SoulBounce’s Class Of 1996: Busta Rhymes 'The Coming'


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When you're part of Leaders Of The New School and pretty much an honorary member of A Tribe Called Quest, you kinda have to bring it on your solo debut. But, honestly, did we expect anything less from Busta Rhymes? The dungeon dragon, whose "rawr rawr" on Tribe's "Scenario" remix was heard 'round the world in 1992, dropped his left-of-center debut, The Coming, 20 years ago and changed the game and, to paraphrase the opening track, brought the ruckus to all us motherf**kers. The raspy-throated emcee's authentic approach to hip-hop was a breath of fresh air among the gangsta rap that was increasingly dominating the charts and airwaves of the mid-'90s, injecting a much-needed sense of humor while still keeping other emcees on their toes.

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Our first sign that The Coming was, well, coming was when Busta dropped the single "Woo Hah!! Got You All In Check" and shook up the cold airwaves at the beginning of January 1996. The song, which sounds like a carnival gone wrong in the best way possible, was further introduction into Busta's strange aesthetic and the public was with it. The track took the No. 8 spot on Billboard's Hot 100 while also snagging the No. 1 spot on the Hot Rap Tracks chart. Follow-up single "It's A Party," a mellow-smooth groove featuring R&B duo Zhané didn't fare as well, peaking at No. 52 on the Hot 100 charts. Still, that didn't mean that it wasn't a jam, gaining airplay on radio and earning a spot on Bussa Bus' greatest hits effort, Total Devastation. But The Coming wasn't just about the singles, as it introduced us not only to Busta as a solo act, but also to his clique Flipmode Squad, with members Rampage and Spliff Star getting shine on tracks like "Abandon Ship" and "Flipmode Squad Meets Def Squad."

Ultimately, The Coming was a smashing success for Busta, peaking at the No. 6 spot on the Billboard 200 and reaching platinum status within the year. As we all know by now, it also led to a decades-long solo career, which includes many more platinum albums, high profile collaborations (including smashes like "What's It Gonna Be" and "Pass The Courvoisier") and even movie roles. Most recently, he reunited with his ATCQ homies to pay tribute to his fallen brother Phife Dawg on the crew's recent album, We got it from Here...Thank You 4 Your service. But with his recent Swizz Beatz banger "AAAHHH!!!," we doubt we've heard the last from Busta.

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Busta Rhymes The Coming [Amazon][iTunes][Google Play]


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