his undeniable vocal substance with beats that sustain his willfully overstated style. Since leaving Leaders of the New School, Busta has straddled hip-hop's avant-garde and its platinum elite without becoming too inaccessible or pop; his collaborations here with the Neptunes (the buzzing, ominous "As I Come Back" and the percolating "What It Is," with Kelis), Dr. Dre (the switched-on-Bach of "Truck Volume," the P-Funky "Holla" and the rapid-fire rhyming "Break Ya Neck") and Pete Rock (who revisits his monster 1991 remix of Public Enemy's "Shut 'Em Down") blend in with contributions from less-familiar producers such as Battlecat, Dilla and Michaelangelo.
Genesis also boasts Mary J. Blige, whose seductive melodic authority helps turn "There's Only One" into an entrancing party jam perfect for roller-skating in a haunted house. At more than seventy-five minutes, this new beginning sometimes seems never-ending, but its peaks prove Busta ain't broken yet.
BARRY WALTERS
(RS 887 - January 17, 2002)
