Busta Rhymes lost himself. Whether people recognize it or not, his first three LP’s were essentially classics. It musta been the bigger he got, cuz the MC just went downhill; downhill to the point of The Big Bang. Backed by Dr. Dre and with appearances from a whole array of big names, producers and MCs, it should’ve been his claim on the respect he deserves. Or at least deserved, the album was hollow and, basically, awful.
Since then he’s supposed to have been finding his talent again, releasing Back on My BS, which sadly just wasn’t. Then he started talking up The Chemo, which was gonna give the game the healing process Busta said it needed. Now the album’s E.L.E. 2, latching on to the current trend of busting out a sequel to an MC’s best record. With the hateful reception Bang received, you’d think Busta woulda learned his lesson.
From this track, doesn’t really seem that way. Busta’s still playing a pop-god MC. It still doesn’t work, that’s just not who Busta is, and it’s too bad he tries to be, because if he’d just remember what he does do well, he’d be an asset in the current crap of rap. Busta’s flow is great because it’s uncontrollable, bouncing around tracks without restraint, he’s sporadic. When he’s on his pop shit, he restrains himself, and it’s as simple as that, that’s what kills his efforts in the area. Did he forget “What’s It Gonna Be?!”? – the guy can craft a hit without watering himself down.
And yet, water it down he does. This cut doesn’t have production to complain about, in fact the swaggering thump of the beat is pretty damn good. But Busta’s on autopilot. This is reinforced even more strongly if you’ve heard Genesis, on that decent effort, Busta put out a track titled “You Ain’t Fuckin Wit Me.” Well, I guess he’s grammar’s improved a bit on this lazy redo. The track seems to serve as the fallen’s anthem, as Cam’ron guests. As superb and overlooked as Purple Haze was, Cam’s been faltering ever since things went south with Roc-A-Fella. Even at his best, Cam had lyrical flubs commonly, but when he drops lines like, “I’m everywhere, like dog shit,” and, “Niggers crabbed cuz I’m eatin’ crab cakes,” it’s obvious something is amiss.
It’s fitting that the two MCs are together here: they both need to give the other a reality check, and get back to making real music. While the beat can essentially carry you through this track, and the verses aren’t absolutely offensive, these two formerly laudable talents are coasting. Busta was never a perfectly consistent artist, but I never imagined he’d grow boring. Let’s hope this cut isn’t representative of his upcoming return.
