**1/2 Busta Rhymes

ANARCHY

(Elektra)

Soft-drink shucking movie star and former Leader of the New School, Busta Rhymes is still a man possessed as he delivers his chaotic hooks and tongue-flipping rhymes in a weed-riddled baritone. Yet his newest joint doesn't exude the fire of "Woo-Hah!" and earlier power hitters. And with crews crawling out of every hip-hop crevice, Busta needs to push himself more than he did on his last solo effort or on the debut by his Flipmode Squad cohort (though "Cha Cha Cha" was some feel-good shit).

Still, there are plenty of bright spots on the long-winded Anarchy. Busta and new Flipmode soldier Roc Marciano keep up with Raekwon and Ghostface Killah on "The Heist," an exercise in classic Cuban Linx-era criminology that's worth the 15 bucks alone. Current kings of the game Jay-Z and DMX bring nothing new to "Why We Die," which is tailor-made for heavy TRL rotation. But all is forgiven when M.O.P jump in on "Ready for War," and "Here We Go Again" could easily be yet another Busta classic.

-- Chris Conti