Busta Rhymes E.L.E. Extinction Level Event label: Elektra released: 12.15.98 our score: 3.5 out of 5.0

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Busta Rhymes, still wallowing in the success of When Disaster Strikes, brings us his third solo effort since the disbanding of Leaders Of The New School. Extinction Level Event, as the title implies, continues Busta's saga of the coming of the Millennium and ultimate distruction. Which is really the self proclaimed havoc that he will wreck onto the ears of the listeners and the recording industry. Up to this point, he's been pretty successful.

E.L.E opens with Busta's usual intro, warning us of the coming. The opening song "Everybody Rise" is the perfect track to start a CD with. It kinda gives you the mental image of being in court and having to rise when the judge walks in, but with a "let's get this party started!!" attitude. It's purley meant to be an intro song, but it still bangs pretty good.

The second track, "We Are About to Take It" has a cool retro, funky sample, laced with the phat basslines Busta likes to lay out. The refrain is a little annoying, but the song as a whole is good. So is the theme title track, "Extinction Level Event (The Song of Salvation)." The samples and refrain fit the title perfectly. It gives the song an ominous feel, like the world IS about to end. Obviously, the lyrics are about entering the Millennium.

After the intro tracks, Busta gets back on his party vibe with "Tear Da Roof." It's a bounce track, chock full of back up accents like old school rhymin'. "Tear Da Roof" of is offbeat, which is typical of Busta's style, and it makes ya want to dance. The next track, "Against All Odds," features the Flipmode Squad. If you've heard the album, it follows the same heavy, darker, style (if you haven't heard it, but want a review of it, let me know). "Just Give It To Me Raw" has a hilarious intro...it mocks a middle class white family and their views of rap. The song itself is also funny. It's about some crazy sex shit, and is pretty graphic. Basically, the dude will do anything when it comes to humpin and bumpin.

If you've heard "Gimmie Some More," you know what the next few tracks are like. "Do It to Death" has the same 'super-fast' rapping. If you can tell where Busta takes a breath in the verses, let me know! It's fast and flowin baby! "Gimmie Some More" is pretty basic musically (its background track is the driving music from Psycho), but it really shows off Busta's lyrical skills. One of the best songs features Mystikal. "Iz They Wildin' Wit Us & Gettin' Rowdy Wit Us?" is even faster when it comes to rhymin. It make ya feel like whoopin some ass.

After that Busta cools off a bit and kicks back into the off-beat, part feel with tracks like "Party is Goin on Over Here" and "Do the Bus a Bus," which for some reason implants a mental image of Jerome Bettis dancing, and "Take It Off."

Unfortunately E.L.E. finishes kinda weak. The last few tracks are only highlighted by a duet by Busta and Ozzy Osbourne. Yes, you read that right, Ozzy. It's based on the Black Sabbath tune, "Iron Man." The other interesting thing is that the instruments are played by The Lordz of Brooklyn. Extinction Level Event doesn't quite live up to it's predecessor, but Busta ventures into some new styles and ideas on it, and it still isn't bad. It's worth a 3.5.
17-Dec-1998 11:00 PM

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