More than a quarter of a century since Busta Rhymes shouted “Woo-hah!” and got us all in check, the New York rap giant is still thinking big. His face forms a nuclear mushroom cloud on the cover of this 11th album, which follows its far from understated predecessor, Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God.
Weighing in at a hefty 19 tracks, with not one but three goliaths in the production credits – Pharrell Williams, Timbaland and Swizz Beatz – we may be a long way from him scoring five platinum albums in a row in America at the turn of the Millennium, but he clearly still has clout.
His ownership of one of the iconic rap voices, a thunderous rumble that has shared song space with everyone from Stevie Wonder to Mariah Carey to Beenie Man, and even given gravelly gravitas to Justin Bieber’s Christmas album, makes him a thrill to listen to no matter where the music heads.
Blockbusta starts its journey in the murky sound world of trap, with Quavo joining him over the gothic backdrop of Remind ‘Em, but quickly moves on to the minimalistic bounce of Beach Ball and the more old fashioned, spy theme funk of Could It Be You. Before long he’s reaching for more obvious sounds, interpolating Michael Jackson’s Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ on The Return of Mansa Musa and the dramatic choir of Coolio’s Gangsta’s Paradise on Stand Up.
His guest list is a bit less starry than on his last album, which featured Kendrick Lamar, Mariah Carey and Eminem, but keeps the styles ranging widely. Burna Boy appears on the gruff dancehall of Roboshotta, while London’s Giggs adds his sleepy tones to The Hive. Among the newcomers, Coi Leray provides a rare woman’s touch and London’s Jnr Choi helps Busta towards the world of drill.
Things could have been very different. In 2019, he was severely overweight, with polyps on his vocal cords so severe that 90 per cent of his air passages were blocked and his doctor told him he could die in his sleep. After surgery and a fitness regime that saw him lose 100 pounds, he’s just been on stage at the O2, joining 50 Cent (and surprise guest Ed Sheeran) on what Fiddy has called the Final Lap Tour. That title suggests they’re in their twilight years, but there’s plenty here to prove that at 51, he still has a lot to offer.
