Busta Rhymes - When Disaster Strikes

The album that turned Busta Rhymes from a promising solo act into one of the most electrifying and instantly recognizable presences in hip-hop. Released on September 16, 1997 on Elektra Records, When Disaster Strikes is Busta's second solo album and his commercial and artistic breakthrough, debuting at number three on the Billboard 200 and going on to achieve double platinum certification in the United States.

The energy Busta brings to every track here is genuinely unlike anything else in the genre. His rapid-fire, breathtaking delivery, his larger-than-life personality, and his gift for the kind of animated, committed performance that makes every verse feel like an event are all fully formed and operating at maximum intensity from the very first track. The Flipmode Squad family is present throughout, with Rampage, Spliff Star, Rah Digga, Lord Have Mercy, and Baby Sham all contributing to a record that crackles with communal energy and competitive fire.

Lead single "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See," built around a sample of Heatwave's "Always and Forever" and featuring one of the most distinctive and joyful music videos of its era, reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and introduced Busta to a pop mainstream already familiar with his scene-stealing guest verses. "Dangerous" followed as one of the album's most relentlessly kinetic tracks, while "Turn It Up (Remix)" and "It's A Party" featuring Zhane demonstrated his range as both a hard MC and a genuine entertainer. The album's production, handled largely by DJ Scratch and Busta himself alongside contributions from Nottz and others, strikes a perfect balance between trunk-rattling hard rap and the kind of inventive, sample-flipping creativity that defined the era's best work.

Twenty five years on, When Disaster Strikes remains one of the essential documents of late 1990s hip-hop. Now available on limited edition silver vinyl across two LPs, this is the definitive way to own a true classic.