Back on My B.S.: A Review of Busta Rhymes' Eighth Studio Album

After his heavily hyped yet disappointing Aftermath Records solo The Big Bang, the veteran Brooklyn rapper Busta Rhymes has returned for his eighth studio album in thirteen years on Universal Motown.

Similar to Jadakiss' The Last Kiss (read review), Busta focuses on following trends rather than setting them. Rather than the rap and R&B duets of that album, Busta brings in the ubiquitous T-Pain, Akon, Ron Browz and Lil Wayne, among others, none of whom bring much of their own excitement to the album. There are fewer all-out club hits here, which is what Busta excels at. There's also an unfortunate use of the vocoder, which is a shame given Busta's history in the game and considerable talents.

The album also unfortunately excludes the catchy Don't Touch Me (Throw da Water on Em), the album's intended first single, or its equally catchy remix featuring Nas, The Game and surprisingly Big Daddy Kane, among others. I'm a Go and Get My... however is a hit, sonically more progressive - and more welcome - than anything here. Decision's multiple features - John Legend, Common, Mary J. Blige, Common and Jamie Foxx - undercut the sincerity of the message Busta tries to convey. Hustler's Anthem 09 adds nothing whatsoever to similarly themed songs. Sugar is pure filler. Arab Money distracts with its stereotyping. It's also a love it or hate it song. Thankfully however the album isn't.

Back on My B.S. has its fair share of solid records, such as Respect My Conglomerate featuring Jadakiss and Lil Wayne, but there are just as many misses here. It compares poorly to his late nineties work, and it's unlikely this is simply because of nostalgia. There were more songs that worked back then on his albums. Busta's best work displays energy, charisma and more energy. Back on My B.S. displays them in abundance, eschewing the Jay-Z bling and hustling rhymes that marred his last album. But it's an uneven mix with just as many unsuccessful attempts at big singles, like World Go Round and We Want In, neither of which works.

There's also not much thought-provoking here, which may seem oxymoronic given the artist's penchant for club records. However having eschewed his previous post apocalyptic persona, most of Busta's songs feel like filler; without a solid theme to ground them they feel like just so many words strung together. While stronger than The Big Bang, Back On My B.S. is a lesser record in a career that seems to be diminishing by degrees.

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