The Big Bang (Busta Rhymes album)

Last updated

The Big Bang
Busta Rhymes - The Big Bang.png
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 13, 2006 (2006-06-13)
Recorded2005–06
Genre
Length62:48
Label
Producer
Busta Rhymes chronology
It Ain't Safe No More
(2002)
The Big Bang
(2006)
Back on My B.S.
(2009)
Singles from The Big Bang
  1. "Touch It"
    Released: December 13, 2005
  2. "I Love My Bitch"
    Released: June 6, 2006
  3. "New York Shit"
    Released: July 10, 2006
  4. "In the Ghetto"
    Released: July 13, 2006

The Big Bang is the seventh studio album by American rapper Busta Rhymes. [2] It was released on June 13, 2006, by Aftermath Entertainment, Flipmode Records and Interscope Records. Production for the album took place during 2005 to 2006 at several recording studios and was handled by Dr. Dre, Swizz Beatz, Mark Batson, DJ Scratch, J Dilla, Timbaland, Mr. Porter, will.i.am, Sha Money XL, JellyRoll, Black Jeruz, Nisan Stewart and DJ Green Lantern. The official cover artwork was revealed on May 7, 2006. The tracklisting was released on the 15th.

Contents

The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 making it Busta's first number one album, selling 209,000 copies in its first week, and certified gold by RIAA.

Background

The Big Bang is Busta Rhymes's first album without his signature dreadlocks he had for most of his career as he transitioned into a new look with a short Caesar haircut and a muscular physique. It is his only release under Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment record label. Full production of the album came from Dr. Dre, Swizz Beatz, will.i.am, Mr. Porter, Erick Sermon, Green Lantern, Timbaland, J Dilla and DJ Scratch. Featured guests include Nas, Stevie Wonder, Rick James, Kelis, Raekwon, Q-Tip, Missy Elliott, Marsha Ambrosius & LaToiya Williams. Five singles have been released for the album: "Touch It", "Touch It Remix", "I Love My Bitch", "New York Shit" and "In the Ghetto". Music videos were released for all of them. The finalized version of the "Touch It Remix", for which a video was shot, was not included on the final album.

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 64/100 [3]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Entertainment Weekly A− [5]
HipHopDX Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
NME 8/10 [3]
Pitchfork 2.4/10 [8]
RapReviews8/10 [9]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Uncut Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [11]
XXL Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg (XL) [12]

The tracks "I'll Hurt You" featuring Eminem and "Where's Your Money?" featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard both leaked but received lukewarm responses. The first single was "Touch It" and reached number sixteen on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. "Touch It" featuring a sampled portion of Daft Punk's "Technologic", also garnered a major remix. The second single "I Love My Chick" features Kelis and will.i.am. Stevie Wonder plays piano and sings on "Been Through the Storm". The song "Get Down" was featured in the movie "Step Up 2: The Streets" but was not included on the soundtrack. [13]

Legacy

Busta Rhymes was really pleased with the album: "I would not have changed The Big Bang album for the world. It's still one of my if not the favorite album of mine from a lyrical standpoint, a conceptual standpoint and a musical standpoint." He praised the Dr. Dre produced song Legends of the Fall Off for the "gravediggin beat with the shovel in the dirt" calling it "unbelievable". He also praised You Can't Hold a Torch, Don't Get Carried Away and Gold Mine. He also said "The only thing I probably would have changed is I Love My Chick would not have been on that album. I probably would have put "I Love My Chick" on another album that it would have been more appropriate for." [14]

The song Legend of the Fall Offs received further notice from hip-hop fans alike especially for its production. Mitch Findlay from hnhh said: "While hardly a banger in the traditional sense, Dre proves why he's one of hip-hop's most cinematic producers, deftly arranging foley-esque heartbeats and shovels into the mix. Once again, the line between hip-hop and horror are blurred, though few would be quick to hit either Busta or Dre with the “horrorcore” label. Yet “Legend Of The Fall Offs” seems tailor made for an equally disturbing visual component. But why is such a simple beat so evocative? Is it the melodic structure, which employs repetitive use of the same few notes? For whatever reason, the sound of a piano's lowest octave seems to evoke a profound sense of hopelessness. Dr. Dre understands that better than most." [15] On his Dr. Dre's top 10 haunting beats, he said: "A masterclass in minimalism, Dr. Dre closed out Busta Rhyme's Aftermath debut The Big Bang in a truly disturbing fashion. Conjuring imagery of a moonlit cemetery, Busta plays the role of Death himself, ushering in the bleak tidings to those already lost. With a shovel making for the main percussive track, Dre's steady piano and cricket-fueled ambiance cast a spell of existential dread. Throw in a man legitimately pleading for his life in vain, and "Legend Of The Fall Offs" makes for the darkest song of Busta's career." [16]

Dan Weiss from Billboard Magazine said: "Dr. Dre oversaw Busta's 2006 semi-comeback The Big Bang, which ends with an inspired horrorcore piece that uses Dre's dirgelike tendencies to its advantage. While Busta buries an unnamed rival in thick subliminal disses, the beat itself is literally comprised of shovels and dirt, followed by a pretty horrifying skit in which Busta buries a dude alive as the instrumental has foreshadowed the entire time. Gangsta bloodshed is rarely that thrilling or interesting, and ultimately this track could’ve taken on many more dimensions if a thespian like Eminem was at the helm, but hip-hop's never seen anything like it before or since and that alone makes it perfectly Busta." [17]

Commercial performance

The album became Busta's first and only album to debut at number one on the charts with over 209,000 copies sold during the first-week of release. On August 30, 2006, the album was certified gold for shipments of over 500,000 units. The album has sold 823,000 copies as of November 22, 2011 [18] The album became Busta Rhymes' highest-charting album in the UK, debuting on the UK albums chart at number nineteen. His previous highest album peak was #3 for the album When Disaster Strikes , almost ten years before the release of The Big Bang.

Track listing

The Big Bang
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Get You Some" (featuring Q-Tip and Marsha Ambrosius)
3:45
2."Touch It"Swizz Beatz3:34
3."How We Do It Over Here" (featuring Missy Elliott)
Dr. Dre3:36
4."New York Shit" (featuring Swizz Beatz)
DJ Scratch 5:22
5."Been Through the Storm" (featuring Stevie Wonder)
4:06
6."In the Ghetto" (featuring Rick James)James3:53
7."Cocaina" (featuring Marsha Ambrosius)
  • Dr. Dre
  • Batson
3:32
8."You Can't Hold the Torch" (featuring Q-Tip and Chauncey Black) J Dilla 3:39
9."Goldmine" (featuring Raekwon)
  • Sermon
  • Dr. Dre [a]
3:45
10."I Love My Bitch" (featuring will.i.am and Kelis)will.i.am3:47
11."Don't Get Carried Away" (featuring Nas)
Dr. Dre3:30
12."They're Out to Get Me" (featuring Mr. Porter)
Mr. Porter5:02
13."Get Down"
  • Timbaland
  • Stewart
3:40
14."I'll Do It All" (featuring LaToiya Williams)
  • T. Smith
  • David Drew
Jellyroll5:02
15."Legend of The Fall Offs"
Dr. Dre4:40
Total length:62:48

Notes

Sample credits

Credits

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [38] Silver60,000^
United States (RIAA) [39] Gold823,000 [18]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aftermath Entertainment</span> American record label

Aftermath Entertainment is an American record label founded by hip hop producer and rapper Dr. Dre in 1996. It operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and is distributed through Interscope Records.

<i>Cheers</i> (Obie Trice album) 2003 studio album

Cheers is the debut studio album by American rapper Obie Trice. It was released on September 23, 2003 by Shady Records and Interscope Records. Eminem served as the executive producer for this album. This album serves as his first release from Shady Records since being signed in 2000. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA.

<i>The Documentary</i> 2005 studio album by the Game

The Documentary is the commercial debut studio album by American rapper the Game. It was released on January 18, 2005, by Aftermath Entertainment, G-Unit Records, and Interscope Records. The record serves as his major-label debut, preceded by his independently released debut Untold Story in 2004. In 2001, while the Game was in hospital recovering from a shooting, he decided to pursue a career in music. He released the mixtape, "Q.B. 2 Compton" under his then record label "Get Low Recordz" in 2002, which was later discovered by Dr. Dre and led to him signing the Game to his label, Aftermath Entertainment. The album includes production from high-profile producers such as Dr. Dre, Kanye West, Scott Storch and Timbaland, among others, and guest appearances from 50 Cent, Eminem, Nate Dogg and Faith Evans, among others. This would be the Game's only album on Aftermath and G-Unit Records, as he left the label later in 2006 after a feud began between him and fellow G-Unit label-mate 50 Cent.

<i>2001</i> (Dr. Dre album) 1999 studio album by Dr. Dre

2001 is the second studio album by American record producer and rapper Dr. Dre. It was released on November 16, 1999, by Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records as the follow-up to his 1992 debut album, The Chronic. The album was produced mainly by Dr. Dre and Mel-Man, as well as Lord Finesse, and features several guest contributions from Hittman, Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, Xzibit, Eminem, and Nate Dogg.

<i>Tha Blue Carpet Treatment</i> 2006 studio album by Snoop Dogg

Tha Blue Carpet Treatment is the eighth studio album by West Coast hip hop recording artist Snoop Dogg. It was released on November 21, 2006, by Doggystyle Records and Geffen Records. Recording sessions took place from November 2005 to September 2006 in several recording studios and artists such as Dr. Dre, The Neptunes, DJ Battlecat, DJ Pooh, Timbaland, Danja, Mark Batson, Terrace Martin, and Mr. Porter appear on the album, among others.

<i>Genesis</i> (Busta Rhymes album) Album by Busta Rhymes

Genesis is the fifth studio album by American rapper Busta Rhymes. The album was released on November 27, 2001, by Flipmode Records and J Records. The fourth single from the album, "Pass the Courvoisier Part II", peaked at number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100. It was included at the end of the album on some later pressings. The album debuted at number 7 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 185,000 copies. It later sold one million domestic copies and certified Platinum by RIAA.

<i>Anarchy</i> (Busta Rhymes album) 2000 studio album by Busta Rhymes

Anarchy is the fourth studio album by American rapper and record producer Busta Rhymes, released on June 20, 2000, by Flipmode Records and Elektra Records. It comes after the release of The Coming, When Disaster Strikes and Extinction Level Event . The album debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 164,000 copies. The album would later be certified Platinum by the RIAA. This was Busta's final album with Elektra Records.

<i>Doctors Advocate</i> 2006 studio album by The Game

Doctor's Advocate is the second studio album by American hip hop recording artist the Game, released on November 14, 2006, through Geffen Records. The album is his second major-label release, following 2005's The Documentary, which was released under Aftermath Entertainment, G-Unit Records and Interscope Records. Due to his disputes with G-Unit leader and founder 50 Cent, Game left Aftermath and G-Unit; he was later transferred from Interscope to its division, Geffen Records, another label under Universal Music Group's Interscope Geffen A&M faction to terminate his contractual obligations with G-Unit, in the summer of 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Love My Bitch</span> 2006 single by Busta Rhymes featuring Kelis and will.i.am

"I Love My Bitch" known as "I Love My Chick" in its edited version is a song by Busta Rhymes featuring will.i.am and Kelis, released as the second single from Busta Rhymes' seventh studio album, The Big Bang (2006).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In the Ghetto (Busta Rhymes song)</span> 2006 single by Busta Rhymes featuring Rick James

"In the Ghetto" is the fourth and final single from Busta Rhymes' album The Big Bang, and features R&B singer Rick James. It was produced by DJ Green Lantern and Dr. Dre.

Dawaun Parker is an American record producer and rapper. After graduating from Berklee College of Music in 2005, he became a producer for Dr. Dre’s record label Aftermath Entertainment. He received his first formal credit on 50 Cent’s Get Rich or Die Tryin' soundtrack, and contributed to several songs on Busta Rhymes' number 1 album, The Big Bang, as well as Jay-Z's return record, Kingdom Come. Parker co-wrote the number 1 single, "Crack a Bottle", by Eminem, Dr. Dre and 50 Cent, and co-produced nearly every track on Relapse.

<i>Kingdom Come</i> (Jay-Z album) 2006 studio album by Jay-Z

Kingdom Come is the ninth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released on November 21, 2006, through Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. It was considered a "comeback album" for the rapper, as 2003's The Black Album was promoted as his final release. The production on the album was handled by multiple producers including Just Blaze, DJ Khalil, Dr. Dre, The Neptunes, Swizz Beatz and Kanye West among others. The album also features guest appearances by John Legend, Beyoncé, Usher, Ne-Yo and more.

<i>Back on My B.S.</i> 2009 studio album by Busta Rhymes

Back on My B.S. is the eighth studio album by American rapper Busta Rhymes. It was released on May 19, 2009, through Flipmode and Universal Motown. The production on the album was handled by multiple producers including Pharrell Williams, DJ Scratch, Danja and Cool & Dre among others. The album also features guest appearances by T-Pain, Jamie Foxx, Akon, Lil Wayne, Mary J. Blige, T.I. and many more.

<i>Before I Self Destruct</i> 2009 studio album by 50 Cent

Before I Self Destruct is the fourth studio album by American rapper 50 Cent, released November 9, 2009, on Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, G-Unit Records, Interscope Records and Universal Music Group. The album is his final solo release with Shady, Aftermath and Interscope excluding his 2017 Greatest Hits album Best Of. An accompanying feature film of the same name coincided with its release, and is available within the albums packaging.

"U Ain't Goin' Nowhere" was the third single from Young Buck's second album, Buck the World. It features contemporary R&B singer LaToiya Williams and was produced by Dr. Dre and Mark Batson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dr. Dre production discography</span>

The following list is a discography of production by American rapper and hip hop producer Dr. Dre. It includes a list of singles produced, co-produced and remixed by year, artist, album and title.

<i>The R.E.D. Album</i> 2011 studio album by Game

The R.E.D. Album is the fourth studio album by American rapper Game. It was released on August 23, 2011, by DGC Records and Interscope Records, which serves as Game's first release under DGC and his first album for Interscope since 2005's The Documentary. His previous two, Doctor's Advocate (2006) and LAX (2008), were released under Interscope's subsidiary imprint, Geffen Records.

<i>The Documentary 2</i> Album by The Game

The Documentary 2 is the sixth studio album by American rapper the Game. It was released on October 9, 2015, by Blood Money Entertainment and eOne Music. The album serves as a sequel to his debut album. The project is first half of a two-piece project with other half The Documentary 2.5, which was released the following week. The album features guest appearances from Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, Kanye West and Future, among others.

"Imagine" is a song by American rapper Snoop Dogg, featuring guest vocals from rapper Dr. Dre and singer D'Angelo, taken from Snoop Dogg's eighth studio album Tha Blue Carpet Treatment (2006). The song was written by Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and Mark Batson, with production handled by Dr. Dre and Mark Batson.

<i>Music to Be Murdered By</i> 2020 studio album by Eminem

Music to Be Murdered By is the eleventh studio album by American rapper Eminem. It was released on January 17, 2020, through Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records. Just like his previous studio album, Kamikaze, it is executive produced by Eminem and Dr. Dre and was released with no prior announcement. The album was produced by many producers, with Dr. Dre returning to produce songs for Eminem for the first time since 2010's Recovery. Guest appearances include Skylar Grey, Young M.A, Royce da 5'9", White Gold, Ed Sheeran, the late Juice Wrld, Black Thought, Q-Tip, Denaun, Anderson .Paak, Don Toliver, Kxng Crooked, and Joell Ortiz.

References

  1. Kellman, Andy. "The Big Bang - Busta Rhymes". Allmusic .
  2. "Big Bang: Busta Rhymes: Music". Amazon. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  3. 1 2 "Critic Reviews for The Big Bang". Metacritic . Retrieved September 7, 2012.
  4. "The Big Bang DJ | Andy Kellman". Allmusic . Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  5. Sinclair, Tom (June 12, 2006). "The Big Bang". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  6. "Busta Rhymes – The Big Gang". HipHopDX . June 13, 2006. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  7. Baker, Soren (June 11, 2006). "Rhymes' wild style gets tamed down". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved June 23, 2013.
  8. Fennessey, Sean (June 29, 2006). "Busta Rhymes: The Big Bang | Album Reviews". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  9. Juon, Steve (June 13, 2006). "Busta Rhymes - The Big Bang". RapReviews. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  10. Relic, Peter (June 12, 2006). "The Big Bang : Busta Rhymes : Review". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on July 17, 2007. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
  11. Rhymes hasn't sounded this energised in years. [Sep 2006, p.76]
  12. "Busta Rhymes The Big Bang". XXL Magazine . June 26, 2006. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  13. Step Up 2: The Streets (soundtrack)
  14. "Busta Rhymes: The AllHipHop Interview, Pt. 1 - AllHipHop". December 19, 2008.
  15. "The Art Of The Dark Banger". Hotnewhiphop.com. June 13, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  16. "Dr. Dre's Top 10 Most Haunting Beats". HNHH. September 2, 2019.
  17. Dan Weiss. "Critic's Take: Appreciating 10 Iconic Moments From Busta Rhymes' Career – Billboard". Billboard.com. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  18. 1 2 Grein, Paul (November 21, 2008). "Chart Watch Extra: What A Turkey! The 25 Worst-Selling #1 Albums | Chart Watch - Yahoo! Music". New.music.yahoo.com. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  19. "Australiancharts.com – Busta Rhymes – The Big Bang". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  20. "Austriancharts.at – Busta Rhymes – The Big Bang" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  21. "Ultratop.be – Busta Rhymes – The Big Bang" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  22. "Ultratop.be – Busta Rhymes – The Big Bang" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  23. "Busta Rhymes Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  24. "Dutchcharts.nl – Busta Rhymes – The Big Bang" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  25. "Lescharts.com – Busta Rhymes – The Big Bang". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  26. "Offiziellecharts.de – Busta Rhymes – The Big Bang" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  27. "Italiancharts.com – Busta Rhymes – The Big Bang". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  28. "Charts.nz – Busta Rhymes – The Big Bang". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  29. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
  30. "Swisscharts.com – Busta Rhymes – The Big Bang". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  31. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
  32. "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  33. "Busta Rhymes Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  34. "Busta Rhymes Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  35. "Busta Rhymes Chart History (Top Rap Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  36. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2006". Billboard. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  37. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2006". Billboard. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  38. "British album certifications – Busta Rhymes – The Big Bang". British Phonographic Industry.
  39. "American album certifications – Busta Rhymes – The Big Bang". Recording Industry Association of America.