After gaining dominance in the early-to-late 1990's, with a string of classic solo albums and show-stealing guest appearances, Busta Rhymes's millennium-era output demonstrates his artistic versatility and vision for longevity in the rap game.
Although Anarchy, Busta's fourth album on Elektra Records, never received the recognition of his 1996 debut, The Coming, or the electric E.L.E. (Extinction-Level Event), the project introduces our now post-apocalyptic world (how many years left??) to a hip-hop elder statesman with many more styles to explore.
This DJ-only promotional wax includes three of the livest joints off Anarchy along with proper instrumentals.
Beginning on the B-Side, 'The Heist' features Bus, Ghost, Rae, and a young Roc Marciano, then a member of Busta's Flipmode Squad, recanting tales of jewel thievery over futuristic Large Professor production.
Extra P's spaced-out rendition of Esther Phillips's 'Moonglow And Theme From Picnic' exhibits his mastery of the craft he's been elevating since the late 1980's.
Raekwon gets animated about the crew's Camp Lo theatrics:
"Caught'em at the Ice Pavillion, dressy, salad bar, style messy
Four white niggas, covered in vest pieces
Think like a mob flick, 'guess who?' like Patsy in the mask piece
Busta got aggravated, slapped the glass pieces".
Not to be outdone on his own track, Busta comes through with something new for the year 2000:
"Ayo we do great studies on fossils and stones like archeologists
Gemologists collect the most precious ices anonymous
...
Rae pass the blowtorch, Ghost brought the dynamite stick
Marciano brought a chisel with an ice pick".
The B-Side ends with acapellas for all three featured songs.
The A-Side of this most imperial twelve-inch showcases two of the greatest collaborations between Busta and the late-great J. Dilla, previously known as Jay Dee.
'Enjoy Da Ride' sees Busta get loose over a sample of Dreams's 'Dream Suite' and Dilla's signature off-kilter drums.
An abstract instrumental stimulates Busta's mind to concoct an equally cool, jazzy flow:
"Yo, yo, you know I be the mastro
Greatest y'all (brand spankin' fresh!)
And always with the right glow".
As the record spins, Busta goes off over an absolute headnodder on 'Show Me What You Got'.
Dilla proves his immutable genius through the opening riff of Stereolab's 'Come And Play In The Milky Night'.
Bus-A-Bus finds the vibe per usual:
"Niggas know that I be rockin' the most
Fuckin' Ethiopian bitches, livin' on the Ivory Coast
Let me drug y'all niggas up with a dose
Make you act just like you supposed
Watch a nigga playin' me close."
The hypnotic instrumental for 'Show Me What You Got' closes out the first side of this record.
Elektra Records made the right move dropping this joint on the low. Combining Busta with cohorts from Wu-Tang and his own Flipmode Squad, over tracks from two of the culture's most influential creators, definitely makes for a unique piece of wax.
This set is also a Europe-only exclusive.
Additionally, neither of the three songs on this record serve as singles for Anarchy, so Busta just offered a plate of deep cuts for the heads.
Everything remains raw.
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Mobb Deep's classic third offering, Hell On Earth, found Havoc and Prodigy (R.I.P.) venturing on their own to solidify their sound and establish dominance in the New York rap scene.
Unlike their previous two efforts, Mobb Deep take full responsibility for production on Hell On Earth, while introducing Infamous Mobb and Illa Ghee to the mix. Big Noyd, Nas, and Raekwon return to feature on deep cuts.
The original version of 'G.O.D. Pt. III', released as the fourth single from Hell On Earth in 1997, flips menacing synths from the Scarface film score and drums from Little Feat's 'Fool Yourself', also sampled on A Tribe Called Quest's 'Bonita Applebum' - perhaps a nod to Q-Tip, who provided production and mentorship throughout the recording of The Infamous.
The eerie keys and hard-hitting rhythms of 'G.O.D. Pt. III' and preceding singles set the tone for the cinematic bloodbath of Hell On Earth.
In matching the vibe for remixes of 'G.O.D. Pt. III', underground beatsmiths Reef and DJ Might Mi concoct a creepy instrumental based on Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew's 'Play This Only At Night', which freaks the theme song for 1979 sci-fi horror flick 'The Phantasm'.
'The Nighttime' places Havoc and Prodigy's 'G.O.D. Pt. III' verses over Reef and Mighty Mi's chilling production. 'The After Hours', however, serves as a sequel to the original 'G.O.D. Pt. III".
Havoc dramatically finishes off the first verse:
'Bless all my thuns that hold me down
Keep it real with me, I keep it real with you
Keep it in the fam, and got our eyes on you'.
Check Prodigy's flow to open the second verse:
'Infamous enterprises, surprise kid
Get up on that ass like a virus
Live in the flesh it's the freshest, flyest, conniving'est
Violatin' niggas you don't wanna fuck wit''.
Crystal Johnson, who blessed the chorus for 'Temperature's Rising' off The Infamous, closes the joint out with some jazzy vocals.
Although slightly disappointing that Reef and Mighty Mi created only one beat for both 'G.O.D. Pt. III' remixes, non-album Mobb cuts from this era always deserve recognition.
Mighty Mi's presence on the track also predicts the Mobb's prolific connection with The Alchemist. Known more prominently as half of Phildadelphia-based duo The High & Mighty, Mighty Mi briefly joined DJ Muggs's (another Queens native) Soul Assassins crew, along with Alchemist, in the late-1990's.
As masters of melancholic street rap, expect no less than pure dopeness from Mobb Deep's vinyl release of G.O.D. Pt. III". 'The After Hours' especially takes you to a dark place, bringing listeners into the realm of the infamous Mobb Deep.
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