Customer Reviews

Imperial Album

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Busta Rhymes, founder of The Flipmode Squad had already released two top selling solo albums ("The Coming" and "When Disaster Strikes...") prior to the release of "The Imperial Album". In all of his solo albums, he has a few songs with collaborations from Flipmode members like Rampage, Rah Digga, Baby Sham, Spliff Star and Lord Have Mercy. On this album, they all come together to produce a full length album, and it is a tight hip hop album. With a gangsta feel on many tracks, this crew are an exceptional group of rappers.

"To My People" is an intense, outstanding opening rap track to follow the intro, with a kicking beat and a fierce chorus. Rampage delivers an awesome verse in this track which is probably my personal favourite off the album. "Settin' It Off" follows with Busta Rhymes bringing his crazy, unique rap style to the first verse of the track. Overall, it's a fairly tight song. "Run For Cover" incorporates a cool orchestral beat into the rap and its a cool song. "I Got Your Back" is one of the best tracks on here for sure, with a sweet chorus, and a tight, groovy beat. "Everybody On The Line Outside" has a hip hop/dance style feel to it, with a solid chorus and good verses. "Last Night" has a very Busta type beat, sounding much like some of his obscure solo stuff off his debut album. Spliff Star has a sweet first verse. This track is certainly off the hook, and one of the many album highlights. "Where You Think You Goin" is another amazing song with a violin instrumental for the beat, and a catchy chorus. "Straight Spittin" is an intense, full on crew collaboration, and is pretty off the hook with some sick lyrics. Rah Digga has an amazing verse in this track, check these rhymes: "Paper like meade, I'm in the mix like speed/and be screamin on the mic till my tonsils bleed". "Money Talks" brings a new hip hop flavour to this album, with a more commercial feel to it. The rest of these Flipmode tracks don't disappoint, "Hit Em Wit Da Heat" is a pretty tight song, and so is "Do For Self".

Overall, this a great purchase for any fan of Busta Rhymes solo music. This crew works very well together, and they got some very tight rap tracks on this full length Imperial album. This is hip hop done right, with tight hooks, good lyrics, and catchy beats. I would highly recommend this to any hip hop fan who likes Busta, and wants a taste of what the Flipmode crew is like. Also, look for Busta's latest release when it drops July 19th, entitled "The Big Bang".

Being involved with the project my opinion might be a little biased but as a manager of one of the artists I feel I can you my honest opinion. THE ALBUM IS BANGING. The only drawback is that some tracks seem to drag on because you have 6 or seven MCs spitting. Overall the versatility of the Squad in refreshing. A lot of times you get clicks where everyone who rhymes sounds alike has the same style and flow and it gets tedious. 'The Imperial' gives you the best of everything, they got the party 'CHA, CHA, CHA', the got the hardcore 'Straight Spittin', old school 'Got You Open II' and something to think about 'Do For Self'. DJ Scratch blessed the Squad with tracks to last ages. Flipmode has something that most groups don't have no weak links. Everyone in the Squad is lyrically official and they all write their own rhymes sorry no ghost writing either hold it down or go home. I'll rep FlipMode forever. BABY SHAM, RAH DIGGA, RAMPAGE, BUSTA RHYMES, LORD HAVE MERCY , SPLIFF STAR- ONE - JQ

Standout tracks: TO MY PEOPLE, SET IT OFF, RUN FOR COVER, I GOT CHA BACK, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS, EVERYBODY ON THE LINE OUTSIDE, CHA CHA CHA, LAST NIGHT, WHERE YOU THINK YOU GOIN, GOT CHA OPIN part2, STRAIGHT SPITTIN, MONEY TALKS, HIT EM WITH DA HEAT, EVERYTHING etc. Filler: none but they do have a major flaw with this big ugly anchor named Rampage. Everybody brings their A game to this album except him! Very rarely do you hear him bust a decent rhyme. As for the Sauce saying that the track Last Night is filler dont listen to them! Busta and Spliffstar bust their most stellar verses on that song. This is definitely an underrated album!

The wait is finally over. Busta Rhyme finally bring forth his crew, Flipmode Squad, with The Imperial. Members Busta Rhymes, Rampage, Lord Have Mercy, Spliff Star, Rah Diggah & Baby Sham fit together like a puzzle for a union unmatched. "I Got Your Back" has high pitch piano keys as five of the six members feed off of each other, flowing in and out. This group could be comared to Wu-Tang Clan or Three 6 Mafia, but neither of them are as tightly knit as Flipmode displayed. They bring it back to the basics of skills over the simple loop on "Straight Spittin". Production is an undertone that varies with off-beat keys, violins and basslines that fit the personality of each member.

Busta Rhymes is one of my all time favorite rappers, and the Flipmode Squad is the illest rap group I've ever heard, right up there alongside Eminem and D12.

This album is simply outstanding, the lyrics, the beats, everything is outstanding. I also love how in certain songs, the raps and lyrics come out as though they were just having a conversation which I think is simply bad ass.

Don't get it twisted, pick up this album, and look out for the Rulership Album, coming soon.

1. THE IMPERIAL INTRO - 4.5
2. TO MY PEOPLE - 5
3. SETTIN' IT OFF - 5
4. RUN FOR COVER - 5
5. I GOT YOUR BACK - 5
6. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS - 4.5
7. EVERYBODY ON THE LINE OUTSIDE - 4
8. LAST NIGHT - 4
9. WHERE YOU THINK YOU GOIN' - 4
10. WE GOT U OPAIN (PART 2) (FEATURING BUCKSHOT) - 4.5
11. STRAIGHT SPITTIN - 3.5
12. MONEY TALKS - 4.5
13. CHA CHA CHA - 5
14. HIT'EM WIT DA HEAT - 5
15. DO FOR SELF - 4
16. EVERYTHING - 4

It's still hittin. Production is tight, and lyrics and besides Buckshot, there weren't any features. It was finally an album that was released where the artist took time to make it.

And of course, in typical Busta Rhymes fashion, someone on the interlude got they @$$ whooped!!! Classic.

Favorite Tracks:
1) Cha, Cha, Cha,
2) Where you think u goin
3) Straight Spittin
4) I got yo back (Sick-ass beat)
5) Run for Cover (Sick-ass Swizz Beat)

It's still tight. Dropped in 98' hittin in 05'.

Cop it, because it's hip hop!!!!!


Peace!!!!!!!!!

It is hard to really sum it up. Busta does it again. Rah Digga, Rampage, Baby Sham, Spliff Star and lord have mercy come out huge on this record, especially on "straight spittin." I give props to Rah for her lyrical skills. She is one of the best female mc's around. I can't wait till Dirty Harriet drops. Sham, Rampage and Spliff all complement Busta very well. Sham's small voice, Rampage's energy and Spliff's lyricism add a lot to this record. Lord have mercy will be a star some day. I feel that he has the tightest voice in hip hop. I'd like to see him do a joint with J-5's Chali Tuna.

Flipmode has the dopest collaboration of rappers out there. They are better than Ruff Ryders. Lord Have Mercy is off the hook. Rah Digga is way better than Eve. Rampage is ill. Flipmode is the future of East Coast Hip Hop. I can't wait till Dirty Harriet drop. I hear Lord Have Mercy is coming out soon too.

I thought when I got when disaster strikes that that was the best busta could come out with cause I aint think a CD could ever get no better then that but he did most every song on the CD is tight The beats has got some bomb basslines and the lyrics is smooth unlike some fakeass rapers AKA MASE SILK THE SHOCKER AND CAMRON just to name a few. But man flipmode got the most energy in there music than any other rappers in the game This album is a MUST HAVE. Each time busta makes a cut it just gets better each time. I cant wait till his next album comes out