Love Letter
04:00PM ET December 17th, 2010
Contributor: Jecquea Howsie
A Rocky Williform Company

Rating:

The 60s soul of Motown and Stax/Volt comes to mind as R. Kelly’s new album blasts out of the stereo. In an industry were dancing outweighs true vocal ability; Robert Kelly manages to claim his rightful place at the top of the pile.

Love Letter is his earnest attempt to connect the fans that love his bump n’ grind music with the tracks he grew up on; as the sounds of Ottis Redding and Sam Cooke penetrate the album from start to finish, the “King of R&B” fuses modern musicality with the mature sexiness of Marvin Gaye. A hilarious ode to everyone that doubted him, or seemingly bought bootleg copies of his previous work, Kelly offers the prelude to the album by welcoming the ladies to what he likes to call the “love letter hour”. Continuing in the tradition, “Love Letter” proves that regardless of how distant the love between you and your mate is, unconditional love has no limits, it’s merely a phone call, email, or letter away.

His “Number One Hit” is distinctively Sade, riding smooth over the beat and delivering lines like, “I love making love to your eyes/It’s like singing in the perfect key,” will have listeners hitting repeat. Kelly teases fans by offering sophisticated baby making music with “Lost in Your Love” and pleads for his baby to come back to him on “Radio Message”.

Although one of the most heartfelt and honest tributes on the album is his chart-topping single “When a Woman Loves”, Kelly still manages to bring the Motown beat with “Love Is”, a duet with K. Michelle; rounding out the album with future soul classics including: “Just Can’t Get Enough”, “Music Must Be a Lady” and “How Do I Tell Her”, the former panty dropping king of the ‘90s ushers in timeless material worthy of a standing ovation.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
04:00PM ET November 24th, 2010
Contributor: Todd Williams
A Rocky Williform Company

Rating:

For all of the legendary artists that have contributed to hip hop's rich history, there are very few that have been able to continuously sustain and maintain their greatness for more than an album or two. Nas is one of hip hop's most celebrated lyricists, but struggled for years to live up to the expectations that followed his masterful debut album Illmatic. Big Daddy Kane is another one of the genre's more celebrated names, but his greatness is more or less derived from his first two albums, which were released a mere 18 months apart from each other. Similarly, 2Pac's greatest work--the trifecta that begins with 1995s Me Against the World and ends with 1996s Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory--represents only a year and a half of his life and career. Even the iconic Jay-Z has had a career of stellar highs like Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint followed by missteps like the vacuous and uninspired In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 and the overblown The Blueprint 2. There are only a few artists, (Run-DMC, Outkast, A Tribe Called Quest, Public Enemy come to mind), that have been able to consistently craft masterful albums; and even fewer have been able to be forward-thinking and innovative with each successive release.

We can add Mr. Kanye West to that short list.

West's ambitious, sprawling and amazingly earnest My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is the latest entry in what was already the most impressive run of albums hip hop has seen since Outkast's first five LPs. Kanye has taken the emotional core of 2008s 808s & Heartbreak and injected it with the soulfulness of his earlier work. But that's not to suggest …Fantasy is a retread of his previous musical incarnations. Not at all, this is Kanye at his most epic, 2000s hip hop reinvented as 70s prog-rock, right down to the King Crimson-sampling first single, "Power." Whereas Kanye's earlier approach used classic soul samples as a sonic backdrop, now Yeezy uses classic soul (specifically the orchestral sounds of artists like Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield) as a direct influence to his approach. This music is BIG, lush and intricately detailed.

The anthemic opener "Dark Fantasy" seems to recall all of Kanye's most ostentatious musical tendencies; (platitudes about 'getting higher' and a chorus of 'Oh-oh-ohs') before descending into an unmistakably RZA production over ominous strings and a plinking piano. "Runaway" has the album's catchiest hook and features some of the most minimally elegant music hip hop has heard in ages. Ironically, the Mike Dean-produced "Devil In A New Dress" flips a sample of Smokey Robinson's cover of "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" and recalls classic Kanye sonically. "…New Dress" also features a spirited guest verse from Rick Ross. The Raekwon and Kid Cudi-assisted "Gorgeous" showcases some of the most dexterous rhymes Kanye has ever committed to wax: "I don't believe in yesterday/What the f*ck is a black Beatle anyway?/A f*ckin' roach?/Guess that's why they got me sitting in f*ckin' coach." Of course, a track as superstar-heavy as "Monster" would be just a generic 'hey look at all the big names!" showcase on a lesser-album, but here it serves as a centerpiece and, in what is becoming something of a rarity, all parties involved seemed to genuinely be inspired lyrically and swinging for the fences. Young Money femcee Nicki Minaj and her myriad of personalities steal the show, however.

Kanye has managed to craft an album that is both ambitious and tightly-focused. His perspective is sharper than ever--even though his musings on sitting in coach and penitentiary references aren't likely to be autobiographical, they're about the only thing on …Fantasy that isn't. Yeezy's raps about fame, relationships and his art aren't necessarily new ground for him, but they've never been weighted with as much pathos and now he seems to have the insight that comes with hindsight.

It all makes for a gripping listen. In My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye has pushed himself to new artistic heights and completely succeeded. In a hip hop climate that has become increasingly staid, West is at the forefront of the genre--and not just on the gossip pages.

Kanye West’s Collaborative Masterpiece
02:00PM ET December 7th, 2010
Contributor: Mathis Bauchner
A Rocky Williform Company

As expected, Kanye West’s latest album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, debuted at number one, with nearly 500,000 copies sold. What’s vastly more exceptional is the unprecedented acclaim the album has garnered from critics in every corner of the musical universe. Pitchfork 10/10, Spin 9/10, even Rolling Stone gave the album a perfect 5/5 stars, an honor normally reserved for gray-haired legends.

But then again, perhaps Mr. West, at just 33, has already reached that lofty status. Some considered him a genius even before the release of …Fantasy, but now with his masterpiece casting a daunting shadow over the entire music industry, the world seems to be standing at attention. He’s raised the bar higher than any rapper before him dared to, improving in all facets of his craft. Lyrically he’s sharper, more observant and, arguably already hip-hop’s finest producer, his work on …Fantasy affirms that position and places the next in line at a distant second.

The most significant aspect of Mr. West’s evolution has been his willingness to better utilize the talents of others. Consider some the album’s features: Raekwon, The RZA, Bon Iver. These aren’t flashy throw-ins meant to boost album sales. They’re artists Mr. West respects and admires. Their mainstream appeal means nothing to him. What’s spectacular about this is that by simply including them on the album he’s, ironically enough, introducing them to the mainstream. As sad as this is to say, there’s probably a decent portion of Mr. West’s fans that have never heard the Wu-Tang Clan, but at least he’s given The RZA and Raekwon an opportunity to once again reach a mass audience. Even an unwavering hip-hop purist can appreciate that.

Perhaps as significant are the artists who didn’t make the cut, as G.O.O.D. Music signees and frequent collaborators Common and Mos Def were left on the sidelines. Mr. West doesn’t do any favors. At this point in his career he’s earned the right to work with whomever he wants, and whoever will most benefit a particular track, regardless of reputation. With the exception of Fergie’s contribution to “All Of The Lights” and Swizz Beatz’s monotonous chant on “So Appalled,” the album is completely fat-free, sixty-eight meticulously planned out minutes. Even Chris Rock’s “Yeezy taught me” skit that concludes “Blame Game” has merit. Here Mr. West is essentially saying that his abilities in the bedroom are such that he actually makes the women he sleeps with better at sex. Even for a guy with one of the world’s most notorious egos this is a pretty brash statement, but guess what? He’s earned it.

Mr. West has always been his own biggest fan, and for good reason. By producing the bulk of his own music he’s maintained a level of independence that most artists can’t even comprehend. In the past, this hurt him at times, as he was very hesitant to trust the production skills of anyone but himself. His first four albums combined have just two beats produced entirely by other artists (Just Blaze’s “Touch The Sky” from 2005s Late Registration and, two years later, DJ Toomp’s “Big Brother” from Graduation,) On …Fantasy, however, he was finally willing to expand his collaborations. Bink produced “Devil In A New Dress” and little known producer S1 crafted the original version of “Power” before Mr. West added his final tweaks. Then of course there’s The RZA’s brilliant “Dark Fantasy” (also co-produced by Mr. West) and a number of G.O.O.D. Friday offerings that didn’t make the album, including Pete Rock’s “The Joy” and Q-Tip’s “Chain Heavy.”

So is this a sign that Mr. West’s ego is finally in remission?

Not likely, but a newfound, albeit very selective, respect for his peers is apparent. By finally trusting the skills of other artists, producers and rappers alike, Mr. West has given My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy a depth of sound that even he might not have been capable of creating by himself. But the final project of course is his and his alone, and this album will stand as a benchmark not only in hip-hop, but music in general. Its themes are vast and ambitious, fame, sex, religion, and there’s as much of Mr. West’s infectious (or maddening) bravado as ever. But finally he’s managed to balance that with the wisdom he’s long been capable of. At 33, he’s a creative genius and a master of his craft. He’s the most talented man in music, the youngest legend alive.

His name is Kanye West.

Loud
04:00PM ET November 24th, 2010
Contributor: Jecquea Howsie
A Rocky Williform Company

Rating:

Finally over the depression and darkness, Rihanna’s new album rings loud and clear, proving that at 22 years old, she’s a fun fearless woman in love. Switching gears from Rated R, Rihanna gives her audience a taste of her sexier side with Loud.

A little role play never hurt anyone. However, opening your album with a song titled “S&M” probably wasn’t the best thing. The song chronicles her love of donning dominatrix outfits and the excitement she gets from being whipped and chained. Although, with lines like “sex in the air…I like the smell of it,” backed by a techno Lady GaGa-esque beat, Rih Rih fails to excite her audience—if in fact that’s what she was trying to do.

After sex--comes more sex, of course! With a track listing that reads like a one night stand, Rihanna follows-up “S&M” with “What’s My Name” featuring Drake. The reggae infused beat definitely serves its purpose. Despite having a deep melodic voice, Drake prophesying what he can accomplish in 20 minutes is laughable, and surely won’t make any woman open with anticipation.

Commanding attention on and off stage, her chart-topping single “Only Girl” rounds out the first half of her album; in spite of toasting to the good life on “Cheers”, the second half fades quicker than the heartfelt ballad bearing the same name. Belting out “California King Bed”, which happens to be one of the best songs on the album, Rihanna sings about a relationship that’s run its course; once they were best friends, now they’re strangers.

Consequently, “Man Down” sounds like it was supposed to be on Rated R. It’s weird, twisted and dark—who celebrates getting away with murder. Despite being Barbie-clad with Nicki Minaj, “Raining Men” doesn’t live up to the original version and completely misses the mark.

With a limited vocal range, it was nice for Rihanna to explore being more Beyonce-ish and attempt to hit high notes with “Complicated”. The lyrics are very true and most women will be able to identify with a relationship with a guy that’s very hard to love.

More than willing to continuously explore her sexuality and relationships, the red-haired beauty rounds out her album with “Skin” and “Love the way You Lie.”