The first real song is "To My People" which has a slow beat and is a little too long. As Busta yells: "To my people in the front!" and goes on down the list, Rampage says in a very deep and almost doped up sounding voice "Ya' don't stop!"

The next song is dope! It's called "Settin' It Off" and Busta Rhymes goes off in the beginning of it with his traditional "Yo-ya-Yo-ya-Yo!". The beat is fast and frantic as they make sure you know that "My flipmode n*ggaz stay settin' if off!" This is an amazing song where everyone does a dope job on... Busta just takes it with his opening rhyme..

"Run For Cover" is another dope song. The orchestra loop and beat somehow remind me of the beat from "N.O.R.E"... It's no where near the same but it has the same feel if you know what I mean. Rampage does the chorus: "N*ggaz run for cover before it's too late What! You know we got it locked way out of state!" I've heard this song millions of time since I got the album and the only rhyme that sticks in my head is Busta's! He ends the song which on the compact disc gets cut off. The track actually ends in the beginning of the next song.

"I Got Your Back" is the next song with a cool piano loop and a call-respone chorus. They basicaly talk about killing anyone who goes against the Flipmode squad...

"This Is What Happens" has only Rampage and Rah Digga. It's definitely one of the weakest songs on the album on a cool level. It's strong on a hardcore level but it doesn't shine as bright as the other jems. Rampage says in the chorus with his deep voice, "This is what happens" and Rah Digga replies "When you f*ck with my crew" Rampage, "This is what happens", Rah "What's a n*gaa suppose to do?".  Rah Digga has a loud, obnoxious voice and style. It's cool for a while but I think that there is just too much of her on the album and not enough of Lord Have Mercy.

"Everybody On The Line Outside" was the first single from the album. It's slamming beat and cool club-hopping, party-havin' chorus displays the tight flows of the squad. Busta starts it off with a dope rhyme and Lord Have Mercy does an amazing job too. Rampage's rhyme is the weakest because it seems commercialized due to the money-making references that Jay-Z and Puffy help make too mainstream and popular. Busta's chorus is still cool without being corny: "Everybody on the line outside, make you feel good make you come for the ride... can't do it like this no matter how much we try" The next song is a nice change in the album.

"Last Night" has a reggee feel with Busta Rhymes doing the chorus again: "Busta-boy fierce last night... Last night was a serious night. Couldn't find my knife so I go and pack my nine." Spliff Star proves to us that he's worthy of being in the hip-hop game. "Where You Think You Goin'" has the whole squad on the same track. Spliff Star does the hardcore chorus in a rough but groovy, deep voice: "Where you think you goin, Where you think you goin, what's you doing n*gga? Where you think you goin?" It's like they are coming from all side, attacking! This is not one of the strongest songs either though it is kind of cool.

"We Got U Opin'" features Buckshot from Black Moon and Boot Camp Clik. He's the only guest on the album and he rips it up! This song is the sequel to the original Black Moon song. The pounding beat is thick and reminds me of those good ol hip-hop days in the early 90's when the hottest hip-hop was strong and nothing was watered down. Rah-Digga sets it off and that is the only downfall to the song. It's tolerable especially when Buckshot's chorus kicks in: "You know we got ya' opin, kid! Don't front!" This is a long song and Buckshot rhymes at the end. He rips it up too with a very energetic voice which sound much more like early Black Moon and less like today's Boot Camp Clik style. It's a refreshing point in this album.

"Straight Spittin'", produced by Tony Touch, is the part of the album where Busta says "we take it to the basement". The beat is a slow, programmed high-hat filled beat with a rough style.There's no melody... it's just the bare, raw beat. The song would be cooler if it weren't so long. Busta steals the show when he rhymes a rhyme for every letter in the Flipmode Squad. In the background, you hear him yell "Give Me an 'F'" and he completes a rhyme with many sentence that all start with the letter "F". He goes down the list until he spells "F.L.I.P.M.O.D.E SQUAD".. This is one dope rhyme!

The next song, "Money Talks" has a cool, quick piano loop and a driving beat. It basically says that they are making money now.. "Money talks, bullsh*t walks!" The only problem with this song is that it shows their love for cash but they aren't as hungry as they were (well, now they are richer..) The hunger makes the song better...

The next song is a popular joint called "Cha Cha Cha". The beat reminds me of the thumping jungle-like beat of "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See". Busta Rhymes only does the chorus: "You n*ggaz wanna get down? You suckaz wanna battle? Yo what you wanna do? Cha cha cha cha cha cha!" Busta sounds dope with this wild, classic chorus. The only problem is that he does not kick a rhyme. Spliff does a good job and Rah-Digga does an awkward rhyme which has slow flow compared to the quicker beat."Rah-Digga, first name Rashia Sweetest person. Had no idea". Still, this is a dope song. It makes a great battle record in both instrumental and regular form.

"Hit Em Wit Da Heat", produced by Rockwilder, is a fast, pounding song with Busta doing the chorus. "Hit ya' wit da heat! Is that what you really want? Is that what you really want? Is that what you really want? Hit ya' wit da heat Is that what you really want?" It's a cool joint which brings a nice energy to the closing of the album.

"Do For Self" is basically Spliff Star and Baby Sham. It's meloncholic sentiments basically state that he does for himself and lives for himself because no ones going to help him but himself. Spliff warns Sham about hanging out with the wrong crowd and eventually, Sham ends up getting shot and in the hospital. Busta is only at the end. He doen't rhyme. He just talks to Sham while he's in bed. It's a serious song which seems somewhat out of place from the wild and crazy songs. It shows that the squad is deeper than they appear.

"Everything" finishes the album off. This is a dope song with Busta doing the chorus. "We gonna give yall n*ggaz everything that you want. We gonna give yall n*ggaz everything that you need. We gonna give yall n*ggaz everything that you ain't got. We gonna give yall n*ggaz everything to blow the spot!" One really dope thing on this song is that towards the end of it, all of the squad go back and forth with the rhymes. It's the only time they really do that on the album. It makes this joint HOT and closes the album in a classic way. The interludes are hidden between tracks. They are funny without being stupid. Like every Busta album, someone gets their ass beat. This beating happens to an interviewer who tries to interpret what Busta is saying through a thick Jamacian accent. There is another beating when someone trys to sweat Sham because he got the whole squad inside a club without waiting on line ("Everybody On The Line Outside"). Rah Digga also does a skit in the Everything store that sells everything... It's an unimportant skit...

Overall, the album is dope and very hardcore to appeal to true hip-hop heads while crazy and poppy enough to appeal to mainstreamers. I don't think this will do as good as Busta's solo joints sale wise but that's good.... It's respectful towards the hip-hop nation and it never comes off stupid or boring. The beats are all thick though the songs are a little too long sometimes. DJ Scratch did most of the production which is all well-done. One problem is that there aren't any scratches from other records. I don't need obvious samples but some slices and cut up lyrics from other joints would make it a perfect hip-hop album... Busta Rhymes doesn't have that much of scratches on his albums and this is no exception. The beats and production should sound a little more versitile but they don't. Many of the songs can be lumped together on the first listen but each track holds it's own after a while. The skits are hidden and if you listen to the album on shuffle, they are cut off so they don't get in the way. The album flows like juggernaut but most of the songs are too long.. It maintains its harsh energy without becoming boring or silly. Unfortunately, like many Busta's songs, these songs can get played out because all of them except for "Straight Spittin'" has a catchy hook. The lyrics are basically written on their squad power but the subject matter changes on "Money Talks" which is about cash, "Do For Self" which explores the ignorance and violence of street life, and "Everybody On The Line Outside" which is a party song that focuses more on a club. They don't really break new ground in hip-hop but they do set a standard for a classic hip-hop joint. This is a good couple of notches under a classic album. They are not the most creative people in the business but Busta Rhymes is completely original. "Last Night", the reggee- flow  influenced song comes from left-field and adds a refreshing touch. Overall, they are less creative than they are original.There's nothing wack but Rah Digga gets a little annoying because she's on too much of the album and Busta Rhymes fans may be dissapointed because he's actually not on one song. Lord Have Mercy should be used more as well as the rough-tongued Spliff Star. Flipmode Squad have talent and each member holds their own. Though Rampage (Busta's cousin) seems to be just riding the wave of Busta, the squad does form something strong and raw in hip-hop. There's no R&B! Thank God! It's nothing but hardcore joints! The funny lyrics sometimes take away from their threatening nature but they always come back with some hardcore rhymes. Nothing is going to stop them from expressing themselves...More hip-hop albums should be like this (but a little tighter). The FlipMode Squad will flip your whole world because they have a close-to-imperial album.
Beats: 8.5/10,
Lyrics: 8.5/10,
Flow: 7/10,
Production: 8.5/10,
Originality/Creativity: 8/10,
Hardcore Rating: 8.5/10.
[ Overall Rating : 8.2 / 10 ]