Busta Rhymes - It Ain't Safe No More (CD)

All Music Guide

No matter whether the title's a reference to the increased risk of terrorism in Busta's hometown circa 2002 ("sht is crazy") or to the fact that rap's most volatile and unpredictable personality is back and bigger than ever, It Ain't Safe No More continues in the vein of loosecannon classics like 1997's When Disaster Strikes and 2001's Genesis. And when he's on, he's better than ever, too; the title track features a PFunk singalong and a vivid, synthheavy production over some of the tightest spitfire raps heard on any hiphop LP of the new millennium. After a halfhearted melodrama called "What Do You Do When You're Branded," Busta returns to what he does best on "Call the Ambulance" incapacitating all comers with rhymes as hardcore as they are hilarious. "What Up" is halfNeptunes and halfRaymond Scott, and the single "Make It Clap" is just the latest classic Flipmode anthem. Except for a few overblown performances and quasiepic productions, It Ain't Safe No More finds Busta Rhymes with... the same sure grip on his distinctive personality. - John Bush, All Music Guide Read more Less