''The Coming'' is the debut studio album by American rapper

Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver ...

. It was released on March 26, 1996, by

Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the 1 ...

. The album contains contributions by

Def Squad Def Squad is an American rap supergroup consisting of Erick Sermon, Redman, Keith Murray, Hurricane G, and Jamal. Before officially forming as a group to release an album in 1998, they had each been featured on tracks by each other. The Def ...

members Redman,

Keith Murray Keith Omar Murray (born May 29, 1974) is an American rapper from New York. Murray grew up on Carleton Ave, in Central Islip, which is located on the South Shore of Long Island in Suffolk County. Murray was a known member of a local rap collec ...

, and

Jamal Jamal ( ar, جمال ''/'') is an Arabic masculine given name, meaning "beauty",Jamal
at BehindTheName.com and a surna ...

, Q-Tip,

Zhané Zhané ( ) was an American R&B duo, best known for their 1993 hit " Hey Mr. D.J.", which reached No. 6 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Other popular hits include " Groove Thang" (U.S. No. 17) and minor hit " Sending My Love", both released i ...

Leaders of the New School Leaders of the New School was an American hip hop group based in Long Island, New York. History The crew was composed of Uniondale, New York, natives Charlie Brown (born Bryan Higgins on September 19, 1970) and Dinco D (born James Jackson on No ...

and several

Flipmode Squad Flipmode Squad is a hip hop collective founded and fronted by rapper Busta Rhymes. The first Flipmode album debuted in 1998 with ''The Imperial'', Rampage and Rah Digga went on to record solo efforts. In the move to J Records in 2000, Lord Hav ...

members.

Production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...

was handled by

DJ Scratch George Spivey (born June 21, 1968), known professionally as DJ Scratch, is an American hip hop DJ and producer from Brooklyn, New York. DJ Scratch is the 1988 New Music Seminar Battle For World Supremacy DJ champion, the 2010 Master of the ...

Easy Mo Bee Osten Harvey Jr. (born December 8, 1965), better known by his stage name Easy Mo Bee, is an American hip hop and R&B record producer, known for his production work for artists such as Big Daddy Kane and Miles Davis, as well as his affiliatio ...

and

the Ummah The Ummah was a music production collective, composed of members Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest, and the late Jay Dee (also known as J Dilla) of the Detroit-based group Slum Village. Occasional members included Raphael ...

, among others. It serves as Rhymes' first solo album after the break up of Leaders of the New School two years prior, and Rhymes' first full-length project after numerous guest appearances on other songs with artists such as

A Tribe Called Quest A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,Q-Tip

the Notorious B.I.G. Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in East Coast hip hop and particularly gangsta ...

Heavy D and the Boyz Dwight Arrington MyersCuda, Heidi Sigmund Keeping it reel. ''Vibe'' ("born Dwight Arrington Myers")Samuels, Anita M. (January 12' 1996)Heavy D, the C.E.O. ''New York Times'' (May 24, 1967 – November 8, 2011), known professionally as Heav ...

and

Mary J. Blige Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the " Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and " Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Award ...

. The record reached number six on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart in 1996 and received a Platinum certification from

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

after selling 1,000,000 copies in the United States by February 1999. The single, "

Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check" is the debut single by American rapper Busta Rhymes as a solo artist and the lead single from his debut studio album ''The Coming''. The song was written and produced by Rhymes and Rashad Smith. It contains ad ...

" reached number eight on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in 1996, and earned Rhymes his first nomination for

Best Rap Solo Performance The Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance was awarded from 1991 to 2011, alongside the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Previously, a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance. In 2003, this award was split into separate a ...

at the

39th Grammy Awards The 39th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 26, 1997, at Madison Square Garden, New York City. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Babyface was the night's biggest winner, with 3 awards. Celine Dion, Toni B ...

. Rhymes was the first artist on Elektra that received a Platinum certification. In commemoration of its 25th anniversary, a super deluxe edition of ''The Coming'' featuring remixes, instrumentals and acapellas was released to all streaming platforms on April 16, 2021, by

Rhino A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...

Background

''The Coming'' serves as Rhymes' first solo album after the break up of his former group

three years prior and Rhymes' first full-length project after numerous guest appearances on other songs with artists such as

A Tribe Called Quest A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,Q-Tip

Craig Mack Craig Jamieson Mack (May 10, 1971 – March 12, 2018) was an American rapper and record producer, and was famous during his tenure under Bad Boy Records. Early life and career Craig Jamieson Mack was born in The Bronx, New York, and raised on ...

and

. Rhymes had problems with recording a full album on his own and called up A Tribe Called Quest-member and mentor Q-Tip asking for help. After seven months of frustration, he eventually came up with what would develope into being the skit after "It's a Party".

Cover art

The cover art of ''The Coming'' was shot by

Dean Karr Dean Karr (born February 22, 1965) is an American photographer and director. A prolific creative, Karr has photographed dozens of album covers and directed a substantial amount of music videos, commercials, and films. Early life and education ...

. It displays a framed image of

Rhymes A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds (usually, the exact same phonemes) in the final stressed syllables and any following syllables of two or more words. Most often, this kind of perfect rhyming is consciously used for a musical or aesthetic ...

with his mouth stretched wide, screaming. His locks are fanned-out wildly behind his head and there's a white dove perched above him. The cover art is blurred and foggy.https://www.stereogum.com/1867569/the-coming-turns-20/reviews/the-anniversary/

Singles

" was released as the first official single from ''The Coming'' on January 7, 1996. In the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, the song was released on February 27, 1996 and included a notable remix version featuring

Ol' Dirty Bastard Russell Tyrone Jones (November 15, 1968 – November 13, 2004), better known by his stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard (often abbreviated as ODB), was an American rapper. He was one of the founding members of the Wu-Tang Clan, a rap group primarily fr ...

-member and

' cousin Rampage contributes additional vocals to the standard version and is credited as an official guest artist on some releases of the song. The song reached the top ten in the charts of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

and

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

, as well as charted in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

, the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. " It's a Party" featuring American R&B duo

was released as the second official single from the album on June 25, 1996. " Do My Thing" was released as the third and last official single from the album in 1997, outside of the

. The song was previously issued as a promotional single.

Promotional singles

Everything Remains Raw ''The Coming'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Busta Rhymes. It was released on March 26, 1996, by Elektra Records. The album contains contributions by Def Squad members Redman, Keith Murray, and Jamal, Q-Tip, Zhané, Leaders of th ...

" was released as the first promotional single from ''The Coming'' on February 27, 1996 as the

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

to the albums lead single "

. " Do My Thing" and " Abandon Ship featuring Rampage the Last Boy Scout were released together as the second and third promotional singles from the album in 1996. "Do My Thing" would be later released as an official single from the album. " Ill Vibe" featuring American rapper Q-Tip was released as the fourth and last promotional single from the album on June 25, 1996 as the

to the albums second single " It's a Party" featuring

Critical reception

Daryl McIntosh of ''Albumism'' wrote that "the heart and soul of the album is found on songs where Busta doesn't have to stand out amongst a large group ..like "

", ��and " Do My Thing".

hey Hey or Hey! may refer to: Music * Hey (band), a Polish rock band Albums * ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014 * ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980 * ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the title s ...

provide no distractions and illuminate how Busta's humor and knowledge can seep through a track while simultaneously highlighting his great rhyming ability.” He added that "''The Coming'' did everything you could ask for from a debut album. It lived up to, if not exceeded, the expectations of a young artist who had captured the world's attention as a standout group member and coveted collaborator. It spawned radio hits, club bangers, and underground gems for hardcore listeners. It was boastful, colorful, and had a celebratory feel, all of which helped make hip-hop appear fun again �� Even a casual observer ��had to take notice of the guy whose voice was deeper and louder than everyone else, an emcee who wasn't afraid to put on a big hat or bright colors to accentuate his colorful personality." He went on that "''The Coming'' was one of the best solo rap performances of 1996 and it stands as one of the all-time great debut LPs in hip-hop. Busta's first verse, first single, and first album all stand as testaments to the fact that he is one of hip-hop's elite artists and the perennial main event.

Track listing

Notes

* "The Coming (Intro)" contains additional vocals by Lord Have Mercy and Rampage the Last Boy Scout. * "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check" contains additional vocals by Rampage the Last Boy Scout. On some versions of the song he is credited as an official featured artist * "Keep It Movin'" contains skit vocals by Rampage the Last Boy Scout. * "The End of the World (Outro)" contains skit vocals by

Spliff Star William A. Lewis (born April 18, 1971), professionally known as Spliff Star, is an American rapper and record producer from Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York. He's best known for his work with Busta Rhymes. Both ''Vibe'' and ''Complex'' listed Splif ...

and Wade Thoren.

Samples used

* "The Coming (Intro)" contains a sample of " Goin' Down" by

. * "Abandon Ship" contains samples of "(Don't Want No) Woman" by

Lee Michaels Lee Eugene Michaels (born Michael Olsen, November 24, 1945) is an American rock musician who sings and accompanies himself on organ (music), organ, piano, or guitar. He is best known for his powerful soulful voice and his energetic virtuosity o ...

and "Space" by

Galt MacDermot Arthur Terence Galt MacDermot (December 18, 1928 – December 17, 2018) was a Canadian-American composer, pianist and writer of musical theater. He won a Grammy Award for the song " African Waltz" in 1960. His most-successful musicals were ''Hai ...

. * "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check" contains a sample of "Space" by

and an interpolation of "8th Wonder" by

the Sugarhill Gang The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop trio. Their 1979 hit "Rapper's Delight" was the first rap single to become a top 40 hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100; reaching a peak position of number 36 on January 12, 1980. This was the trio's only ...

. * "It's a Party" contains samples of "Fun" by

Brick A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...

and "Hydra" by

Grover Washington Jr. Grover Washington Jr. (December 12, 1943 – December 17, 1999) was an American jazz-funk and soul-jazz saxophonist. Along with Wes Montgomery and George Benson, he is considered by many to be one of the founders of the smooth jazz genre. He wr ...

. * "Ill Vibe" contains a sample of "Dizzy" by

Hugo Montenegro Hugo Mario Montenegro (September 2, 1925 – February 6, 1981) was an American orchestra leader and composer of film soundtracks. His best-known work is interpretations of the music from Spaghetti Westerns, especially his cover version of Ennio M ...

. * "Flipmode Squad Meets Def Squad" contains interpolations of "Rated 'R'" by Redman and "Lick the Balls" by

Slick Rick Richard Martin Lloyd Walters (born January 14, 1965), better known as Slick Rick, is an English-American rapper and record producer. He rose to prominence with Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew in the mid-1980s. Their songs " The Show" and " ...

* "Still Shining" contains a sample of "Where Is Love" by

Cal Tjader Callen Radcliffe Tjader Jr. ( ; July 16, 1925 – May 5, 1982) was an American Latin Jazz musician, known as the most successful non-Latino Latin musician. He explored other jazz idioms, even as he continued to perform music of Afro-Jazz, ...

and an interpolation of " Scenario (Remix)" by

A Tribe Called Quest A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,Q-Tip

featuring Kid Hood and

. * "Keep It Movin'" contains samples of "Recess" by

Eddie Harris Eddie Harris (October 20, 1934 – November 5, 1996) was an American jazz musician, best known for playing tenor saxophone and for introducing the electrically amplified saxophone. He was also fluent on the electric piano and organ. His best-k ...

and "Ecstasy" by

Ohio Players Ohio Players is an American funk band, most popular in the 1970s. They are best known for their songs "Fire (Ohio Players song), Fire" and "Love Rollercoaster", and for their erotic album covers that featured nude or nearly nude women. Many of t ...

. * "The Finish Line'" contains a sample of "Dark Alleys" by

Arif Mardin Arif Mardin (March 15, 1932 – June 25, 2006) was a Turkish-American music producer, who worked with hundreds of artists across many different styles of music, including jazz, rock, soul, disco and country. He worked at Atlantic Records for ov ...

. * "The End of the World (Outro)" contains samples of "Fanfare for the Common Man" by

Aaron Copland Aaron Copland (, ; November 14, 1900December 2, 1990) was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later a conductor of his own and other American music. Copland was referred to by his peers and critics as "the Dean of American Com ...

and "O Fortuna" by

Carl Orff Carl Orff (; 10 July 1895 – 29 March 1982) was a German composer and music educator, best known for his cantata ''Carmina Burana'' (1937). The concepts of his Schulwerk were influential for children's music education. Life Early life Car ...

Personnel

Performance

– lead vocals * Rampage the Last Boy Scout – guest vocals , additional vocals , skit vocals *

– guest vocals * Q-Tip – guest vocals *

Jamal Jamal ( ar, جمال ''/'') is an Arabic masculine given name, meaning "beauty",Jamal
at BehindTheName.com and a surna ...

– guest vocals * Redman – guest vocals *

– guest vocals * Lord Have Mercy – guest vocals , additional vocals *

Dinco D Leaders of the New School was an hip hop music, American hip hop group based in Long Island, New York (state), New York. History The crew was composed of Uniondale, New York, natives Charlie Brown (born Bryan Higgins on September 19, 1970) and D ...

– guest vocals *

Milo Milo may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Milo'' (magazine), a strength sports magazine *'' Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze'', a 2011 children's novel by Alan Silberberg * ''Milo'' (video game), a first-person adventure-puzzle computer ga ...

– guest vocals *

Charlie Brown Charles "Charlie" Brown is the principal character of the comic strip ''Peanuts'', syndicated in daily and Sunday newspapers in numerous countries all over the world. Depicted as a "lovable loser," Charlie Brown is one of the great American ar ...

– guest vocals *

– skit vocals * Wade Thoren – skit vocals

Production

– executive production, production * Rick Posada – executive producuction * Rick St. Hilaire – production *

– production *

– production * Rashad "Ringo" Smith – production *

The Vibe Chemist Backspin Leaders of the New School was an hip hop music, American hip hop group based in Long Island, New York (state), New York. History The crew was composed of Uniondale, New York, natives Charlie Brown (born Bryan Higgins on September 19, 1970) and D ...

– production * Q-Tip – production as part of

Jay Dee A jay is a member of a number of species of medium-sized, usually colorful and noisy, passerine birds in the Crow family, Corvidae. The evolutionary relationships between the jays and the magpies are rather complex. For example, the Eurasian ...

– production as part of

Technical

Tom Coyne Tom Coyne may refer to: * Tom Coyne (writer), American writer and professor * Tom Coyne (broadcaster) (1930–2015), British television presenter * Tom Coyne (music engineer) (1954–2017), American mastering engineer * Thomas Coyne (cricketer) ( ...

– mastering * Rick St. Hilaire – mixing , recording *

– mixing , arrangement *

– mixing , arrangement *Andy Blakelock – mixing , recording *

– mixing , recording , arrangement * Q-Tip – mixing , arrangement *

– mixing , arrangement *Peter Darmi – mixing , recording *Mike Scielzi – assistant recording *Vinnie Nicoletti – assistant recording

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coming, The Busta Rhymes albums 1996 debut albums Albums produced by J Dilla Albums produced by Easy Mo Bee Albums produced by DJ Scratch Albums produced by Rashad Smith Albums produced by Q-Tip (musician) Conglomerate (record label) albums Elektra Records albums

Background

Cover art

Singles

Promotional singles

Critical reception

Track listing

Notes

Samples used

Personnel

Performance

Production

Technical

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

See also

References