It serves as Rhymes's first solo album after the breakup of Leaders of the New School two years prior, and his first full-length project after numerous guest appearances on other songs with artists such as A Tribe Called Quest, the Notorious B.I.G., Heavy D and the Boyz, and Mary J. Blige.
Got You All in Check" reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1996, and earned Rhymes his first nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 39th Grammy Awards.
[4] In commemoration of its 25th anniversary, a super deluxe edition of The Coming featuring remixes, instrumentals and acapellas was released to all streaming platforms on April 16, 2021, by Rhino.
His guest appearances at the time included A Tribe Called Quest's "Oh My God" and Craig Mack's "Flava in Ya Ear (Remix)", among others.
[3] The initial recording sessions began in late 1994 in Los Angeles, where Rhymes was shooting for the movie Higher Learning, directed by John Singleton.
Rhymes was worried about his responsibility and the future of his family, unsure whether he was capable of making a debut that would serve as the foundation of his solo career.
Up until this point, Rhymes had problems with recording a full album on his own and sought help from his frequent collaborator, the rapper Q-Tip.
[6] In 1995, Q-Tip also introduced Rhymes to the then-unknown record producer J Dilla, who was known as Jay Dee at the time and had his biggest credits on the hip hop group the Pharcyde's second studio album Labcabincalifornia.
Rhymes dedicated the album to the memory of his first and late son, Tahiem Jr, and friends Ratto, Big Joe and Love.
[7] Describing the concept of the album's title, Busta Rhymes said, "The Coming, I just felt, was such a general yet specific statement that the level of meaning is so powerful...
[3] The "epic," "extended and extremely busy" intro of The Coming[10] contains two beat change ups and "commentary on wack rappers and the state of the rap game" from Rhymes.
The track ends with a short skit that "re-iterates how Busta feels about wack rappers,"[11] as Rhymes can be heard "whipping" somebody for "talking shit," and copying his lyrics.
[11] Many of Rhymes' lyrics on the track were previously used on his freestyle on Funkmaster Flex's 1995 mixtape The Mix Tape, Volume 1: 60 Minutes of Funk.
[12] Over the "energetic, stripped-down instrumental" of "Abandon Ship" produced by Rhymes, he and his cousin Rampage "showcase their chemistry on the mic with one hyped-up, razor-sharp lyric after another".
[10] The "dark jazz textured backdrop" of "Hot Fudge" produced by the Vibe Chemist Backspin finds Rhymes "calming down just enough to sound sinister and slightly scary".
[12] The "spacey, synth-assisted production" of "Still Shining" by producer J Dilla goes right "into a short but sweet acknowledgment of Busta's own lyrical talents as an MC."
In an interlude between "Still Shining" and the following track "Keep It Movin'", Rhymes "verbally scar[es] the shit out of his LONS [Leaders of the New School] peers to get themselves out of their retirement comfort zone to get to the studio."
In the outro, "The End of the World", Rhymes re-uses one of the beats from the intro and uses it to "show gratitude to his supporting fans and offers up a few parting words about using your time wisely."
The track is followed by a short skit in which a man can be heard, "who's apparently on his death bed full of regret for not using his time wisely and accomplishing all things he wanted out of life.
Rhymes' cousin, the Flipmode Squad member Rampage, contributes additional vocals to the standard version and is credited as an official guest artist on some releases of the song.
[They] provide no distractions and illuminate how Busta's humor and knowledge can seep through a track while simultaneously highlighting his great rhyming ability."
It lived up to, if not exceeded, the expectations of a young artist who had captured the world's attention as a standout group member and coveted collaborator.
Busta's first verse, first single, and first album all stand as testaments to the fact that he is one of hip-hop's elite artists and the perennial main event.