Dragon Season... The Awakening

the take

I'd be lying if I told you if I listened to any recent outputs by Busta Rhymes. Hell, the most recent song I've really paid attention to Busta's verse was on Chris Brown's "Look at Me Now"... when the song was first released. However, a part of me still solidifies him as one of the most entertaining rappers to me who has dropped three classic albums out the gate (his first three), as well as the main focus in the group Leaders of the New School. I didn't really have high expectations going into this EP, but after hearing how bad his "BLOCKBUSTA" project from last year was, my first thought was: "Damn, this can't be as bad as that, right?" I couldn't be any more wrong. Off the rip, "Letter to My Children" tries too hard to be some glorious introspective track but fails miserably. Me being optimistic, I hoped the rest of these songs are at least average and/or tolerable, but "Letter to My Children" is the highest point on here. This collection of six songs are fucking terrible. Like, I don't expect many 90's rappers in their prime to have classic albums (unless your name is Nas or something), but at least they stay true to themselves and create a body of work that is good to not only showcase their longevity, but also to make music that's actually good enough to digest. THIS is indigestible, if we're being honest. The beat selection on here is beyond the worst I've heard in a cool minute. And Busta himself isn't up to par with his lycial performances on here often. I see quick glimpses of the Busta Rhymes I know and love, but they're so few and far in between that it's shocking how I got through this short project without going deaf. *sighs* Thank goodness this was only 18 minutes, but that's 18 minutes of my life I'll never get back thanks to this shitty effort from a rapper I've been a fan of (and respect) since literally forever.