Genesis [PA] - Busta Rhymes

"Genesis" came as the fifth solo album from the New York rapper, Busta Rhymes. It came out in 2001, and as him working alongside some of the best of the time with the likes of The Neptunes, Diddy and Dr. Dre all making appearances on this record. It features some of his best material ever, and I would say it would be the final album he released before he seemingly feel off.

1. "Intro"

2. "Everybody ...
...Dolomite, you have Just Blaze taking over and forcing you to get excited with ascending melodies which build one up in the way which Busta wants as he brings you into a much more lively (but manageable album). it is the right way to start things off, and tell the listener where things are directed.

**Three Stars**

3. "As I Come Back"

He doesn't mess around for this one as The Neptunes jump ... more

"Genesis" came as the fifth solo album from the New York rapper, Busta Rhymes. It came out in 2001, and as him working alongside some of the best of the time with the likes of The Neptunes, Diddy and Dr. Dre all making appearances on this record. It features some of his best material ever, and I would say it would be the final album he released before he seemingly feel off.

1. "Intro"

2. "Everybody Rise Again"

After a introduction, which featured Dolomite, you have Just Blaze taking over and forcing you to get excited with ascending melodies which build one up in the way which Busta wants as he brings you into a much more lively (but manageable album). it is the right way to start things off, and tell the listener where things are directed.

**Three Stars**

3. "As I Come Back"

He doesn't mess around for this one as The Neptunes jump on the beats, and display how they have developed since the late nineties with a funky recording which has them use their spacey synth and heavy in the best way in order to give the rapper the best results possible. The melodies are recognisable, despite the fact that I can't really rememeber spending much time with this album around its release.

**Five Stars**

4. "Shut 'Em Down 2002"

Here you have Busta Rhymes taking us back to the Old School as he re-does "Shut 'Em Down", and Bust' takes on the Public Emeny classic effortlessly as he comes with an energy level which only he is capable of, and all on some beats from The Chocolate Boy Wonder, Pete Rock (who was also responisble for the P.E. original).

**Four Stars**

5. "Genesis"

Here is the eponymous track from the album, and it gets him haunting the listners with what was bound to be a a religously-motivated track from him. J. Dilla uses the watery sample of "Cosmic Mind Affair," , which was performed by Acqua Fragile, and it really captured the feelings of this track.

**Three Stars*

6. "Betta Stay Up In Your House"

The Curtis Mayfield-based introduction to this one put me right off, however Yogi (the producer) switches things up after a few seconds, and makes it ino killer cut as he he brings it into modern times. I was impresed by how Rah Digga and Bust' performed Tag team raps in a way which sounded so natural and effortless.

**Four Stars**

7. "We Got What You Want"

Blaze gives the rapper some killer beats, and they show how creative the producer is as he manages to bass the whole thing on some very simplistic things, and use them as if they were much ore than they actually are. I found that this empowering composition lead to bring up the standard of Busta's lines.

**Four Stars**

8. "Truck Volume"

Dre is on the beats for this, and he basically just wants to give you a beat to bump in your car for this one as it is based on straght-forawrd, hoardcore bass, and the raps seem to reflect the standardized format of things. I wouldn't say that this is a negative though as it results in a tune whihc you would happily blaze out he boot of your wheels.

**Four Stars**

9. "Pass the Courvoisier"

This original recording (which was later re-done alongside Pharrell Williams, as well as Diddy - who is on this one). it is immediately apparent why it didn't get reelased as a single in this form as Nottz' beats are far too chaotic and don't have the same quality which Part II" does. The rhymes are good, but with a messy beats backign it, you lose this quality.

**Two Stars**

10. "Break Ya Neck"

This was the big single off the album, and it has him tear up the clubs withthis banger of a track. When you bare in mind that Dr. Dre based this aroudn Red Hot Chili Peppers "Give It Away", you can tell that it is just a care-free one where the only aim is to take it to the Dirty South and get Crunk.

**Five Stars**

11. "Bounce"

You have Mel-Man on this one, and he comes with one f the mos memorable beats from the thing as provides some fresh bets whihc show that Busta is about to make significant changes in the way that the Hip Hop of the new millenium is goign to be performed. Although this lasted from around this time until about 2003, elements of it are still found amongst current work in this genre.

**Four tars**

12. "Holla"

Dr. Dre takes the lead role in this one as he does the beats to this one, and it indicates that we are in for an improvemetn in the standard of things as the perfectionist uses Post-G-Funk techniqies in order to form a track based aroudn the fact that he wnats an East coast tune, lossely based around the nineites, Californian rap sound.

**Three Stars**

13. "Wife In Law"

Busta is made to alter his ways as he does some more specific work as he must rap based aroudn a subject without going off-topic (as he often does), and he responds to this incredibly well with the aid of the smooth, soothing voclas of Jaheim; whose hook tops off the track.

**Four Stars**

14. "A*s on Your Shoulders"

I rally don't know what was meant by the title, owever it makes for a decent track from the rapper as you hear him on th progressive production of Kokane, who comes with beats which can only be described as far ahead of their time (as it is currently all over the North California music scene today.

**Three Stars**

15. "Make It Hurt"

Busta gets dark with this one as Jay dee (J. Dilla is on the beats, and he chooses to give the rapper some harder beats in order to do an excplicit club-suted track. It gets him really swithch up his style, and although it doesn't quite fit in with the rest of it all, it is still a good stand-alone recording.

**Three Stars**

16. "What It Is"

When you hear that kelis is a featured guest on this, based on when this came out, you know that it mean that The Neptnes are doing the production, and i this, one of the singles, you get them really setting things off once again as they cme straight off a Gangsta Rap track and to a much gentler tune with softer content found in his raps. it is one of the hottest track on the album, and it stands right out with the explosive chorus and spacey beats.

**Four Stars**

17. "There's Only One"

Mary J. Blige collaborates with the rapper on this one,a nd I felt that oth her presece and the production forced Busta to change what he was doing quite siginifcantly. i saw this as a positive for him as he could have kept on the same level for a long time with so many tracks on this album.

**Three stars**

18. "You Ain't F***in' Wit Me"

From the title I thought knew what I was in for on this one, and when I heard the clumsiness of the beats, by Michaelangelo was completely threw me as it was so unexpected and has him hit you from an alternative approach. It takes us back to his middle years (the late nineties) where he was more inclined to do humerous rap tracks.

**Four Stars**

19. "Match the Name With the Voice"

Just Blaze is once again given the honour to take control of all the beats for this one, and he uses this in the best way possible as he comes with a banging beat to allow the Accompnaying Flipmode Squad to rap without having to struggle with too far out-of-the-ordinary production. however he does manage to surprise us once again.

**Four Stars**

20. "Bad Dreams"

Ending the album off, you get Nottz with even more original stuff as he utilises "Now The Green Blade Riseth" without it sounding in any way out-of-place. You have the rapper playing on an innovative concept as he plays multiple roles whilst using various voice-distorting techniques. The production and rhymes are complementary, and it results in a prefect way to end the album.

**Four Stars**

Although clearly inconsistent, this is probably the best Busta Rhymes album (in my opinion) by this time he had established himself as one of the big players in the East Coast Rap scene, and follwoing this, he has been considered a legend to the game. This albu possess all of his early commerical club bangers, and from here he went on to make his most well-known material. 

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