Release Date: July 1st, 2003

Because of the Patriot Act type legislation recently passed on behalf of the RIAA, I won't be discussing how I got this CD before the July 1st release date but let's just say that I didn't buy it or get an advanced copy from MURDER, Inc. I personally have a problem with making a financial contribution to a music label, which prides itself on being called Murder, Inc, but let's move past the subjective politics and talk objectively about the CD. Initially I could see why they call this album Chapter II, because it seemed like an extension of the debut album specifically the first track. The biggest criticism of her platinum (5 times) selling debut album was that "it lacked creativity and originality". This one will receive the same criticism. It appears to have 20 tracks but after the superfluous 45 second skits, intros and outtakes, we have 14 music tracks which is ok. Of those 14 tracks we again have 3 remakes that I recognized and one popular hip hop sample. I have 2 peeves about this album, they are the remakes of classic songs by Barry White, Fat Back Band, etc and Irv Gotti is doing shout outs all over a few of the tracks like this is a mix tape - it's quiet annoying! Irvin Lorenzo, a.k.a Irv Gotti, is on there with unnecessary bleeped expletives and screaming about "you know who this is", "its the worlds most wanted", "the worlds most dangerous", "its me I.G.", that mixed tape narration on the album is pure and utter nonsense. It takes away from her album. Her vocals are good (on the album at least) , and she doesn't need Irv Gotti to be a hype man to her sound. I am aware that many in the public complain that Ashanti can't sing in live performances or in concert but after studio production she sounds good on the album, so don't look for me to say that she sounds bad on here because she doesn't except for one time on the "I Found Lovin" remake where she tries to recreate a male singer hook (ooh, it was bad). I have never heard Ashanti sing outside of a studio, but their are probably a lot of others who sound mediocre with out all the benefits of studio technology.

The fact that Ahsanti used to ghost write for J-Lo is also evident on Chapter II, because I can picture J-Lo singing some of these tracks especially when I hear the word baby. The album was done in four months and Ashanti wanted more time but Irv Gotti wanted to push it out as soon as he heard it. Rumor has it that she didn't want those street shout outs, that I mentioned earlier either, on the final album. He claims she was just being a perfectionist but the wait would have produced a more complete album with tracks like "Rock Wit U". However her teenage fan base won't even recognize some of the songs she has remade because they were babies or only naughty thoughts of their parents when the original dropped. The album will probably undercut the market again, sell for cheap, and increase her sales but don't expect the truth to stop this from selling. It's all about the image these days and she has the image that the industry wants to sell. - Nuff SAID

Release Date: December 9th, 2003

If you are an Avant fan cop this immediately. If you are not, its business as usual! He’s not Luther Vandross but he can sing. Everybody knows that Avant is the Loon of R&B. He's a gigolo/playa on the album and probably in real life. His video "Don't take your love away" is kind of dope and it's probably a real life experience. His presentation is slick, crafted specifically for the young ladies and girls. Ladies can be just as visual as men nowadays and Avant is more about presenting a lover’s presence than he is about pure singing. Male Avant fans listen to Avant but don't sing his lyrics. They just let it play and work on the ladies subconscious. Most of the album is about that "make up- break up" drama, caught cheating drama, stealing a women from another man (creeping), and supin' a women’s head up to believe she is all that - kind of "love". Private Room is playa propaganda because after track after track of Avant, a woman might really think that you love her and want to be with only her for the rest of your life. Before I give it a grade, what you think so far, wait "I Can Read Your Mind". - Nuff SAID

Release Date: September 16th, 2003 Is “Neo-Soul” Dead? I don’t know but apparently Erykah Badu thinks so, and with that belief in mind, Badu presents Worldwide Underground, which is Badu’s 3rd “full album”, major release (not counting the Live album). I put “full album” in quotes because the first problem with this album is the length. While the album cover says ten tracks it is actually 8 because the first and last are an intro and an “outro”. More than a full album Worldwide Underground comes across more as an EP or something put out until the real new Erykah Badu album drops. For a lesser artist this album would probably have been greeted with a ‘ho-hum’ reaction but honestly, for Erykah Badu, this album is a major disappointment in my opinion. It's a change from what most people probably expected from this album, and Badu is apparently expanding her boundaries even more, classifying this album’s sound as something she calls “Freakquency”, but there is not enough focus on Badu on the album. Several of the songs like “Bump” and “I Want You” have nice grooves but are unnecessarily long. In addition many of the tracks are short on words or lyrics. Badu is simply not enough of the focus on this album, in fact “The Grind” featuring M-1 of Dead Prez, which is one of the best songs on the album is completely taken over by him. Then on top of that you have a “crew cut” remix of “Love of My Life” that features Queen Latifah, Angie Stone, and Bahamadia where we even find Badu rapping. The highlight of Badu’s experimentation is probably the albums lead single “Danger” which is somewhat of a continuation of the “Other Side of the Game” storyline from that very successful single on her first album, although it sounds nothing like it. It you picked up the LP looking for something that even remotely challenges Badu’s stellar debut Baduizm or it’s just as impressive follow up “Mama’s Gun”, you will be sadly disappointed but props to Badu for trying not to be put in a box.

Release Date: June 24th, 2003

Beyonce, Ashanti, Monica, Mya, etc - at least one of these young female singers isn’t going to sell the amount of records they planned. The jury is still out on who will suffer the most with all the competition, but one thing is for sure, Ms. Knowles who is becoming somewhat of a one woman entertainment sensation, will be the least likely victim. Beyonce’s solo debut Dangerously in Love has been highly anticipated in many circles, but possibly with a little apprehension after the less than stellar debut of fellow Destiny’s Child band mate Kelly Rowland. To Beyonce’s credit Dangerously in Love is not quite the album I expected from her. Yes the track for "Baby Boy" sounds something like a lot of songs making their rounds through the clubs recently, yes "Be With You" hijacks the vocal arrangement of The Brothers Johnson 1970-something hit record "Strawberry Letter #23" and the hook from Adina Howard's only hit, "Freak Like Me". And yes, Jay-Z probably should only have appeared once on this album, but Beyonce did manage to secure a duet with the legendary Luther Vandross even if the song is a remake. Though not always original, Dangerously in Love does take some small chances musically, especially when it would have probably been less risky for her to do a more predictable album that sounded like a continuation of her work as a member of Destiny's Child, and still sell 2 million plus copies on her name alone. The album starts strong and has a number of radio friendly, possible nightclub successes, such as “Baby Boy” featuring the now ubiquitous Sean Paul, “Naughty Girl”, and “Hip Hop Star” (featuring Big Boi of Outkast and Sleepy Brown), although the album really lulls somewhere a little past the middle. “Signs”, where Beyonce goes through her relationship experiences with different members of the Zodiac, is another slick and different track that sounds like it just missed being on Tweet’s Southern Hummingbird debut album. Where this album really wins is in the “girl talk” department. Songs like “Me, Myself, and I” and “Yes” are particularly strong and appeal to very real and easy to relate to themes for young women. Even some guys should be able to relate and understand where Beyonce is coming from on those songs – well maybe not, if you’re the kind of guy she is talking about on “Yes”. After “Signs” which is about the 8^th song listeners could probably safely skip to the last song, which is (apparently a bonus cut) a tribute song to her father who has had a heavy influence over Beyonce’s career. Overall, the good outweighs the bad though, and Dangerously in Love is a solid Debut from Beyonce and better than I expected, or maybe I just set the bar too low.

Release Date: March 11th, 2003

A wise man once said that when all things fail to unite people, conditions will. I don't know if there is a better way to describe the reunification of Blackstreet members Teddy Riley, Chauncey Hannibal, Mark Middleton, and Eric Williams for their new set Level II. As individuals it seems all interested parties have recently encountered slow sales, waning popularity, and/or financial difficulties, including Teddy Riley's recent filing for bankruptcy. Unfortunately at times throughout Level II, it seems that financial concerns and an interest in moving as many units as possible, override an interest in the music. Up-tempo songs are fine, but too much of the material seems to be desperate, "shot in the dark" attempts to score on the nightclub scene. Far too often Level II finds Blackstreet substituting, somewhat raunchy and lewd material, for substance and thoughtful songwriting. The album also falls short in the creativity department. I was somewhat disappointed to hear Blackstreet jacking Michael Jackson's "Human Nature" for their "Why, Why" and building a house on Simply Red's "Holding Back the Years" for their "Look in the Water". The album does have it's bright spots like "It's so Hard to Say Goodbye", "Brown Eyes", "Ooh Girl", and "Ticket to Ride", but there are simply too many lapses overall and it's not one of Blackstreet's stronger offerings,  irrespective of group membership.

Release Date: June 24th, 2003

In an overcrowded pop music landscape filled with young, attractive, svelte, singers who seem to always have an album on deck, perhaps stardom isn't in the cards for Ms. Cantrell. While Cantrell is certainly no slouch physically, the over-saturation of the market has to hurt record sales and the building of a fan base. Cantrell's sophomore effort Bittersweet, is a decent effort and solid follow-up to her debut So Blu. The album isn't filled with incredible material or outstanding songwriting but most of the album is more than manageable. Songs such as "Sleep in the Middle" and "Unhappy" showcase Cantrell at her best and she is also solid on songs like "Holding on to Love" and "Happily Ever After". In addition to those already mentioned you have a cut like “No Place Like Home” and "Breathe", (that is sure to be the song used to market the whole album) which features the current, hottest man in dancehall, Sean Paul (whose presence seems to be a prerequisite for releasing an album nowadays.). The dilemma for the album and probably Cantrell's career is how she will be marketed and to what audience. It's apparent some of the people directing her career have a vision for Cantrell that would find her wrestling with the Myas, Beyonces, Monicas, and Ashantis of the world for fans. This is also evidenced by the packaging of Bittersweet with a Bonus DVD, that features an "exclusive, sexy, tell-all interview", with the less than classy Wendy Williams, currently of New York City's WBLS radio station. Or maybe the interview is more for the "loves drama" and the tired of "no good men/dogs" crowd. Whatever the case, the image being created for Cantrell just doesn't seem to fully match the sound of this album and this case of square-peg-in-round-hole may prevent Cantrell from ever having her full day in the sun, but a couple of hours won't hurt.

Release Date: March 25th, 2003

So Chico DeBarge is back on the scene with a new joint and I know U all wanna know the Gumby perspective, so I've been checking it out. I first popped the disc into my portable CD player on the way to my neighborhood West Indian restaurant and I wasn't too sure of what to make of this collection. Now granted, first listens are really just about feeling around the material, so I wasn't too worried. The first thing I did observe is that Chico is back in that mode that he was in when he killed the scene with the smooth classic "Long Time No See". What's also obvious is that apparently Kedar Massenburg is out of the picture, because the album's title is Free, and the executive producers are listed as Chico DeBarge and Smurf. And for all U label freaks out there, Chico has also parted ways with Motown records for whatever reasons and is doing business on Koch records. But enough of all that background action, ya'll wanna know if ya'll should buy this shit, so lemme roll up my sleeves. First track, "It's Cool" serves as a nice reminder of who U're listening to. It's classic Chico a nice slick groove and a refreshing start. Then the disc kinda goes into quiet mode. The title track, "Free", is a nice, slow, mellow groove that allows Chico to do what it is he does best and that's blend into the track vocally. Granted he can't sing like big brother El, but he manages to find his own style and do it justice. The material that Chico chooses to touch on is a reflection of who he is and since everybody pretty much knows his story it seems relevant and personal, like someone that you might know. That gives his music and his style a certain sincerity that makes him more credible. Be warned though that this album contains some definite baby-making material! Fellas, some low light, a nice bottle of merlot (or Colt .45 if you're Billy Dee) along with a few tracks from this album and a chick's drawz will magically disappear. On the downside (and you know there almost always is) this effort is a little short, stretching to just above fifty minutes worth of music, with at least two songs failing to reach the three minute mark. If I'm paying my hard earned money for your album (especially at the prices these things run for in some stores) can I get at least an hour of music? Songs that fall short of three minutes just leave a listener hanging, especially when they've been good for two and a half minutes. Find another verse and gimme my moneys worth dawg! That being said, I'm feeling this effort by Chico. Less commercial driven with more focus on the artist's vision. Stand out tracks includes "Smile", "Style", "Home Alone", "Page From the Journal" and the title track "Free".

Release Date: May 20th, 2003 (Re-release)

You know sometimes when reviewing the music of a new artist I don’t know what to expect. Especially when said artist doesn’t get the exposure and buzz that one receives when they dally in the mainstream. Well Donnie out of Atlanta Georgia is definitely one of those artists. I’d heard of him a lil sum’n, but just a smidgen, so I was aware of his album entitled Welcome To The Colored Section, but I hadn’t heard it. Until about three days ago. Holy SHIT! This album is DEEP. Full of rich, layered grooves and vocals reminiscent of Stevie Wonder, the text of the lyrics runs the gamut from the spiritual, to the romantic to the socially conscious. This is a brave and ambitious effort by Donnie, but even more so it is just damned good listening. I mean, there are African drums on this album! Harmonicas and shit. AMAZING! I mean no one has tripped around the spectrum of black music this heavy since D’Angelo’s ’95 debut. Bluesy, funky, jazzy and straight southern shack gospel, dude digs deep into the African American musical experience. The first track to grab you is "Cloud Nine", a clever and heartfelt tribute to black folks’ hair. Just outright, the song makes a bold statement when it opens with the lyrics, “Live from the head down and not the feet up.” Welcome To The Colored Section is the kind of breakthrough statement album that says to the industry, take it or leave it, but this is my vision. The track "Big Black Buck" speaks on the social stigmas that tend to be heaped upon black men in this nation. Drenched in a rich southern jug band sorta sound, the tune is part gospel, and part backwoods shack/nightclub funky, in a 1940’s kinda way. It’s almost like a quick trip through time. I could sit here and list track after track and talk about what impressed me on this album, but that would make this a three or four page essay as opposed to a quick review of the CD. Suffice it to say, Welcome To The Colored Section is a must have for anyone who cares about the kinda shit they keep in their music collection. Go cop that.

Release Date: May 20th, 2003

I don’t do many reviews but I thought that since this joint is in constant rotation on my computer and in my CD changer, that I would lend ya’ll an ear. I so enjoy listening to this CD because the beats are how I like my men; slow (as in deliberate), slick, and mellow. I guess the "Subject" is love and relationships. Call me nostalgic but my favorite cut is “Kick Out of You”. It will most definitely floor any woman who ain’t a hoochie (hint fellas). It reminds me of a smoky nightclub, a man on a piano, making the music do thangs to me. Not that he’s showcasing his vocal talent on this cut, it’s just how he makes you feel (Ladies ya’ll know what I’m talking about”. Whew, excuse me, I’m back now. Even the language itself [kick out of you] is a throwback. “Money Don’t Mean a Thing” is a good one and good reality check for those of you that have pondered the question. “Without You” is another good one that reminds me of Nia Long’s poem in Love Jones. This brotha is so good, you even look forward to the interludes (A.N.G.E.L., WHOMP) and the skits. He gets into some classy ghetto shit with “Lady at Mahogany” another mellow sassy cut. I say cop this album if you're into chillin' and vibin'. For me, it’s what I call an All Purpose CD. I can clean to it, dance to it, make love to it or #@&!* to it, chill out with it, and I can entertain with it.

Release Date: September 23rd, 2003

Anthony Hamilton from the Nappy Roots has won me over with his Comin From Where I’m From. The title track is getting mediocre airplay here in the ATL. If radio sleeps on this CD (which they probably will) they are doing us soul lovers a disservice. I’m not going to invent some flowery, clever review of this CD, I’ll just say that if you like a Bobby Womack sounding voice with nice mellow beats, and heartfelt lyrics – you’ll cop this one. If you’ve ever been in love and lost it – you’ll play the hell out of “Charlene” and “I’m A Mess”. The piano and organ are ever present in this CD and it’s comforting and familiar (if you’ve ever been to a Baptist Church). In fact, I swear his back up singers sound like a choir! The piano and acoustic guitar compositions in “Lucille” are simply beautiful. What’s different about it: no rappers, no skits, no bitches, hoes, pimps, or killing and for those factors alone it’s aiight with me. He’s standing alone with one soulful cameo with Latoya Williams on “My First Love”. This is the type of music that R&B and soul music has been known for, for decades. Thank God for an artist that is dedicated to singing true R&B Soul Music. He’s not a R&B thug, he’s a man with love songs to sing.

Release Date: October 14th, 2003

What can I say about Jagged Edge? This is a group of vocalists that have never really caught my ear. Nothing they've ever done has been of that caliber that forces U to stand up and take notice. In a word, marginal. In two words, mediocre. And what's with the close-up of the car and the rims on the CD jacket? What do the rims and the car have to do with anything? More senseless pandering to the blind consumers of the bling contingent, no doubt. As vocalists these guys aren't bad, unlike some groups out there who can't carry a note in a U-haul. They can harmonize well enough and they seem to do best on ballads. To be clear, "Walked Outta Heaven" is the best song on the disc. But other ballads like "Visions" and the title track, "Hard" are pretty decent as well. The vocals aren't going to blow you away, but the songs are nice to listen to and they won't overwhelm so much as accompany a mood. The biggest problem with this disc, with this group in fact, is identity. These guys want to sing and make the ladies swoon like it's the sixties, but then they want to turn around in the space of one or two songs and sing about how some woman don't understand that he (the lead vocalist) is a "P.I.M.P." The ridiculous persona of the R&B Thug times four, which, of course, only makes it four times as ridiculous. But back to the music. This album is weak. Nothing about it stands out and makes me think, "Oh shit! People have got to hear this!" The aforementioned songs that are nice, are just that, nice. Not thrilling, but nice. There is a nice little jack of Naughty By Nature's "Uptown Anthem" on track 13, "Shady Girl", but U know I consider that cheating cause it's the track to a song that was ALREADY great. The 14th track, a bonus cut entitled "Car Show" may have something for all U OutKast fans out there, with an appearance by Big Boi, who of course highlights an otherwise useless track with his flow. It seems like I've heard it all before, but this collection doesn't present much in a way that stands out, but now I'm repeating myself. If U love Jagged Edge, you'll love this CD, if U don't then this CD will only remind U why.

Release Date: December 16th, 2003

What can I say about Joe? The cat can sing. Is he Luther Vandross? Not by a long shot, but he's got skills nonetheless. The topic, Joe's latest release, entitled And Then, is his sixth release on Jive records. For a talented dude, Joe seems to be over-compensating here for his last effort, Better Days which wasn't received very well by "the streets". That could likely be chalked up to the track, "What If A Woman", which dared attempt to put a guy in the position that so many dudes place women in. The streets don't like shit like that and so Joe was punished. And Then, oddly enough the title of this collection, Joe went back to the drawing board with a renewed dedication to the streets and the initial result is the fourth track, "Ride Wit U", featuring the "Anti Hip-Hop" himself, Curtis 50-Cent Jackson and the G-Unit. Nothing says you're dedicated to the streets like a track with Rap music's newest hot button thug. And if THAT isn't enough to convince the streets that Joe's down for it, on the opening track, "Sweeter Than Sugar", Joe croons about his passion for cars, jewels and chips, being a moderate playa about getting paper and having love for the streets among other things. On the sexed up, down and sideways "More And More", Joe croons his way straight to ya thongs ladies, for whatever it's worth. Sounds kinda familiar though, in arrangement and production style, yet another track with that distinct whiff of the pied piper of Chicago. There are some songs with some nice sentiments on this disc that sound like Joe and Joe alone. The fifth track, the smarmy sweet, "Priceless" is an ode to those shorties' working hard day in and day out in the ghetto just to get by. One of the better tracks if not the best on this effort is the seventh tune, "You Dropped Your Dime", a reminder to those cats that mistreat their ladies, there's always someone willing to pick up that dime. "Make You My Baby" is another nice ballad, the kind of tune where Joe seems to excel, but Joe has a distinct mission for this CD, and he returns faithfully to it. Then there's the number nine track, "Street Dreams", you can probably guess the subject matter of this one even with an axe buried in ya skull. Joe opens the song with the line, this ain't hip-hop, this is R&B, but with multiple utterances of hip-hop catch phrases like "thugs for life" and such, I wonder how sure Joe is. The sequencing on this collection also seems to be off the mark. Joe goes from singing a song like "Priceless" to the none too romantic tune "Jeep", which is where that track's sex takes place. And then he's Mr. Romantic again, with "You Dropped Your Dime" and "Make You My Baby" before falling off the cliff in to hood senility with "Street Dreams". I like Joe as an artist up until this CD, where he seems to have traded himself in for a more "thug-friendly", street credibility. That being said, it seems that Joe's Better Days, are somewhere behind him.

Release Date: December 9th, 2003

At times strange, at other times erotic, Kelis has always done her own thing musically. Perhaps she has been just a little ahead of her time, being that she was one of the early mainstream artist to work with the now ubiquitous production duo, The Neptunes. Whatever the case Kelis is back with the release of her third full length LP (but only the second one released in the U.S.), Tasty. Many people probably would not even know who Kelis was had it not been for the album's lead single "Milkshake", which is receiving heavy rotation on the radio and on the nightclub scene, but such is the story of her career it seems. You always seem to get at least one memorable single, just like on her 1999 debut Kaleidoscope, that has every under-30 female singing the hook just like "Caught Out There" ("I hate you so much right now!"). This time around Kelis is still her unique, and somewhat sexy, self musically and she leans on that image hard for songs like "In Public" and "Milkshake". But Kelis also calls on help from some surprising and not so surprising places, drawing 2 assist from Raphael Saadiq on "Attention" and "Glow", another from Andre 3000 of Outkast on "Millionaire", and another from her Hip-hop fiancé, Nas, for "In Public". Sometimes Kelis hits with cuts like "Marathon" and "Glow", other times she misses with cuts like "Protect My Heart", which sounds almost as if it should have been recorded in the mid-1980s, but one thing that is certain is that she is always on the mark at being herself - and that is kind of rare these days.

Release Date: February 25th, 2003

Born in Nashville, based in Detroit, Kem Owens or just Kem which he uses for recording, is the kind of artist you would think most record executives would kill to have in their stable. It's not just that his immense talent shines through on his debut LP, Kemistry, it's that he sold approximately ten thousand copies of his debut LP before signing a 5 album deal with Motown; it's that he arrived at the label an already polished artist; it's that he wrote, arranged, and produced all his own material (in addition to being able to play the keyboards); it's that he has released a praise-worthy album in the margin between R&B and Jazz. It's clear from the album's first song that, "Matter of Time", that the listener is in for an album that is mature, smooth, and well put together, from an artist that seems to exhibit the same qualities. From there the impressive tunes just keep coming, as "Say", "Inside", "I'm Missin' You Love", and "Love Calls" illustrate that the musical quality exhibited throughout Kemistry is not at all a fluke, but a consistent pattern. As a singer Kem delivers his words of love and devotion in a mellow tone, over acoustic arrangements that are spare and hushed, but for listeners who give this album a thorough listen my guess is there reaction will be anything but mellow, spare, or hushed.

Release Date: February 18th, 2003

In a lot of R. Kelly's music he talks about how rough his life is and his torment from things invisible to us. Maybe that is why this guy can make such spiritual music. His stuff is either dope or ridiculous (you remind me of my jeep) but artistically the tracks fall to the latter. Most of this new album praises women but considering 33 counts for child pornography the situation its probably a trick for support. I mean a double album that you can play all the tracks, all the way through. Yes I am talking about R. Kelly. It's true that I said "don't expect a review of Chocolate Factory from me, because I won't buy his cd", but gimme a break I ain't buy it! I just got a portable CD burner and I was dying to try its capabilities out so I downloaded it and unfortunately downloaded a virus in the process. That's why I usually just go to my local bootleggers cause downloading is tricky. I am not backtracking from my original position on him as most of these cowards radio personalities out here, who now say stuff like "well if the lil' girl parents ain't complaining, I ain't complaining". Man you saw the damn video just like me and you know that wasn't no setup or 3/4 million dollar digital frame up! He was pissing on that lil' girl, who barely had pubic hair and then gave her money in return. If she was an adult, I could hardly care what he did to her or what she accepted as payment, but she's a child!!! "You "Stans" out there are such apologist cause you like something, ok hold up thou, I HAVE to say this boy got a musical gift but he a foul nigger, that's right I used the N word on this site for the first time ever. When nobody is looking or I GET MAD IT SLIPS OUT. I MEAN BEING A FORMER SUPPORTER OF R. KELLY AND HAVING ALL HIS CD'S IN MY COLLECTION. THE SET IS NOW MESSED UP CAUSE I GOT A BOOTLEG CHOCOLATE FACTORY COPY SITTING IN THE CD HOLDER NEXT TO MY LEGIT COPIES. IT DON'T LOOK RIGHT. THE CD ITSELF IS "HATER PROOF" BUT I CAN'T REALLY GIVE IT WHAT IT DESERVES CAUSE I SEEN HIS RATED XXX VIDEO ALSO. I'LL JUST SAY CAN'T BUY IT BUT LISTENING TO IT - IS ANOTHER STORY- NUFF SAID

Release Date: December 2nd, 2003

It's not really clear to me how old Alicia Keys is, or is supposed to be, especially in a music industry known to shave years off of the true ages of it's performers to make them more appealing to younger audiences. But whatever her true age is, for her sophomore album, The Diary of Alicia Keys, it's clear she has been digging in the crates looking for that old-old soul. Several times she finds it or at least elements of it, such as on the lead single "You Don't Know My Name", "Wake Up", and "If I Ain't Got You". In fact "If I Ain't Got You" so successfully employs elements of a late-60s or early-70s love song, that I had to check the album credits to make sure it wasn't a sample or remake. Rarely does an artist who experienced so much commercial success and acclaim on their debut LP (only some of it deserved), return with a sophomore LP that is actually better and more deserving of praise than the debut that the industry bandwagon worshipped. Keys simply seems to be far more confident in what she is doing musically, and you get the impression that she is really growing up, and out, with her sound. It would have been easy for to go the tried, true, and tired route, and basically do what so many others are doing; making unimaginative, immature albums filled with junior high-school ruminations about love and relationship while throwing in a few "club songs". Instead Keys chooses to record songs like "Karma", "Nobody Not Really (supposed to be an interlude but more like a short song)", and her ode to the 'rolling stone' "Samsonite Man". Alicia Keys younger fans might not like this album as much as her debut, but of the two, The Diary of Alicia Keys is the superior album, and with the following she already has in addition to having people like Clive Davis pushing her, Keys should have plenty of accolades coming her way with or without the "teeny-boppers".

Release Date: June 24th, 2003

I borrowed this album from my younger cousin. My younger cousin is a Puerto Rican nationalist consumer. That means she will buy any rap or r&b album that a Puerto Rican makes. This does not apply to "Spanish music" because she ignores the new Salsa artist emerging all the time. I guess American pop culture dominates when you are born in the U.S. Speaking of being ignored, who is Lumidee? You hear her music but you don't know her name. Actually you probably only heard one really popular song and its remix with Busta Rhymes and Fabolous. That is why her album is called "Almost Famous". People know her song but not her (listen to the song by clicking here). I like "that" song and most of the album. She was very lucky to get a record deal after a very short time performing in New York local clubs. She didn't have to go through all the mess others did, her manager never shopped her or anything. They threw the song out, it was like a mix song. It then took on a life of its own and things got crazy. The Boricua flavor is authentic and not forced. At 19 her life experiences are very limited and the album is about her life; the things that she has been around, things from her environment, things she's been through, etc, so I was surprised I enjoyed it and that I was listening to it all day. She is so authentic, that the biggest joke about her is that she has made singing off key stylish. Lumidee is a rapper at heart and she does rap a few times on the album but I didn't even hit the fast forward button. She is a true inner city talent that will be around if she gets support.

Release Date: April 29th, 2003

For some reason I always ASSumed that Lil' Mo was a rapper. Maybe because of her many tattoos or maybe I guessed because of her past associations with Ja-Rule & Fabolous, or more recently her street response record with 106 & Park hostess & rapper Free for "21 Answers" a playful response record to 50-Cen, and that her most popular stuff involves rappers. In fact Fabolous is on the album again on the fourth track, called "4ever", which is 1 of the only 2 tracks that I hear on the radio. But since she publicly dissed Ja-Rule (Warrior's Song/ Loose Change)", I didn't expect him to be on this one (thanks Lil Mo). The other track you hear on the radio is a collaboration with Lil Kim ("Ten Commandments"), which is also on Lil Kim's album which dropped 2 months ago, so by the time you hear it on Mo's,  it's old. Make no mistake though, Lil Mo is straight R&B, she's like a lil' Kelly Price but gully with the language on the tracks, actually its not the official tracks but the intros and interludes. I was surprised at them but at the same time they were not totally out of context for what she was singing about in each song. Not good considering her primary fan base is under 18 and she pays tribute to them on her open letter to a 16 year old fan. This leaves me to talk about 10 other tracks on the album. This is one of those emotional albums where the female is clearing her mind, discussing all this diary journal entry type stuff. I can tell that she composed most of this while she was pregnant cause women be emotional. Then again Missy Elliot wrote track 3 for her which is also like that, so I could be wrong, unless of course Missy is pregnant but that's not likely. Ok let me try to focus on, "what I think I know" and that is "that women are going to like this album". For men its not really going to be what I would call a "crossover gender album" but that's cool for her cause I just invented that term and most women actually buy albums as opposed to the internet downloading that I am sometime guilty of although my bootlegger is so good I don't even really mess with that any more. Lil' Mo has a good voice and all but this album has a "breathe again/Toni Braxton" (I will die without a man) type mentality and although I am a "recovering sexist" who once fed off of these women. It's too emotionally tilted toward a plea to listen to this every day. Ladies if ya man is stressing you out, get this ASAP if not you can have mine. - Nuff said

Release Date: December 9th, 2003

So Musiq is back with a new studio LP, and with such a quick turnaround for the kid from Philly I know all U good people out there are awaiting the Gumby Perspective… Well wait no longer! I happen to have gotten my hands on a copy of Soulstar and I'm listening to it as I type this out on my old IBM electric typewriter (see, I ain't all caught up in this internet age shit). That being said, here we go. This CD is very safe. The sound and sensibility are typical Musiq. I get the distinct idea listening to this disc, taking into account the quick turnaround between Juslisten & Soulstar, that many of the songs just didn't make the cut on the last album, but Musiq felt they were strong enough to make up an album on their own. It's like a bunch of songs that could have gone on either of his previous two CDs, so I suppose Musiq knows he's not doing anything new here. In fact, in an interview, Musiq said as much, stating that he's basically "traveling the same musical road, just in a different car". Guess what Musiq? Time for a new road. Three LPs deep in the career, for a guy who was touted as being different and original says to me that it's time to rewrite the book and stay fresh. It's not good for ANY kind of artist to sit back and be safe, when that happens the stagnation comes. The songs aren't bad at all on Soulstar. They're just so damned interchangeable! The title track, Soulstar is a nice smooth cut that really blossoms with the vocal addition of Carol Riddick, who sings the hook and adds just the right flavor and texture to the song. Musiq even now seems willing to comment on a semi-social level with "Womanopoly", placing the lives of young women coming up in the ghetto into the context of the classic board game and though I like the idea conceptually, somehow the song just falls flat. Perhaps the biggest treat on Soulstar is Musiq's cover of The Rolling Stones' 70's classic "Miss You", which Musiq souls up and down with a twist of that Illadelph funk. You halfway expect cats to cover old classics and shit, but you NEVER expect a brotha' to go and cover a Mick Jagger tune, so big ups to Musiq for giving up something fresh and unexpected even inside this collection of mostly interchangeable tunes. There are the obligatory guest appearances from contemporaries such as Aaries (who are guaranteed to show up on a Musiq CD like Ghost is bound to show up on Raekwon's), Cee-Lo, Kindred The Family Soul, DJ Aktive and Bilal. The 11th song, entitled "Dontstop", is a nice party track and Bilal's vocal style provides the perfect departure from Musiq's sound. Like I said before, for the most part the songs are cool, typical Musiq, but there's not much new here.

Release Date: July 22nd, 2003

Alright dammit, I know I been M.I.A. on reviews and columns and such, but give a Gumby a break. I'm out here battling the man day and night. In fact, I'm thinking of kidnapping Rush Limbaugh's mother and making her fix my transmission. But that's neither here nor there. It's time to break down some albums. What album, you ask? Let's talk about Mya's Moodring. Now, I know what you're all thinking, and even though it's true that I think Mya is a sexy lil' piece of something, we all know GD! gives up the straight dope as only a man made of super elastic green clay can. Shall we? First off, I didn't have great expectations for this disc to begin with, because I wasn't even remotely impressed by the lead single, "My Love Is Like…Wo", a lazily produced mish-mash of leftover Aliyah tunes. I mean, sure I'll sit through the music video, but that mute button has it's advantages. Things improve for Moodring greatly with the second track, which is also the next single from the disc, Fallen. A cleanly produced and smooth sounding track, Mya's vocals aren't overpowering or anything, but rather she blends in well with the surrounding instruments to create a complete and believable sound. "Why You Gotta Look So Good" is an interesting cut which deals with something we can all relate to on some level or another; finding yourself unable to escape a lover's hold because you're so wrapped up in their looks. Sure it's a trivial concept but it happens to people every day. Of course, upon further examination of the lyrics, it ain't all about the looks, so maybe she's getting what she deserves. There's also the obligatory Sean Paul appearance (because ya just can't seem to add a dancehall twist on a recording these days without him). I think that Mya didn't put any pressure on herself with this effort and set out to have fun on this, her third collection, and she achieves that. Moodring is sexy, with enough attitude and irreverence to get the job done. The ballads steam with sexual energy, and Mya exhibits a sexuality that is not in your face and overbearing but rather subtle and purposeful. She exudes a sort of 'woman/child' energy that draws you in and holds you. "No Sleep Tonight" and "Anatomy 1On1" are prime examples of this energy. Mya coos and croons almost directly into your loins. The production is strong, and even more impressive is that I don't detect any of the producers of the moment, no who's who of who's hot now. In fact it's really cool to see a couple of tracks produced by Flyte Time's dynamic duo, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis ("Anatomy 1On1" & the pregnancy scare track, "Late"). Especially seeing as how we're always so prone to forget our precursors when something younger and newer shows up. Stand-out tracks include "Sophisticated Lady" (a re-working of the Rick James classic, Cold Blooded which works really well), and the antagonistic, house-inspired "Whatever Bitch". I also wanna give Mya a thumbs up for dabbling in production with ONE SONG on this CD instead of losing her mind and trying to produce like four or five tracks, which would certainly have brought the overall effort down a grade or two. All in all this is a respectable effort from Mya on her third go 'round and Moodring goes a great length to showing us some of who she is. 

Release Date: October 14th, 2003

Meshell Ndegeocello is no stranger to flying beneath the radar, despite the fact that throughout her career she has often been praised and acclaimed by music critics across the board. Always one to push the boundaries and seamlessly blend musical styles Ndegeocello's 5th LP, Comfort Woman, continues in that vein. While still borrowing from the worlds of rock, R&B, Funk, this time there are even elements of Reggae as can be heard on the "Love Song #1", and "Fellowship" which spins it's own web out of Bob Marley's "Get Up, Stand Up". Apparently very much in love in life, or at least on record, Comfort Woman is deeply sensual and all about love (albeit love on a higher level) although this focus seems to cause her to scale back her normally biting and sharp political critiques. Don't get me wrong Ndegeocello hasn't resorted to singing about Crystal or Bentley's but her commentary is much less pronounced showing up mainly on one song ("Fellowship"). Fortunately many of the "love songs" are standouts, particularly "Andromedia & The Milky Way", "Love Song #2", and "Love Song #3". Even without her normal insights, Ndegeocello still scores with this album, and as usual the musical compositions are beautiful though more subdued in general. The biggest problem with Comfort Woman however is the length, coming in at 10 songs and just under 40 minutes, kind of makes the listener feel something is missing, if not wanting more.

Release Date: April 29th, 2003

Okay, I know I been a lil slow on delivering this Kelly Price review but we are on our summer schedule for the newsletter and Charlie never said that schedule couldn’t pertain to reviews and such. All that being said, here goes the Gumby perspective. After listening to this disc for the umpteenth time I realized what it was about this collection that made me kinda' raise an eyebrow. It’s like those candies that have the nice shell and then they get all mushy in the middle. Kelly flits about on this CD, in and out of personas. She’s the club chick with her eye on a cat (a cut featuring Keith Murray). She’s the hopelessly in love girly girl gushing with joy because her man proposed to her. She’s the no nonsense sista' letting her man know that whatever went down with his last girl is moot cause she’s got the keys now. But the real Kelly, at least in my estimation, is that girly girl in the middle, the one in the video for her lead single He Proposed. The album kinda' irked me when initially with that damned Brady Bunch sounding intro (which was corny and too damned long), but luckily it recovered with the next track, Someday. In fact, four of the five tracks following that intro (The Pricey Bunch-yick) range from pretty good to tight. The smoothest of the bunch is probably Again with a nice acoustic guitar solo by the smooth hand himself, Mr. Eric Clapton. A nice duet entitled Sister with Faith Evans rounds out the top five. I’m not really big on some of the middle material like He Proposed, Strong Man and How Does it Feel (Married your Girl) but maybe I’m just a classic commitment-phobic type so those tunes just flip the off switch in me. See, it’s cool for a dude to sing about loving and marrying his woman, but when a woman sings about marriage and proposals is it me or is that pressure? But enough of my personal hang-ups, let’s move on shall we? There’s no denying Kelly’s instrument; she wields her voice with skill and savvy and she knows how to ease up and compliment a track instead of overpowering. But we knew she could sing from jump, it’s just refreshing to see someone who knows it, yet doesn’t beat you over the head with it song after song. She does break out just a taste of the power in a slick remake of You Brought the Sunshine which features gospel’s own, The Clark Sisters. There are some nicely arranged tunes on this disc of all tempos but some of the material leaves a little something to be desired. With eighteen tracks total (sixteen subtracting the intro and the interlude), Kelly puts forth an overall decent offering. Standout tracks include Sister, Again, Take It To The Head and Back In The Day.

Release Date: December 9th, 2003

Open package, add contents to water, heat in bowl for approximately two minutes on high, and then sell, or at least that's what the instructions for today's pop music stars seem to be. Maybe it's just me but I can't help but feel there is something at least a little sinister about winning a national televised contest and then having an album recorded a matter of weeks later. Soulful is the first full-length effort from the second-season American Idol winner Ruben Studdard, and just based on that resume we at least know he can sing, after watching him do it on television for several weeks. But making a standout album is about more than whether a person can sing or not, and Soulful's biggest problems stem not from Studdard's vocals but the very nature of the recording. It's really not clear whose vision the album is or what direction it's going, and it's short on fresh material. Soulful finds Studdard bouncing around between target audiences, and musical sounds, from the Swiss Beatz produced "Take The Shot", to the "R.Kelly-ish" "Sorry 2004", to his ode to plus-sized men and women all over, "What Is Sexy", to the soulful "After The Candles Burn". While diversity in sound is normally a good thing you get the impression that the lack of musical direction is based primarily on trying to please everyone and it comes across as somewhat contrived. Other times I felt as if Studdard was back on American Idol, where remakes and covers of other people's work are expected, but three remakes on one album is too many. Soulful also contains more than it's fair share of pandering "to my brothers in the hood, hustlin' to make it, etc, etc" although you can't help but get a certain sense of sincerity from Studdard's continuous attempts to drive home the point that he hasn't really changed much, and is taking his newfound notoriety in stride. Despite it's shortcomings, most of which I expected considering the situation, Soulful isn't a terrible debut but it's far from electrifying.

Release Date: June 10th, 2003

14 Tracks and 5 guest appearances? Busta Rhymes twice, Queen Latifah, Foxy Brown, and Beyonce? That's not the Luther I am accustomed to. I am used to hearing Luther sing solo on every track of his album. I also have a little bit of trouble in my mind reconciling Foxy Brown and Luther Vandross in a collaborative effort. But as Foxy said "I toned it down on here out of respect for Luther". The 1st track, "If I didn't know better" is my favorite but the title track "Dance With My Father" is tight also. Although the thought of that is still a little odd to me but that is neither here nor there. Luther is still making love music, soft romantic stuff that is vintage Luther to some extent but on the other hand their are too many collabo' efforts on here to put this on the level of some of his prior albums, although the album is worth the money. I initially brought it because I thought Luther might pass on, after his stroke and I wanted to make sure I had his last album. I'm glad he didn't pass and I'm glad I got the album. If you're about to get married pick up this LP. If you're about to creep, pick up this LP, and if you're just chilling pick up this LP. You don't have to rush but do get it. -Nuff Said