Busta Rhymes’ excellent 1997 album When Disaster Strikes looked positively casual when compared to the album that followed it. A fiercely focused and highly energized extravaganza, Extinction Level Event shows Busta’s raw rap pedigree in delirious collision with the mainstream. At this point he was doing everything his way. The album’s singles—“Gimme Some More” and “What’s It Gonna Be?!”—showcase an otherworldly ability to create pop hits from unpredictable rhythms. His fame was growing, but he still rapped with the hunger of a newcomer. Even on the filler tracks, he emerges in a whirl of momentum and expertise.