Anthony Hamilton - Soulife

Release Date: June 28th, 2005

Since his first commercially successful album, 2003's Comin' From Where I'm From, Anthony Hamilton has been drawing comparisons to soul greats, usually Bobby Womack and Bill Withers, due to their vocal similarities. While such comparisons might sound like hyperbole to those not familiar with Hamilton's work, and so "early" in Hamilton's career, with each new LP release the comparisons seem to become more warranted. Hamilton's signature sound, which fuses timeless '70s soul with current R&B production and sensibilities, have created yet another masterful LP with the June '05 release of Soulife.

You might also notice that the terms "early" and "commercially successful" were added as disclaimers when describing Hamilton's career, because as some of you may already know, Hamilton is not exactly a newcomer. Some of you may know he had an album titled XTC, that label problems caused to be dead on arrival around 1995. In fact this album, Soulife, mostly contains material that was supposed to be released on a 1999 LP, and was simply re-mixed and released for 2005 though the timelessness of the music would prevent anyone from noticing. Not to mention the production, is usually quite fitting as the spare musical arrangements on Soulife blend almost perfectly with Hamilton's vocals. While Soulife is arguably not quite as outstanding as 2004's Comin' From Where I'm From, it is still an exceptional LP and will likely be one of the best LPs released in 2005 by the time the year is over. The album starts extremely strong with 4 of the best cuts, including "I Used to Love Someone", "I Cry", "Clearly", and "Georgie Parker", which those who liked the song "Charlene" on Hamilton's 2004 release are sure to like, if not love. From there the album tapers off a tiny a bit but hardly so much that you will exercise the skip button, in fact in almost any mood I could listen to Hamilton's music all day. Even "Love and War", which features Macy Gray - and was created for the "Baby Boy" movie soundtrack is a solid listen, and if you can get me to like anything with Macy Gray on it you've done something! "Ol' Keeper" and "Icing on the Cake" are also stellar songs that round out an album that is superior. It's been a long rode to get here but now that he's arrived it's hard to imagine the current R&B scene without Hamilton. He's a throwback artist to a time when most things about R&B music were a lot better, and from what I can tell he is as special as the adjectives many use describe him. 

Release Date: December 13th, 2005

In 2003 Anthony Hamilton finally caught a break, after a decade of busted label deals, neglect, and seemingly bad luck. With his critically acclaimed debut LP 2003's Comin' from Where I'm From, Hamilton made a clear impression on the music scene. In the summer of 2005 Hamilton followed that success up with another stellar disc of previously unreleased recordings, Soulife, which debuted near the R&B top ten making it clear that Hamilton had become a major artist with a hungry following behind him. Surely, Ain’t Nobody Worryin’ will do nothing but enhance Hamilton’s deservedly great reputation.

Despite the albums title, Ain’t Nobody Worryin’ is even more poignant than Hamilton’s previous work with the sentiment of the title track being, NOT “Don’t Worry Be Happy”, but instead that  people are either too defeated by their problems or too caught up in them to worry about the world falling apart around them. This poignancy carries over to cuts like "Preacher's Daughter", which goes after preachers who are too self-absorbed or overbearing on their flock to take care of their own families, and  "Where Did It All Go Wrong," a breakup song that calls up memories of Bill Withers' "Hope She'll Be Happier." At the same time this LP is even more adventurous, individualistic, and confident than Hamilton’s previous work. He’s obviously having a little fun and not afraid to experiment with up-tempo cuts like “Sista Big Bones (as he pays homage to “full-figured” woman), “Southern Stuff”, and "Everybody"  (a fairly convincing reggae jam). This is all in addition to songs with religious overtones like “Pass Me Over” and “The Truth” that are not “preachy”, while being both personal ("Pass Me Over") and universal, simultaneously. Studio “Mr. Everything” Mark Batson is a regular presence again, while Dre & Vidal, James Poyser, Raphael Saadiq, Ahmir Thompson, and Kevin Wooten help out in smaller capacities, helping Hamilton’s keep his more modernized '70s-soul sound. Ain’t Nobody Worryin’ is yet another special and well-rounded album full of expressions of optimism, lasting love, faith, and concern from a very special and well-rounded artist.

Overall: A :Review by Ooh Papi

Release Date: July 5th, 2005

I only listened to this album a couple of times before this review but my once or twice over opinion is this. R. Kelly is prolific; the man never seems to stop working at his music or other people’s music. His unheard music catalog is deeper than Tupac's and he does not even have Suge Knight as a producer he is trying to escape. Six albums in the past five years - one a double set - not to mention overseeing a slew of producing and writing projects for other artists. Kanye eat your heart out. R.Kelly still runs Chicago.

This album makes it obvious; Kelly's ongoing sex scandals hasn't given him any self-consciousness about the lyrics he writes. He may even be upping the smut talk just to show he has nothing to hide, of course he has already hid the star witness, but back to his music review. Kelly is so obsessed with booty calls and freaky scenes, he makes Uncle Luke seem like Martha Stewart. While on Kelly's subsequent efforts, he moved off the erotic path every Now and then, this time he offers wall-to-wall ranch anthems - each more self-loving than the one before.

There are 3 main problems with this album:

First: The ghetto fabulous style of R. Kelly hasn’t changed, examine these lyrics. "Ho, I should've known/ That you would go and do some bogus sh-- up in my house," Pastor Rufus roars to wife — whose name is actually Kathy — as chapter two progresses. "But the Christian in me gave you the benefit of the doubt." Or "I'm about to smoke it down to a roach," he sings. " 'Cause girl, you got that sex weed ... Girl, just let me blaze it."

"Sex Weed" — yes, that’s a actual album title , he compares making love to his girl to smoking the stickiest of the icky. Although R. Kelly has a 1 track mind he does dabble in reggae, reggaeton which is not the same, and hip-hop.

Second: He writes the same melody over and over and over. 

Third: He Makes sure the melody never has more than three notes in it. But I still get annoyed listening to his main single – "Trapped in the Closet" where he says closet about 20 times in his lyrics. The song is s a simple rhyme scheme cord, yet in today's market it has the makings of a classic – even though it’s very predictable. The idea of a 5-part video is ground breaking as the Michael Jackson video, "Remember the Time" as a mini movie. Amid the senselessly dense plot, Kelly and a wide cast of characters cheat on each other every chance they get, and with every gender. You can see the "surprise" gay plot twists coming from a hundred miles away. But the plot twist involve a lot of uncertainty and that is reason enough to have R.Kelly brandish a gun in his video solidifying his Gangsta R& B Status. I never thought I would say operetta and gangsta' in the same sentence but this is 2005 and the consolidation of music genres guarantees that consumers won't have much say about this.

Even with his impending trial, R. Kelly doesn't seem like he's in any immediate danger of disappearing from the scene cause he can sing very well and he is charismatic, controversial and does whatever he wants and that is what people like in art more than anything else.

P.S. - I've made a pledge not to issue any letter grades to any R.Kelly's music reviews until he has had his day in court and he has had about 10 postponements so far, but I've said enough in this review for you to make your own decision about his album.

Release Date: March 1st, 2005

2003-04 wasn't a very good period for Jennifer Lopez. After more than a year of tumultuous public relationships, participation in what seemed like a "boyfriend exchange program", and a severe case of overexposure, Lopez decided to "fall back" a bit. Rebirth marks a return to center stage for Lopez, with new husband Marc Anthony, in tow. If nothing else, Rebirth is testimony to the competence of Lopez's handler's and the power of good production. Despite her limited vocal range Rebirth finds Lopez surrounded by the more than capable production talents of Timbaland, Rodney Jerkins, and Rich Harrison (Beyonce's "Crazy in Love", Amerie's "Trippin'") among others. She also returns to the familiar guidance of Cory Rooney who oversaw her first album, On the 6. The result is an album that may be a guilty pleasure for Lopez-Haters, as tracks like the James Brown-sampled "Get Right", the potential club-banger, "Whatever You Wanna Do", and the "Middle-Eastern" influenced "Step Into My World", are hard not to bob your head to .... at least a little bit. The Rodney Jerkins produced "I Got You", and the breakup song "He'll Be Back" are standout tunes, and the dance track "Cherry Pie" which has an 80's Prince feel to it, is also pretty solid. For those interested in the drama, Lopez only co-wrote 2 songs on the LP and the album's subject matter is pretty light, so the amount of insight the songs lyrics offer into her much gossiped about persona is questionable but listening to the words on several cuts such as "He'll Be Back" and "I Got You" almost sound like she's talking directly to her ex-fiancé (Ben Afleck) and current husband (Marc Anthony), respectively. "Can't Believe This Is Me" -- a collaboration with her new husband also suggests Lopez may not have learned the lesson of "Gigli" but it's probably one of the worst moments on an album that's otherwise a surprisingly enjoyable ride.

Release Date: June 21st, 2005

They same big things come in small packages. Usually that saying is little more than a cliché, but in the case of Leela James it's the absolute truth. James may be diminutive physically but her gritty sound and attitude, and commanding vocals are very much big-time. Vocally compared to legends like Gladys Knight and Mavis Staples, and drawing on influences ranging from soul to the blues to gospel, for her debut LP James draws on the inspiration of the "old school", while making songs with "new school" sensibilities. Her "new school" sensibilities also give her good enough sense to draw up the right kind of support for A Change Gone Come which boast production work from some pretty big names including, Kanye West, Raphael Saadiq, Wyclef Jean, James Poyser, and even James Mtume. James opens the album with the cut "Music", which is a solid cut where she lays out her take on the current state of soul music, before sliding into more standard musical fare for 2-3 songs - though that "fare" doesn't sound so standard when James performs it. After this up and down start it seems James really finds herself and her sound about the middle of the album, where she reels off several of the LPs best and seemingly most heartfelt songs, including "When You Love Somebody", "Mistreating Me", "My Joy", "It's Alright" and her soulful cover of No Doubt's "Don't Speak". Overall A Change Gone Come is a refreshing and significant statement of an album, from an artist who's obviously confident as anyone who dares remake Sam Cooke's "A Change Gone Come" (one of my personal all-time favorite songs) and uses it as their album's title track must be. Going forward, James is definitely an artist and voice to watch.

Overall: B :Review by Eyecalone

Kem - Album II

Release Date: May 10th, 2005

While on a cruise recently to the Bahamas, I came across a man on the upper deck. He was despondent over his Cuban cigar going out. He caught me eyeing his mild contempt as he relit it and explained his love for fine cigars. He then drew a parallel with a saying from someone whose name he couldn’t recall: “Love is like this Cohiba cigar. If it goes out, you can light it again but it never tastes quite the same.” Such is the case for Kem’s “Album II.”

This Seal-look alike (without the facial scars) still glides along the warm waters of old-fashioned, had-a-hard-day-at-work love music. That mature vocal restraint that separates him from contemporaries killing themselves with scale climbing American Idol-esque runs is still there, but the aroma doesn’t seem to have the same depth. Perhaps, like the debut, this album also grows on you with time.

“I Can’t Stop Loving You” is a brilliant choice for the album’s release in that it truly feels like a continuation of the debut album. To get to it will require going through “Find Your Way Back” which is plausible enough as Kem works in the high register with a delivery that almost reminds one of Michael Franks. It doesn’t seem to mature beyond a being a good idea though, making it little more a decent soundtrack for buying stuff you don’t need from Pier 21. “Heaven” fares a little better, perhaps because he returns back to the timbre of that famous Al Jarreau waddle.

But “Into You” is Kem far too deep into Al Jarreau territory (especially when he Scooby-doo-bom-boms). You begin to imagine Kem strolling down the street with hands in the pockets of off white slacks while donned Miami Vice-style with a blazer, muscle shirt, no socks and moccasins and a low cut, Republican-looking afro. “Without You” is contemplative enough, but feels like 15 minutes when it shouldn’t. “True Love” ups the game with interesting lyrics, soul searching and wise. Made for being a sympathetic companion to young, lonely professionals driving through city rush hour traffic to work – or happy hour. “Each Other” elevates the album. It absolutely sparkles with its painful voyage into the troubles of father/son relationships – including Kem’s relationship as a child of God the Father of all. It catches you by surprise as a pantheon to Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On.” “You Might Win” has a Stevie Wonder styled-harmonica that adds just the spice needed for the cut and “I Get Lifted” is a far better blend of Kem, the high register and the up-tempo without falling into Al Jarreau’s full identity.

In reviewing the CD, I’m beginning to appreciate “Album II” even better. The texture is slowly developing a personality of its own. Like the man on the upper deck who went on and smoked his relit Cohiba, I’ll go on and rock this CD. I’ll love it for what it is and replay the debut album in regards to what it isn’t .

Overall: C+ :Review by William Ashanti Hobbs - Guest Reviewer

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Raul Midon - State of Mind

Vocals: N/A Content: N/A Production: N/A

Originality: N/A Quality %: N/A Bonus: N/A

Release Date: June 7th, 2005

Blind, New Mexico-born, half-Argentinean R&B/jazz artist Raul Midón has the kind of talent that makes you want to learn how to play an instrument - immediately. In his latest offering “State of Mind,” Midón’s percussive guitar playing and undying lyrics do wonders for the soul. The title song is a jewel for people looking to augment their fortunes of life, relationship, intellect and money. The sound is acoustic, yet full-bodied, making it the brother to India.Arie’s debut album (most strongly felt in “Suddenly”). Midón will become famous for thrumming the strings with a cupped hand, producing a trademark twang that punctuates the 4/4 rhythm.

The twang mellows in “If You’re Going to leave.” It is the tempo that you knew from the first song he could do the sweetest damage. Midón sings here with vocals that bring to mind Eric Benet and allows his Spanish-roots to come out in the solo (as well as in the socially-conscious “Never Get Enough”). Definitely fireplace and sunset friendly. “Keep on Hoping” sports a chipper, hitchhiker mood as Midón and folk/ blues standout Jason Mraz trade longings for love in a way most men would only go for after being severely inebriated. Mraz’s voice, strangely like Rashaan Patterson’s, compliments Midón’s like a little brother kicking it with his big brother. It can put the goofiest smile on your face while driving through stubborn traffic.

“Waiting All My Life”’s soulful delivery makes you imagine what it would be like for Midón to collab with "Tone, Tony, Toni", or "Mint Condition". The dead on flow has quiet storm written all over it and though it is just guitars, and organ and sparse percussion, it works you to the bone enough to consider slow dragging to. “Everybody” leads the pessimism and selfishness of the day out into the brilliance of the sun. Midón croons with an urgency that has to make Donny Hathaway (whom he dedicates the timeless “Sittin’ in the Middle”) smile and tilt his crown cap to an even more dashing angle: “You don’t have to be, a big celebrity / To feel the power in your soul/ You don’t have to be a big star on MTV/To realize that in your eyes, there’s a view that only you can see.” It can, make a little difference in your day.

“Expressions of Love” is so tailor-made for Steve Wonder that it would have been criminal to not have him guest appearing. He does so with a winsome, “The Secret Life of Plants”- styled harmonica that could’ve calmed the multitudes in the Superdome seeking relief from Hurricane Katrina’s fallout. “Sunshine” moves in the same vein, but sports more of Midón’s definitive stamp. Midón’s Afro-Caribbean roots come to shore here, bubbling at your ankles and tickling your heels with the splashing congas and spoken word delivery of “I Would Do Anything.” Poet and writer Amiri Baraka states that a true artist “must draw out of his soul the correct image of the world. He must use this image to band his brothers and sisters together.” Midón does not just entertain, the blind phenom’s vision of the world transcends, giving sight to the rest on just how much we still have in common with each other

Overall: N/A :Review by William Ashanti Hobbs - Guest Reviewer

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Missy Elliot - The Cookbook

Vocals: C Content: C+ Production: C+

Originality: A- Quality %: C Bonus: N/A

Release Date: July 5th, 2005

Missy Elliot may still be the most talented female in hip-hop, but she's also hip hop's designated female weirdo - the Dennis Rodman of rap. The Cookbook is a concept album arranged like a huge feast, with appetizers, main courses and dessert. So it's a shame that bodacious rapper Missy Elliott ends up serving a lot of empty filler with only appetizers and dessert worth eating.

On The Cookbook, Elliott worked mostly without Tim (Timbaland) Mosley, the producer who has served as her sonic guide and spiritual twin since the beginning of her career. He is credited on only 2 tracks here. Without Timbaland, Missy couldn't recreate the magic she usually brings; there's definitely something to the idea of working with new producers, but jumping in headfirst only made The Cookbook look like it could have been thought out a little better. Elliott produced some of the songs herself, but more often collaborated with un known hip-hop soundmen, that's not a problem when it works but the producers all seem like they wanted to outdo Timbaland and each other. They go for the most intrusive sounds rather than the catchier ones.

It's tempting to finger this switch as the reason "Cook Book" ends up with a crash and burn technique. The tracks are love'em or hate'em tracks. I blame the loss of Timbaland but actually Timbaland's two cuts aren't any more appetizing than the others, I don't like. The real problem is that the whole project feels forced: It's weird for weird's sake - like Dennis Rodman

To start with, there's less smooth R&B than on the previous CD, not to mention a very different tone to the harder tracks. The Cookbook goes for a maximal approach. Numbers like "Can't Stop," "Clack Clack" and "We Run This" are filled to bursting with sound, including compressed horn samples, booming bass lines and overwhelming rhythm effects. Together they aim for a punishing percussive impact. Synths jab, beats pummel, vocals harangue, and there's no space left to create a groove, no gap for the listener to move themselves into the beat. Instead of sounding phat, the songs end up sounding, well, fat.

The more rap orientated cuts are the best. Missy and "Fat Man Scoop" and Missy and Slick Rick, excel with club bangers'. Mary J. Blige is included in another collaboration with the great and forgotten Grand Puba, but she is on the track more to rap than sing. Guest singers like Ciara, Fantasia, and Tweet can't do much with what the tracks provide. I like the 6th track, "Meltdown" but I don't know how to classify it and then it turns into a ode to 50-Cent - ok now that seems like a reason for me not to like this album even more. Then again Missy's at her raunchy best on tracks like "Meltdown," where her buttery voice makes a "magic stick" sound 10 times sexier than 50 Cent's. It's just some ideas on the album are underdeveloped, for example the cut "We Run This," which samples the classic track "Apache" without adding much else. Missy's poor production make her weak lyricism noticeable in the end she is all over the place with this effort - somebody call Timbaland quick.

Overall: C+ :Review by Ooh Papi

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Me'Shell Ndegeocello - The Spirit of Jamia: Dance of the Infidel

Vocals: N/A Content: N/A Production: N/A

Originality: N/A Quality %: N/A Bonus: N/A

Release Date: June 21st, 2005

In a time where most music is created solely to round out an album or specifically with the perspective of how many spins it may garner per radio station, the musical journey of Me'Shell Ndegeocello's boundary-defying "Dance of the Infidel" will challenge many listeners not to indulge in over-intellectualizing each and every nuance therein.

Although stripped down mostly to lush, meditative instrumentals, the experimental form brings to mind Prince's funky jazz experimental band Madhouse and Miles Davis' "Bitches Brew" fusion. Under the auspices of Ndegeocello, the band Spirit Music Jamia was formed to float freely in the cross currents of Afrobeat, electronic dance music, funk and jazz. The result is one of the best new albums to smoke out, kick back, or make love to (the kind where you don't even sweat) this year, that is, if you can get over the need for the conformity that goads you to ask yourself "what is this?"

"Mu-min" feels like walking in from the cold into your favorite bookstore with an afternoon to kill. "Al-Falaq 113" is even more like Prince-inspired jazz (most notably his N.E.W.S. project), soothing, yet temperamental enough to sharpen the senses. "Aquarium" brings Ndegeocello in on bass as the atmospheric effects on Sabina's (one of Verve's Brazilian Girls) bemoaning over a confined existence gives one the sense of weightlessness.

"Papillon" reclines on an unhurried groove as saxophonist Kenny Garrett solos like a barefoot child at play in a field of wheat. Fellow saxophonist Oran Coltrane gets his turn to explore the more familiar, saucy soul-inspired Ndegeocello landscape of the title track. Cassandra Wilson's settles herself in the middle of the acoustic haunts of "The Chosen" like a Cheshire cat on a rug in front of a crackling fireplace. Of all the other cuts, "Luqman" promises to bring the most zeal but only simmers the pot. Lalah Hathaway brings an undisputed but pleasurable cool-down with the velvety blues of "When Did You Leave Heaven?" Writer Joseph Addison once stated that "Everything that is new or uncommon raises a pleasure in the imagination, because it fills the soul with an agreeable surprise, gratifies its curiosity, and gives it an idea of which it was not before possessed." Though projects that maintain the same tempo and vibe throughout being satisfying is uncommon, "Dance of the Infidel's" earnest attempt to transcend makes it more a worthwhile journey than a group of artists stuck in a rut.

Overall: N/A :Review by William Ashanti Hobbs - Guest Reviewer

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Omarion - O

Vocals: C+ Content: C- Production: C

Originality: D Quality %: D Bonus: N/A

Release Date: February 22nd, 2005

After the breakup of B2K, former group member Omarion had at least 3 things still working in his favor; teenage girls still love him, he has people backing him that think he can be a major pop star, and teenage girls still love him. Unfortunately, none of these things necessarily translate to good music. Predictably as a former boy band member gone solo, Omarion tried to establish his adulthood by being lewd and raunchy, as the teenager tells listeners on the tracks "O", "you make a n!@@a want to get involved, want to get them drawers" and "don't mean not disrespect to you, but a n!@@a really trying to f@ck with you" on "Take It Off" (and in case you're curious, there is NO parental advisory sticker on the album). When not talking rather dirty to the teenage girls, young Omarion's debut runs the gambit of predictable, pop R&B fodder from the club tracks to the shoddy relationship cuts, though big-name production work from the Neptunes on "Touch" and Rodney Jerkins on "Drop That Hater" manage to salvage a few tracks. "I Know" is also a strong cut, but truly solid material is few and far between on this LP. "Growing Pains" deal with his split from B2K in a rather roundabout and vague way while "Fiening You", a third-rate knockoff of Jodeci's "Fiendin'", is indicative of the general feeling I had about this album, which is, it's really hard to answer the question of what distinguishes Omarion from any other young, aspiring heartthrob R&B singer, who still wants "street credibility" (whatever the hell that means for an R&B singer), and more importantly why most of us should care.

Overall: D+ :Review by Eyecalone

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Randevyn - Soltrain

Vocals: A- Content: B Production: C-

Originality: B+ Quality %: C- Bonus: N/A

Release Date: August 16th, 2005

One of the most interesting phenomena I've experienced while reviewing albums both commercial and semi-independent is that in many cases the artist or labels will often put some kind of label on the album packaging promoting the albums "hit songs" or at least the tunes they intend to push. Very often these songs end up being the album's most successful or best songs. On major commercial releases of course some of this is due to the amount of airplay received by some songs versus others, but for releases without that commercial push it's hard to explain this phenomena outside of conceding that some songs simply sound better than others to the ears of most people, and that the artist/labels recognize this too. Such is the case with the debut LP from Atlanta native Randevyn. The album packaging highlights the songs "Dearfarah" and "Supernatural" and as promised those songs stand out amongst a somewhat inconsistent offering of roughly 12 cuts. Clearly Randevyn has at least 2 things going for him; those are strong vocals likely bread somewhere in a southern church (even if his vocals at times reminded me of a couple of newcomers to recently hit the music scene, i.e. Atlanta's Donnie, Philadelphia's Bilal, and Dwele) and a creative individualism that allows him to search for his own sound. Mixing elements of Hip-hop, gospel, and classic R&B soul Soltrain truly finds Randevyn attempting to do his own thing musically and that is to be commended, but too often the musical accompaniments and song arrangements don't fully get the job done, i.e. "Anothachance", "Truluv", "Nearer". Overall, Soltrain as a debut shows enough promise to warrant buying a ticket in the future, but if you board this time around know ahead of time that the ride might not all be smooth.

Overall: C+ :Review by Eyecalone

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Tweet - It's Me Again

Vocals: B- Content: B Production: B-

Originality: C+ Quality %: B- Bonus: N/A

Release Date: March 22nd, 2005

Take 3 years off and you miss a lot in today's music game, especially if you're not that well established as an artist. Following a solid, if not stellar debut LP, Tweet's sophomore release, It's Me Again, took just long enough that she risked not having much of a fan base for which she could return. It's Me Again finds Tweet reinforcing, or maybe truly establishing, her sound and not stepping out too much. As was the case on her first LP, Tweet's sound come across as laid back and low key, yet seductive and wise. You can almost picture her reclining and smoking a long cigarette as she lays down her "big sister wisdom" on youthful listeners, such as on tunes like "Sports, Sex, and Food" and "Small Change". Tracks like "Cab Ride", and the lead single "Turn Dat Lights Off", despite an unwelcome yelling cameo appearance from Missy Elliot, showcase Tweet' sexy side and represent some of the stronger cuts on the album (Side Note: I'm so tired of people yelling on tracks and telling me what's "hot", "crazy", "sick", etc. If I don't like it yelling at me on the track that I should is not going to change my mind). "You" and "Steer" also help round out an LP that is generally solid, though it doesn't quite match up with 2002's Southern Hummingbird. There is nothing nearly as infectious as a song like "Call Me" or "Oops (Oh My)" on this album, and the sounds aren't as varied as they could, or maybe should have been, which makes many of the songs sound similar and run together, but there is enough solid material on It's Me Again to prove that Tweet isn't a just a one-hit wonder.

Overall: B- :Review by Eyecalone

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Snoop Dogg Presents - Welcome To Tha Chuuch

Vocals: B- Content: C Production: C

Originality: B Quality %: C Bonus: N/A

Release Date: December 13th, 2005

This is really an R&B record by a group of new artist that Snoop is putting out. Koch Records took the opportunity to break some tracks from Snoop Dogg's Welcome To Tha Chuuch mixtape series, which had been making the rounds on the West Coast underground for some time before this December 2005 album's release. The album has some really funny cartoons of permed-out dogs in church alarming people but when you hear the singing its unfortunate that the lyrics can easily go along with this really sophomoric language and its no longer funny. I totaled this record up according to the Playahata scale and it got a 72.Which was helped by the new members of Snoop's Doggystyle crew who are featured across the collection's 13 cuts, and also Snoop introduces new voices like Tiffany Foxx, James, and Lady of Rage appearing alongside Daz, Nate Dogg, and the main Dogg himself. This album is nothing special, unless you are just a Snoop fan. Though Welcome To Tha Chuuch lacks the edge of much of Snoop's best material, there is an appealing, blissed-out feel to the mix. The laid-back R&B flavor and the ubiquitous hip-hop party themes are cool, but the getting stoned and raw sex talk don’t contribute to the vibe. This is a good bet for die-hard Snoop devotees (he makes several cameos throughout) and a testament to the longevity of the g-funk sound. From the outset, the mix sets a decidedly kicked-back pace, delivering mostly R&B-soul fusions and I think this album would have been better served without Snoop or any rhyming – the best thing for these talented singers would have been to carve out their r&b niche and stick to it.

Overall: C :Review by Ooh Papi

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Stevie Wonder - A Time to Love

Vocals: A Content: A+ Production: B-

Originality: A Quality %: B Bonus: N/A

Release Date: October 18th, 2005

Over the past approximately four decades, during times of political and social change, Stevie Wonder's voice and songwriting have served as cultural and spiritual inspiration to many a listener. Musically speaking, the term legend might be an inadequate description as Wonder's musical genius has created anthems for entire generations and probably inspired and influenced an incalculable number of artist. By the estimations of most familiar with Wonder's work, his best work is usually regarded to have come between the late '60s and early 1980's. From the mid-'80s through the '90s, though always relevant, Wonder's work was marginal by comparison, only capturing his former brilliance for moments, but usually with production a little too sugar-coated and radio-friendly. After all this time, it must be difficult to impress when your only real competition is your legendary past. 

It's been a decade since Stevie Wonder's last album, 1995's Conversation Peace. For those who wondered which Wonder would show up, the more socially conscious genius or the R&B crooner they will be happy to know, it's a blend of both. With A Time to Love the multi-talented music legend shows he hasn't lost a creative step. As has always been the case, love, peace, "Positivity", and personal uplift is the sentiment on his latest offering, and as has usually been the case Wonder wrote or co-wrote all of the music and lyrics. Many of the songs, such as "The Sweetest Somebody I Know", "Passionate Raindrops", and "Can't Imagine Love Without You", could have easily found a home in Talking Book, Music of My Mind, or any of the other albums for which Wonder will forever be praised. 

In an age when the majority of R&B is about money, infidelity, or getting it on, Wonder's lyrics (especially during the love songs) recall the simplicity and innocence of early Motown without sounding dated. The jazzy "How Will I Know," which features Wonder's daughter, Aisha Morris, last heard nearly 30 years ago as a baby in a bathtub on "Isn't She Lovely", is one of my personal favorites. Morris also makes an appearance on the uplifting and bouncy "Positivity." Another shining cut is the album's title cut "A Time For Love", a duet with long time Stevie Wonder admirer, India Arie, who's a rather special artist in her own right.  If there is a such an award, A Time to Love should be nominated for the comeback album of the year. The never-ending list of celebrity cameo appearances from rap pioneer Doug E. Fresh, Bonnie Raitt, Paul McCartney, Kim Burrell, Prince, Kirk Franklin, and India Arie just scratch the surface of who contributed to this record, but they are kept in the background so the final product comes out as all Stevie. Through exploration and balance, A Time to Love finds the two halves of Wonder's adult career coming together in peaceful harmony. It's one of his best offerings in years. 

Overall: B+ :Review by Eyecalone

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