Dragon Season... The Awakening

In the three-and-a-half decades since roaring like a self-described “dungeon dragon” on A Tribe Called Quest’s “Scenario,” Busta Rhymes has often slipped into the serpentine. Following in the tradition of his zodiac-inspired *Year of the Dragon* and the collaborative Q-Tip mixtape *The Abstract and The Dragon*, this EP offers a preview of his promised return to fire-breathing form. Beginning with the ferociously boastful intro “Letter to My Children,” he proceeds to ensure that everything remains raw. No matter what kind of beat enters his lair, he wields seemingly supernatural rap powers over the music, from the positively funky single “Do the Busabus Pt.2” to the stop-start clamor of “Keep Executing.” The oft explicit nature of his lyrics only serves to strengthen his arguments, adding heft to the gospel-tinged boom-bap take “National Treasure.” The sole vocal guest here, emerging singer YG Marley, honors his own legacy with Jah praise over the reggae-pop grooves of “Treasure & Gold.”