance (prod. The Neptunes)
Even though Busta's cousin Rampage does show up on here for almost as much screen time as our host, his name is nowhere to be found in the credits. I guess the label decided that no-one cared enough to bother advertising his name, although if that was the case why advertise Meka? This track is most famous for appearing at the end of the highly successful "I Know What You Want" video, but it works as its own thing as well, especially with regards to The Neptunes' hardcore production, as they provide a horn-filled beat that sounds just like Busta and his entourage are storming your studio and taking you all out. And while moments of Busta's first verse remind me quite significantly of "We Comin' Through" (a fucking terrible song from Anarchy), it's mostly okay, and Rampage does his thing too. Again, the chorus sucks, but unlike the last two tracks, this song has enough shame to advertise itself as a mere shit-talking cut, so the lack of true substance in the verses is more acceptable. Overall this is good, even if it certainly isn't perfect.
5. We Goin' To Do It To Ya (prod. Megahertz)
Jeez, it's easy to forget how stacked the producer list on this LP is. On this track, with one of the most half-assed song titles I've ever seen, Busta rides Megahertz' "barefoot jungle shit", which actually amounts to a skeletal club-ready instrumental that is easily one of the most boring to appear on any Busta album ever. Not that Busta's verses are wasted with it, though, as he apparently decided the instrumental wasn't good enough to save, so spits two ad-lib filled verses with terribly formulaic flows, and lyrical content discussing a whole bunch of nothing. Album filler at its most obvious.
6. What Up (prod. Dilla)
I'm only just realising now how much some of these verses remind me of the worst parts of Anarchy. It's quite uncanny. This track is also one of the weakest so far, as while Busta's performance is definitely better than it was on the last song (if still lyrically lacking and unmemorable), the chorus here is terrible, and J Dilla's instrumental is easily one of his most questionable, amounting to what sounds like a bunch of abrasive noises thrown on top of each other. There's experimental, and then there's messiness, and this falls into the latter category.
7. Turn Me Up Some (prod. Dilla)
Wow. It's difficult to believe that the producer and rapper who concocted that terrible previous track also made this song - quite easily the best track on the entire album. Now, this certainly isn't your typical Busta Rhymes song, and it would therefore be difficult to call it a classic track from Trevor, but on its own this is a fantastic experimentation from him, as he glides absolutely beautifully over this Dilla beat, with it's meandering synths creating a wonderful atmosphere that is punctuated by the awesome Redman samples that show up during the hook. Busta sounds fantastic on here, killing it with the flow and delivery, and this is seriously one of the best beats J Dilla ever cooked up. This is a fucking awesome song - if you don't have time for the whole album then at least check this one.
8. Make It Clap (feat. Spliff Star) (prod. Rick Rock)
9. Take It Off Part 2 (feat. Meka) (prod. Mario "Yellow Man" Winans)
Fuck this shit, and especially fuck the skit that comes after it. Did anyone listening to that find it funny? Seriously, I want answers!
10. Taste It (prod. Tetamus)
I don't care what anyone says - including the sounds of slurping in the chorus of your song is never going to be a good idea. I refuse to even finish listening to this. Fucking hell. Who's idea was that??
11. Hey Ladies (prod. Wildstyle)
Hey look! An actually decent song! God I've missed them. While the instrumental track feels a bit too much like The Tango (I think that's the dance I'm thinking of) for me, Busta's performance on here, as well as the very strong chorus, make this one of the more entertaining tracks amongst a lot of the slop that we're being presented with around the middle of this album. The raunchy, sexual lyrics of the awful previous two songs are out of the window here, replaced with solid flows about his successful career in music, his abilities to get all the girls, and also how his entourage will behead you, and then balance your freshly severed cranium on the top of a tree branch for some unexplained reason. Also, Busta's delivery here manages to remain calm without sounding crudely sexual, which is a bonus. As I said, the beat here is kinda bad, but Busta's performance really makes up for it. This one is pretty good.
12. I Know What You Want (feat. Mariah Carey & The Flipmode Squad) (prod. Rick Rock)
13. Riot (prod. Denaun)
Denaun's production here is typical of his work, with a simplistic and eerie sounding instrumental lending itself well to the theme of an incoming riot that's just about to kick off - and I think it suits Busta hella well, as the man sounds excellent on his verses here, with a great flow and delivery making up for a general lack of lyrical substance. Unfortunately this song is deducted many points by being home to one of the worst choruses I have ever heard. Seriously, do some of these rappers realise that you don't need a terrible, corny, poorly sung hook to make a song? What happened to the one verse wonder? I'm sure that I'd play this a decent amount if it were just the verses and beat, but my God can you imagine the embarrassment of being on the aux when that fucking hook comes on? Get that shit out of my face.
14. Hop (prod. Mr. Fingaz)
And the award for "worst producer name of all time" goes to...
Err, so, yeah. I just re-listened to this song and it really doesn't feel like there's much to say. On the one hand, the chorus doesn't completely suck ass like that on the previous track, but at the same time it's way too wordy to ever be one that might stick. And furthermore, this beat is mediocre, and Busta's verses just seem kind of gimmicky. Ehh. It's okay I guess. Easily one of the most forgettable Busta Rhymes songs in the catalogue.
15. Together (feat. Rah Digga) (prod. Swizz Beatz)
This album is really starting to drag at this point. I used to really like this one I remember, even thinking it was one of the best tracks on the album. Don't ask me why, as while the sung chorus here is admittedly pretty good and the instrumental had potential, the repetitive flows teamed with the incredibly weird instrumentation and overall vibe on this song kind of leave it doomed to failure. But hey, at least it's a bit more interesting than most of the other songs here. I'm really losing patience with this album.
16. Struttin' Like a G.O.D. (prod. Ricc Rude)
Another song on here that would be just about passable if it weren't for the fucking horrible chorus that completely throws everything off. Honestly, the horns at the beginning of this track do sound interesting, and Busta flows pretty well over this intense, stadium-ready beat. Unfortunately Spliff Star's squeaky and repetitive chorus is a complete buzzkill, and it isn't like the rest of the song is really worth sitting through it. What a shame.
17. The Struggle Will Be Lost (feat. Carl Thomas) (prod. Rick Rock)
I'm not even really sure what's happening anymore.
18. Till It's Gone (prod. Tru Master)
A truly good song that comes as a nice surprise after a frankly terrible run of tracks - this might be the only Busta Rhymes song that has had me shed a tear. Lyrically, this song focuses on the old adage "you don't know what you've got til it's gone", and for Busta Rhymes it's pretty deep, if kind of surface level in the grander scheme of things. The part of this song that had me tearing up was during the third verse where Busta imagines a world without hip-hop music, and for some reason this just really had me going. I guess I was in an emotional mood that day. Still, evoking actual feeling in the listener that isn't sheer boredom and/or embarrassment is something this LP has mostly failed at so far, so props for that. And the production on here is damn good too - True Master really came through. This is a very good way to end the album.
The following is a hidden track.
19. Make It Clap (Remix) (feat. Sean Paul & Spliff Star) (prod. Rick Rock)
Because a Sean Paul feature was exactly what "Make It Clap" needed to really shine. Who's idea was this?
Much to my dismay given my fond memories of this album, It Ain't Safe No More... is a bit of a disaster. This album is lacking on so many levels that not even Anarchy could compete, and there's little factors to make up for the major issues present on this one. It's not even that a lot of this is boring - more often, it's legitimately terrible, especially with regards to the ill conceived hooks that litter this project, along with some of the instrumentals that sound like they were created for a terrible early 2000s sci-fi comedy flick. I mean, what the hell was Dilla doing with "What Up"? And don't get me started on "The Struggle Will Be Lost", one of the most weirdly terrible songs in the entire Busta catalogue. On relisten, I find that there's very little to redeem It Ain't Safe No More.... Busta's writing reaches an all time low here - he was never one to write intriguing tales, but at least he had an interesting vocabulary and some funny punchlines. Here, he sounds like he isn't even trying, like he's having an identity crisis as he becomes a little too old to maintain the animated persona portrayed on his earlier albums. This results in an incredibly notable lack of memorable verses, and when you're teaming weak writing with some of these awful beats and hooks, you have a recipe for disaster. There are some redeemable values though. "Turn Me Up Some" and "Till It's Gone" are legitimately great, and the first three tracks are okay too, along with "Hey Ladies" and "I Know What You Want". Outside of those, this album is fit for the goddamn dumpster. It's a true shame, because it seemed like Busta was hitting his stride again on Genesis, after the bloated and bleak Anarchy, which by the way sounds like hip-hop perfection compared to this. It Ain't Safe No More... truly is a bust (funny, right), and the worst album in Trevor's catalogue so far by some margin - no wonder he couldn't sell any copies of it. Thankfully, Bus-a-Bus took some actual time crafting his next album, and that along with a signing from master producer Dr. Dre would hopefully indicate a new beginning for the Dungeon Dragon. For now, it's best we leave this album in the past where it belongs - turns out Busta really didn't know what we want. Oh well.
Best Tracks: "Turn Me Up Some", "Till It's Gone"
Worst Track: "The Struggle Will Be Lost"
Believe it or not, I am actually a big Busta Rhymes fan, even if I kind of hate this album. Read more of my write-ups on him here!
