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Busta Rhymes @ Nottingham Arena, Nottingham - Wednesday 21 June, 2006

Reviewed by Melisa Tang

Few artists today can be classed as true performers. Sure, most of them can rhyme and/or sing, but to be defined as a real performer, they need to be able to please a crowd and keep them entertained – and not just any old crowd at that. For many, that task is easier said than done, but for Busta Rhymes, performing comes as second nature.

Since hitting the big time in 1996 with his breakout hit single, ‘Woo Haa! Got You All in Check’, Bus-A-Bus has been wrecking the airwaves with his head-nodding beats and distinctive flow, gaining a loyal following amongst hip hop fans and music critics alike.

After playing in London and Manchester the previous week, Busta landed in Nottingham to play a gig for his Midlands’ fanbase in the final date of his mini-tour of the UK. Support was advertised to come from Busta’s clique, The Flipmode Squad, including the newly-signed Papoose, but the most we got to see of the Flipmode crew was DJ Scratch, when he came on to hype up the crowd before Busta’s big entrance. Prior to this, rap quartet The Heard got things started with a decent performance, showing that UK hip hop can do better than the guns, drugs and violence that we hear so much about.

Finally, the man we had all eagerly awaited to see bounded on stage at Nottingham Arena to the banging remix of M.O.P.’s ‘Ante Up’, turning heads with his shouts of ‘Attention please! Attention please!’

With hype man Spliffstar by his side, Busta Rhymes took fans on a journey through his musical career, going as far back as 1992 when he was a member of Leaders of the New School, (the group he formed in high school), right through to present day, with the recent release of his seventh solo LP to date, ‘The Big Bang’.

Keeping fans entertained with comedic outbursts, (often aimed at the people who refused to stand up and party with the rest of us), Bus and Spliff proved to be a winning double act. Despite the venue being half empty, the duo put their all into the show as they performed classics like ‘Fire It Up’, ‘Woo Haa! Got You All In Check’, ‘Gimme Some More’, ‘Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See’, and more recent singles ‘Break Ya Neck’ and ‘What It Is’.

The rapper, born Trevor Smith, even did a little set for the ladies, running through his various guest spots on tracks like the Ying Yang Twins’ ‘Wait (Whisper Song) Remix’, the Pussycat Dolls’ ‘Don’t Cha’, and the Mariah-featuring ballad ‘I Know What You Want’ – although he wasn’t very impressed when the ladies forgot the words to Mariah’s part! Switching things up for the guys in the audience, Bus-A-Bus took it back to A Tribe Called Quest’s ‘Scenario (Remix)’, before lighting up a joint for ‘Get High Tonight’ and bringing out the Courvoisier for his Pharrell and Diddy collab, ‘Pass The Courvoisier’.

From his Aftermath debut, ‘The Big Bang’, Busta performed the smash hit ‘Touch It’ and the new single ‘I Love My Bitch’, which had the women screaming back, “I love my n*gga/Yep yep, I love my boy!”

Performing for just over an hour, Busta Rhymes was every bit the entertainer, and whilst some of hip hop’s newer stars probably would have refused to come onstage to such a small crowd, Busta was a professional, giving it his all for his adoring fans.

Whilst we already knew the man could spit, he proved, with much conviction, precisely why he was the Leader of the New School.

Busta Rhymes' new album, 'The Big Bang' is out now on Aftermath/Interscope Records.

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	Busta Rhymes @ Nottingham Arena, Nottingham - Wednesday 21 June, 2006 Reviewed by Melisa Tang Few artists today can be classed as true performers. Sure, most of them can rhyme and/or sing, but to be defined as a real performer, they need to be able to please a crowd and keep them entertained – and not just any old crowd at that. For many, that task is easier said than done, but for Busta Rhymes, performing comes as second nature. Since hitting the big time in 1996 with his breakout hit single, ‘Woo Haa! Got You All in Check’, Bus-A-Bus has been wrecking the airwaves with his head-nodding beats and distinctive flow, gaining a loyal following amongst hip hop fans and music critics alike. After playing in London and Manchester the previous week, Busta landed in Nottingham to play a gig for his Midlands’ fanbase in the final date of his mini-tour of the UK. Support was advertised to come from Busta’s clique, The Flipmode Squad, including the newly-signed Papoose, but the most we got to see of the Flipmode crew was DJ Scratch, when he came on to hype up the crowd before Busta’s big entrance. Prior to this, rap quartet The Heard got things started with a decent performance, showing that UK hip hop can do better than the guns, drugs and violence that we hear so much about. Finally, the man we had all eagerly awaited to see bounded on stage at Nottingham Arena to the banging remix of M.O.P.’s ‘Ante Up’, turning heads with his shouts of ‘Attention please! Attention please!’ With hype man Spliffstar by his side, Busta Rhymes took fans on a journey through his musical career, going as far back as 1992 when he was a member of Leaders of the New School, (the group he formed in high school), right through to present day, with the recent release of his seventh solo LP to date, ‘The Big Bang’. Keeping fans entertained with comedic outbursts, (often aimed at the people who refused to stand up and party with the rest of us), Bus and Spliff proved to be a winning double act. Despite the venue being half empty, the duo put their all into the show as they performed classics like ‘Fire It Up’, ‘Woo Haa! Got You All In Check’, ‘Gimme Some More’, ‘Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See’, and more recent singles ‘Break Ya Neck’ and ‘What It Is’. The rapper, born Trevor Smith, even did a little set for the ladies, running through his various guest spots on tracks like the Ying Yang Twins’ ‘Wait (Whisper Song) Remix’, the Pussycat Dolls’ ‘Don’t Cha’, and the Mariah-featuring ballad ‘I Know What You Want’ – although he wasn’t very impressed when the ladies forgot the words to Mariah’s part! Switching things up for the guys in the audience, Bus-A-Bus took it back to A Tribe Called Quest’s ‘Scenario (Remix)’, before lighting up a joint for ‘Get High Tonight’ and bringing out the Courvoisier for his Pharrell and Diddy collab, ‘Pass The Courvoisier’. From his Aftermath debut, ‘The Big Bang’, Busta performed the smash hit ‘Touch It’ and the new single ‘I Love My Bitch’, which had the women screaming back, “I love my ngga/Yep yep, I love my boy!” Performing for just over an hour, Busta Rhymes was every bit the entertainer, and whilst some of hip hop’s newer stars probably would have refused to come onstage to such a small crowd, Busta was a professional, giving it his all for his adoring fans. Whilst we already knew the man could spit, he proved, with much conviction, precisely why he was the Leader of the New School. Busta Rhymes' new album, 'The Big Bang' is out now on Aftermath/Interscope Records.* Return To Concert Review Archive
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