When Disaster Strikes...

When Disaster Strikes... is the second studio album by American rapper and record producer Busta Rhymes, released by Elektra on September 16, 1997.[1] The album follows the same theme as The Coming, the apocalypse. The album, upon its release, received mostly positive reviews, debuted at number three on the official US Billboard 200 album chart, and peaked at the top spot on the Top R&B Albums chart.

When Disaster Strikes...
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 16, 1997[1]
Recorded1996–1997
Studio
GenreHip hop
Length76:07
73:05 (U.S.)
Label
Producer
Busta Rhymes chronology
The Coming
(1996)
When Disaster Strikes...
(1997)
The Imperial
(1998)
Busta Rhymes solo chronology
The Coming
(1996)
When Disaster Strikes...
(1997)
Extinction Level Event: The Final World Front
(1998)
Singles from When Disaster Strikes
  1. "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See"
    Released: August 12, 1997
  2. "Dangerous"
    Released: November 18, 1997
  3. "One"
    Released: March 28, 1998
  4. "Turn It Up (Remix) / Fire It Up"
    Released: May 15, 1998
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Christgau's Consumer Guide(choice cut)[3]
Entertainment WeeklyB[4]
NME7/10[5]
Pitchfork8.2/10 (2008)[6]
7.5/10 (2022)[7]
RapReviews9/10[8]
Rolling Stone[9]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[10]
The Source[5]
Spin5/10[11]

The album was supported by three singles: "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See", "Dangerous", and "Turn It Up" – the latter two which found chart success on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album's lead single, "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See" (notable for its music video that lampooned the 1988 film Coming to America) earned a nomination for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 40th Grammy Awards in 1998.[2] The album was certified platinum by the RIAA.[12] Its second single, "Dangerous", earned Rhymes a third consecutive nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 41st Grammy Awards the following year.

Background

Busta Rhymes dedicated the album to late friend and fellow rapper the Notorious B.I.G., who had been an inspiration in the making of the album.[13]

Commercial performance

When Disaster Strikes... debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 165,000 copies in its first week.[14] This became Busta Rhymes's second US top-ten debut on the chart.[14] On October 9, 1997, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of over one million copies in the United States.[15]

Legacy

Fellow rapper and friend Talib Kweli included When Disaster Strikes in his list of the 100 best hip hop albums of all time.[16]

For the 20th anniversary of the album, Busta Rhymes said he’s very pleased about “When Disaster Strikes“:

“I feel extremely great about that album. I feel great about all of my albums, and particularly that album. It was my sophomore jinx album where everybody was like, ‘We don’t wanna hear another album if he doesn’t switch it up,’ ‘Can he do it again?’ All of that talk was happening. But that album solidified my legacy.“[17]

Track listing

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[13]

When Disaster Strikes... — Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Intro" 
2."The Whole World Lookin' at Me"3:26
3."Survival Hungry"3:26
4."When Disaster Strikes"3:25
5."So Hardcore"4:51
6."Get High Tonight"3:51
7."Turn It Up"4:11
8."Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See"
  • Smith
  • Darrol Durant
  • Roger Munroe
  • Shamello
  • Buddah
  • Epitome[a]
3:14
9."It's All Good"
  • Latief
3:02
10."There's Not a Problem My Squad Can't Fix" (featuring Jamal)5:56
11."We Could Take It Outside" (featuring the Flipmode Squad)4:47
12."Rhymes Galore"2:33
13."Things We Be Doin' for Money, Part 1"3:18
14."Things We Be Doin' for Money, Part 2" (featuring Rampage, Anthony Hamilton and the Chosen Generation)
4:56
15."One" (featuring Erykah Badu)Rockwilder4:38
16."Dangerous"
3:37
17."The Body Rock" (featuring Rampage, Sean "Puffy" Combs and Mase)5:33
18."Get Off My Block" (featuring Lord Have Mercy)3:58
19."Preparation for the Final World Front" (Outro)2:31


Some versions of the album replace "Survival Hungry" with "Turn It Up (Remix) / Fire It Up" at track 3.[18]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
3."Turn It Up (Remix) / Fire It Up"3:58

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies a co-producer
  • ^[b] signifies an uncredited contribution
  • On U.S. versions of the album, "It's All Good" is excluded from the tracklist.

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for When Disaster Strikes...
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[29] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[15] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

References

  1. "When Disaster Strikes... By Busta Rhymes - RYM/Sonemic".
  2. Huey, Steve (September 16, 1997). "When Disaster Strikes - Busta Rhymes". AllMusic. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
  3. "CG: busta rhymes". Robert Christgau. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
  4. Diehl, Matt (September 26, 1997). "When Disaster Strikes". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  5. "Busta Rhymes - When Disaster Strikes CD Album". January 13, 2008. Retrieved June 29, 2014 via Cduniverse.com.
  6. "Busta Rhymes: When Disaster Strikes: Pitchfork Record Review". Archived from the original on April 8, 2008. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
  7. Greene, Jayson (April 24, 2022). "Busta Rhymes: When Disaster Strikes... Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  8. Chandler, Justin (14 August 2007). "Busta Rhymes - When Disaster Strikes..." RapReviews. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  9. "Rolling Stone : Busta Rhymes: When Disaster Strikes". Rolling Stone. October 22, 1997. Archived from the original on August 27, 2006. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
  10. Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. p. 123. ISBN 978-0-7432-0169-8.
  11. Norris, Chris (1 December 1997). "SPIN Dec 1997". Spin. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  12. Billboard. June 6, 2009. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
  13. When Disaster Strikes... (booklet). Flipmode, Elektra. 1997.
  14. "Billboard Magazine - November 8, 1997". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 8 November 1997. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  15. "American album certifications – Busta Rhymes – When Disaster Strikes". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  16. Kweli, Talib (September 26, 2012). "Talib Kweli - My Top 100 Hip Hop Albums". Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  17. https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/busta-rhymes-when-disaster-strikes-20th-anniversary-interview-7965913/
  18. "Busta Rhymes - When Disaster Strikes..." Discogs. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  19. "Dutchcharts.nl – Busta Rhymes – When Disaster Strikes" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  20. "Offiziellecharts.de – Busta Rhymes – When Disaster Strikes" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  21. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  22. "Busta Rhymes Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  23. "Busta Rhymes Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
  24. "Album Top 40 slágerlista (fizikai hanghordozók) – 2023. 38. hét". MAHASZ. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  25. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  26. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  27. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1998". Billboard. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  28. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1998". Billboard. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  29. "British album certifications – Busta Rhymes – When Disaster Strikes". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
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