Album Review: Back On My B.S. by Busta Rhymes

Following up his troubled 2006 release The Big Bang, Back on My B.S. -- or B.O.M.B.S. -- is guided by the "return to form" template, sometimes to a fault. "Give Em What They Askin For" is an exercise in yelling, kicking, and screaming "I'm back" as loud as you can, and while fans will likely cheer, Busta and producer Ron Brownz are just preaching to the converted and should have left this hookless monster on a mixtape.

Full Review >>

Busta Rhymes’ eighth studio album, Back on My B.S., defines the term ”mixed bag.” For every track that finds him returning with full force to the tongue-twisting ways of his youth (”Don’t Believe ‘Em”) or addressing tabloid gossip with refreshing honesty (”If You Don’t Know”), there’s a blatant trend grab like the Auto-Tune-abusing ”Hustler’s Anthem ’09.” Worst of all is ”Arab Money,” a song that combines ignorant ethnic stereotyping with an unpleasantly shrill hook. All things considered, Busta should probably try including a little less B.S. the next time he comes back.

Full Review >>

Review Summary: Sittin in casinos like I'm gamblin with Arafat.Following up a mediocre record in 2006's The Big Bang shouldn't be difficult. "Arab Money" hit the airwaves in October of 2008, introduced an awful dance involving pointing to an invisible spatial object, yet also established a modicum of expectation for a truly solid club oriented record. Granted, these expectations were still low - you'd be surprised at how easily a harmonic minor melody, a Surah verse, and satire on middle eastern excess can influence certain Arab reviewers.

Full Review >>