A.T.I.

Mary J. Blige
The Breakthough
Matriarch/Geffen Records


There has never been much debating the fact that Mary J. Blige is one of the best r&b vocalists of our generation, but her inconsistency in terms of quality albums has been another subject all together. Fans and critics of the "queen of hip-hop soul" have both questioned whether Miss Blige would ever fully reach the potential she displayed on her genre-crossing 1992 debut, What’s The 411?, but on The Breakthrough, Blige returns with her most focused, and arguable her best work in a long while. While The Breakthrough still meshes r&b with a hip-hop sound, Blige is given a more traditional set of production from A-listers such as Will.I.Am, Brian Michael Cox, Raphael Saadiq, and 9th Wonder, which allows Blige to showcase her ever-strong vocals and song-writing.

Clocking in at over 70 minutes, The Breakthrough is void of "filler," even more impressive in a genre in which such an LP is virtually impossible to come by. About a dozen tracks on the album have single potential, and with that being said, Blige was still able to make the best choice selecting "Be Without You," an inspirational ballad as the album's lead single. The live drum sounds provided by Will.I.Am make for the entertaining "About You," which represents the balance between hip-hop and soul that Blige has struggled to master on previous projects, and the personal "Gonna Breakthrough" and "Good Woman Down" has Blige mastering her vocal pitch over inventive soundscapes from D. Emile and 9th Wonder. Blige later flips the 2005 anthem "Hate Or Love It" into the retrospective "MJB Da MVP," where Blige shows amateurs the right way to reuse solid production. The masterful project ends with the slowed-down "Alone" and the U2-collaborated "One," another of the many possible radio smashes.

The thing most impressive about MJB's latest album is the perfection in balance between artistic merit and commercial appeal, as Mary J Blige has crafted not only one of the best r&b albums in years, but has also set herself up for the renewed success she undoubtedly deserves.



John Legend
Once Again
G.O.O.D./Sony Urban Records


Coming on the heels of the widely successful debut LP Get Lifted, John Legend had a decent amount of pressure on him to come up with an equally impressive offering, and although he is unable to retain the consistency from his excellent debut, a flurry of well written songs and memorable vocal performances make for a solid sophomore disc. The album begins with two of Legend's best tracks to date, the first being the mature "Save Room," where Will.I.Am compliments Legend's grown sound with a pop/jazz sound perfectly fit for Legend's soft tone, the second, "Heaven," has Kanye West bringing out the vocal talent in his protégé over his expectedly soulful sample-driven production. "Show Me" finds Legend stepping out of his comfort zone to a more alternative sound, but he sounds noticeably better on the traditional ballads such as the sax-driven "Each Day Gets Better" and the carefree "P.D.A.," where Legend displays his impressive prowess on the keys.

Once Again feels dragged-out by a couple songs, and although Will.I.Am isn't able to work magic twice with the mundane "Slow Dance," Legend is able to end things on a high with the heartfelt "Coming Home," a peaceful narrative detailing the emotions of a family separated by war. John Legend isn't able to bring out his best work on every song, but he Once Again reaches to musical highs that are unparallel in contemporary r&b today.



Corinne Bailey Rae
Corinne Bailey Rae
EMI/Capitol Records


With all the nonsense that fills North American radio on a daily basis, it was good to finally come across a song from an artist ripe with talent and potential- it's too bad they had to wait until 2:30 in the morning to give Corinne Bailey Rae's "Like A Star" a spin. Although, the British talent has been given much exposure as of late due to multiple Grammy nominations, and she seems to be following the steps of fellow singer-songwriter John Legend right into the spotlight. Her self-titled debut is a blissful musical experience, and backed by the aforementioned "Like A Star" and the almost-acoustic "Put Your Records On," Rae delivers a solid first LP. It's nearly impossible to resist the peaceful charm of the ironically-titled "Trouble Sleeping," which seems better fit for an early-morning tune, and the light-hearted "Call Me When You Get This" surrounds Bailey Rae's soft vocals with bass-laced production from Steve Bush, one of the many producers assisting Rae along the way.

"I'd Like To" finds Rae attempting to switch her vocal style to more up-tempo production, but it is evident that her comfort zone is over-stretched, whereas "Seasons Change" allows Rae to display her vocal range over more subdued production, showing that real singers don’t need the production to do the talking (or singing) for them.

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“At a snail's pace, I won this race that y'all trail"

BKMC KweL1

Nice reviews...

Ive never had an urge to download that Mary J Cd.... until now...

John Legend Cd is dope

and i will be checkin out that CBR cd fairly soon... Props on that review

Pete Rock (SS50)

All thre e albums i brought and i mean i gotta say the terrific albums as far as the rnb genre goes

A.T.I.

^no doubt.......

__________________

“At a snail's pace, I won this race that y'all trail"

Sean Price

the legend cd is ill

RE: DEFinition

props