 India Aire (2001, Motown) An exciting debut
for a major new talent! Aside from the hit Video, there are many
other excellent tracks. Nature, Promises, Brown Skin,
and Always In My Head are all standouts I enjoy hearing again and
again and noticing new subtleties. Wonderful, a tribute to Stevie
Wonder, is wonderful and fun! This is one is essential.
|
 Tatyana Ali: Kiss The Sky (1998, Work)
"She's all grown up, not Ashley..." Will Smith raps near the end of Boy
You Knock Me Out in reference to her character in Fresh Prince of Bel
Air. The song is a TKO; one of my faves. This is followed by If You
Only Knew. A duet with Chico DeBarge, Yesterday is also
enjoyable and besides being co-written by Kelly Price also features her in
backup vocals. Daydreamin' is a production by Rodney and Fred
Jerkins III. Through Life Alone is beautifully done. Tatyana has a
voice! |
 Allure (1997, Crave/Track Masters/Sony) An
excellent album by Linnie, Akissa, Poke, and Tone, plus contributions by
Mary J. Blige and Mariah Carey in the lyrics. The stand out tracks are
Anything You Want, When You Need Someone and The
Story. Head Over Heels with Nas is also excellent! A duet with
112, All Cried Out, would be a classic but for the exaggerated
Aaron Neville style male half of the vocals. As it is here the song is
still hard to leave alone... |
 Erykah Badu: Baduizm (1997,
Kedar/Universal) A true masterpiece is this debut by Erykah. Super funky
and vocals with an Eartha Kitt tinge. Everything is so good it's hard to
choose, but Appletree and On & On were both hits, while
4 Leaf Clover is a dead-on Atlantic Starr cover only better.
Sometimes is another favorite, with Certainly not far
behind. Essential! |
 Erykah Badu: Mama's Gun (2000, Motown)
Featuring Didn't Cha Know, and My Life. Aside from those two tracks however... ummm.
|
  Bass Is Base: Memories Of The SoulShack Survivors
(1995, A&M) Canadian funk sensations "Chin" Injeti, "Mystic"
Mooking & Ivana Santilli debut collection of all original material!
There are so many fine tracks; Sweet Melody is a Stevie Wonderish
song and my personal favorite, Straws Stix & Bricks, I
Cry, Why, Wild & Mellow, Floating and
Diamond Dreams are all high quality and highly original. Another
essential CD! |
 Brandy (1994, Atlantic) I still like Brandy
Norwood's debut CD. There are a number of great tracks besides the hit
I Wanna Be Down; Baby is very very funky but what else from
writer/producer Keith Crouch and associates? He contributes Movin'
On as well. Also on the top shelf is Sunny Day. I can always
put a Brandy CD on and change my mood for the better.
|
 Brandy: Never Say Never (1998, Atlantic) A
long wait and the Moesha show later... this one is heavy on the Jerkins;
the title track and Learn The Hard Way by them stand out, but there
are other good tracks by them, and Brandy is credited with them as a
songwriter on most. Have You Ever? and Almost Doesn't Count
are two more top notch songs, Brandy's vocals show limitations
however. |
 Brandy: Full Moon (2002,
Atlantic) A somewhat disappointing release. What About Us and Anybody are worthwhile though.
|
 The Braxtons: So Many Ways (1996,
Atlantic) I was really impressed with this debut by Toni's sisters.
Only Love and What Does It Take are stand outs, the title
track and Slow Flow are worthwhile as well.
|
 The Bucketheads: All In The Mind (1995, Big
Beat/Atlantic) This is a great '70s trip... Kenny 'Dope' Gonzales picks
some trippy samples. The Bomb! (These Sounds Fall Into My Mind),
and Got Myself Together were bonfide club hits. Come And Be
Gone and Sayin' Dope should have been. If you need some
attitude this is your soundtrack. |
 Blu Cantrell: So Blu (2001, Arista) Has the Dallas Austin written hit Hit Em Up Style (Oops), plus Swingin', and 10,000 Times are okay.
|
 Changing Faces (1994, Big Beat/Atlantic)
This debut release is a pleasant surpise; I loved it from start to finsh! I
can't get enough of Lovin' Ya Boy (written and produced by R.
Kelly), and Foolin' Around, Good Thing, Keep It Right
There and One Of Those Things are close behind. This CD gets a
lot of play on my machine. Credit to Darrin Whittington for many fine
instrumental touches. |
 Changing Faces: All Day/All Night (1997,
Big Beat/Atlantic) Cassandra Lucas and Charisse Rose return with another
high quality CD... many of the songs having been written by them, and more
from R. Kelly. Only Thinkin' About You, I Got Somebody Else,
and My Lovely truly stand out, but it would be hard for the duo to
equal their first release... |
 Changing Faces: Visit Me (2000, Atlantic)
Bitch and Baby You Ain't Got Me (featuring Queen Pen) stand
out. Not up to the standard of the first two however. |
 Coko: Hot Coko (1999, RCA/BMG) Cheryl
Gamble of SWV goes solo. Tiflin' (featuring Eve) stands out.
Don't Take Your Love Away, Sunshine, Bigger Than We,
You and Me are also essential. A fantastic CD picking up where the
Sisters left off. |
 Deborah Cox (1995, Arista) Deborah's debut
CD starts off strong with a collaboration with Dallas Austin;
Sentimental! My Radio, an all Dallas tune, is a really
smooth track that has really grown on me. Other good tracks, Just Be
Good To Me, |
 Deborah Cox: One Wish (1998, Arsita) This
may simply be the best R&B CD I've ever heard... almost every single
song is a favorite! The duet with R.L. of Next We Can't Be Friends
is a fantastic ballad performance by each, and One Wish (the title
song) is hypnotising. Other faves include; Love Is On The Way, and
I Won't Give Up, and that's without mentioning the two major hits.
So many surprising twists; this could be another artist's best of!
Jerkins, Warren, and Jordan are names that turn up a lot here.
|
 Crystal Waters (The Best Of) (1998,
Mercury) A must have; Crystal is a legend! You get The Boy From
Ipanema from Red Hot + Rio, and all the best Crystal originals;
Gypsy Woman, Makin' Happy (so cool), Relax, Party
In De Ghetto (a mind-blower), Say... If You Feel Alright and
100% Pure Love. Dennis Rodman shows up in one track, but I won't
hold that against an otherwise perfect CD. Be warned though, these are
heavy duty tunes. |
 De La Soul: 3 Feet High And Rising (1989,
Tommy Boy) The history making rap album. If you can get the 2CD re-release you get an excellent version of Me Myself And I (Oblapos Mode.
|
 Destiny's Child (1998, Columbia) Second
Nature built out of an Isley Brothers sample starts this CD off funky.
The pace picks up with No, No, No Part 2 (featuring Wyclef Jean)
and With Me Part 1 (featuring JD). Lots of 'tude! Bridges is
a slower showcase for the group's harmonising. There seems to be a Tony,
Toni, Tone influence on this CD which can't be bad. Also has an interview
for the 'puter. |
 Destiny's Child: The Writing's On The Wall
(1999, Columbia) I really love the song So Good on this CD,
I thought it would have been the hit that Say My Name was.
Bills, Bills, Bills, Bug A Boo and Jumpin Jumpin are
also good. Has a video for the 'puter, whee.
|
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