The Coming

iTunes Review

At a time when New York rap was deeply entrenched in the nihilistic urban visions of Mobb Deep and Notorious B.I.G., The Coming was a much-needed reminder of the rambunctiousness that made rap fun to begin with. By the time the album was released in 1996, Busta Rhymes was a veteran of the rap scene, having paid his dues with the forward-thinking rap crew Leaders of the New School and cementing his reputation with an unforgettable verse on A Tribe Called Quest's timeless single "Scenario." Decked out in unruly dreadlocks and a wardrobe of neon-colored parkas, Busta was like no one else in rap when he announced himself to the world with the video for "Woo Hah!! Got You All In Check," the dizzy, danceable hit single from The Coming. His boisterous demeanor was what made Busta memorable, but with a pedigree that extended to the early days of hip-hop, he could rhyme with the best that New York had to offer. Boasting beats from New York pals like Q-Tip and EasyMo Bee, The Cominghas the same smoothed-out bounce as Illmatic and Ready To Die, but it's Busta and his bigmouth, unstoppable and in-your-face antics, that makes the album a classic.