The Imperial Album [Clean]

• Artist: Flipmode Squad
• Rating:
• Release Date: September 01, 1998
• Type: Contains explicit content
• Genre: Rap

Review

Busta Rhymes' rap posse Flipmode Squad (which includes newcomers Rampage, Lord Have Mercy, Spliff Star, Rah Digga and Baby Sham, as well as Busta himself) bust out the jams on this audacious debut, which mixes Busta's typically tight beats and surrealistic words with a wise-ass street savvy usually reserved for his best singles. The Imperial Album fills its 73 minutes with partial track ideas (including the prerequisite between-song skits) and lyric and melodic fragments that seem to have no beginning or end -- unsurprisingly, it's not unlike Busta's solo work. Still, Busta has always dropped some decent cuts per album, and The Imperial is no exception: "Everybody on the Line Outside" (a sort-of sequel to Busta's own "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See"), "Cha Cha Cha" and "Everything" are lightning-quick attacks of hip-hop aptitude. ~ Michael Gallucci, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
The Imperial Intro		Flipmode Squad	(5:00)
To My People	Rashia Fisher, L. Jones, W. Michael Lewis, Trevor Smith, George Spivey	Busta Rhymes, Spliff Star, Rampage, Rah Digga, Flipmode Squad, Baby Sham	(4:56)
Settin' It Off	Trevor Smith, L. Jones, Rashia Fisher, W. Michael Lewis	Rampage, Baby Sham, Spliff Star, Rah Digga, Flipmode Squad, Busta Rhymes	(4:22)
Run for Cover (Lyrics)	Trevor Smith, K. Dean, Kasseem Dean, W. Michael Lewis, L. Jones, Rashia Fisher	Flipmode Squad, Spliff Star, Rah Digga, Baby Sham, Lord Have Mercy, Rampage, Busta Rhymes	(3:29)
I Got Your Back	George Spivey, Rashia Fisher, Trevor Smith, L. Jones, Dick Fowler, W. Michael Lewis	Rampage, Baby Sham, Spliff Star, Rah Digga, Flipmode Squad, Busta Rhymes	(5:49)
This Is What Happens	George Spivey, Rashia Fisher	Rah Digga, Rampage, Flipmode Squad	(5:30)
Everybody on the Line Outside	Edgar Froese, George Spivey, Trevor Smith	Rampage, Busta Rhymes, Lord Have Mercy, Flipmode Squad	(5:06)
Last Night (Lyrics)	W. Michael Lewis, Trevor Smith	Spliff Star, Flipmode Squad	(3:59)
Where You Think You Goin'	Trevor Smith, George Spivey, L. Jones, Rashia Fisher, W. Michael Lewis	Flipmode Squad, Rah Digga, Spliff Star, Lord Have Mercy, Baby Sham, Busta Rhymes, Rampage	(4:40)
We Got U Opin, Pt. 2	L. Jones, Walt Dewgarde, Rashia Fisher, W. Michael Lewis, Trevor Smith	Busta Rhymes, Buckshot, Flipmode Squad, Baby Sham, Spliff Star, Lord Have Mercy, Rah Digga	(5:02)
Straight Spittin (Lyrics)	L. Jones, Rashia Fisher, Trevor Smith, W. Michael Lewis, Cam Wilson	Flipmode Squad, Lord Have Mercy, Rah Digga, Spliff Star, Baby Sham, Busta Rhymes	(4:43)
Money Talks	George Spivey, Bernie Worrell, Trevor Smith, W. Michael Lewis, Rashia Fisher	Busta Rhymes, Rah Digga, Flipmode Squad, Rampage, Spliff Star	(4:26)
Cha Cha Cha	B. White, Sean Tillmann, W Seastrunk, W. Michael Lewis, Rashia Fisher, George Spivey, Trevor Smith, L. Jones	Baby Sham, Spliff Star, Rah Digga, Busta Rhymes, Flipmode Squad	(4:11)
Hit Em Wit da Heat	W. Michael Lewis, Rashia Fisher, D. Stinson, Dana Stinson, Trevor Smith, L. Jones	Baby Sham, Lord Have Mercy, Spliff Star, Flipmode Squad, Rah Digga, Rampage, Busta Rhymes	(4:17)
Do for Self	George Spivey, W. Michael Lewis, L. Jones	Flipmode Squad, Spliff Star, Baby Sham	(5:22)
Everything	Trevor Smith, Rashia Fisher, Ron McNair, L. Jones, Terry Lewis	Baby Sham, Flipmode Squad, Spliff Star, Rah Digga, Busta Rhymes, Rampage	(3:40)

Credits

Amy Guip (Photography), Rick Posada (Executive Producer), Jin-Won Lee (Assistant Engineer), Cathe Rich (Assistant Engineer), Robert Burnette (Mixing), Lord Have Mercy (Performer), Lord Have Mercy (Group Member), Gregory Burke (Art Direction), Rampage (Group Member), L.E.S. (Producer), Mr. Walt (Mixing), Vinny Nicoletti (Engineer), Swizz Beatz (Producer), Serious (Group Member), DaBeatminerz, Inc. (Producer), Alli Burke (Art Direction), Jin-Won Lee (Mixing Assistant), Rich Tapper (Assistant Engineer), Robert Burnette (Engineer), Baby Sham (Group Member), Andre Debourg (Engineer), Sheldon Guide (Assistant Engineer), Mr. Walt (Arranger), Tony Touch (Producer), Gregory Burke (Design), Eduardo Larez (Mixing Assistant), DJ Scratch (Arranger), Rah Digga (Performer), Flipmode Squad (Costume Design), Vinny Nicoletti (Mixing), Eduardo Larez (Assistant Engineer), Shonette Coleman (Make-Up), Webb Welch (A&R), Lisa Aird (Artist Coordination), Spliff Star (Group Member), Baby Sham (Performer), DJ Scratch (Executive Producer), Dominick Barbera (Mixing), Dave Ellis (Prop Design), Rich Tapper (Mixing Assistant), Tom Passetti (Assistant Engineer), Busta Rhymes (Arranger), Darren Rapp (Assistant Engineer), Tom Coyne (Mastering), DJ Scratch (Producer), Busta Rhymes (Executive Producer), Busta Rhymes (Performer), Busta Rhymes (Group Member), Rockwilder (Producer), DJ Scratch (Mixing), Rah Digga (Group Member), Busta Rhymes (Mixing), Spliff Star (Performer)