R. Kelly
was hardly a stranger to controversy in the early 2000s. In addition to being hit with 21 counts of child pornography in Chicago and 12 more in Polk County, FL, the beleaguered singer/producer faced various sex-related civil suits. All those scandals have, at times, overshadowed his music, which is regrettable because
Chocolate Factory
has a lot going for it. Emphasizing romantic slow jams, and not as ambitious or risk-taking as 1998's
R
. -- which is arguably
Kelly
's best, most essential release despite its own imperfections --
, like 2000s
TP-2.Com
, tends to play it safe. But that doesn't mean
is without merit; what it lacks in ambition, it makes up for in terms of quality and craftsmanship. Many of the influences that have served
well on previous efforts continue to serve him well on this 2003 release; influences that range from
the Isley Brothers
,
Marvin Gaye
Al Green
Michael Jackson
, and
Stevie Wonder
to
Prince
Babyface
hip-hop
. All of those influences were noticeable on
's '90s albums, and they are still noticeable on
. Nonetheless,
has always been his own man; that is especially obvious when he features
Ronald Isley
on
"Showdown"
(not to be confused with
' 1978 recording). Hearing
and
Isley
side by side, listeners can easily see how
is able to draw on
's influence while projecting a firm, recognizable identity of his own. One hopes that in the future,
will come out with some more albums that are as challenging as
R.
; even so,
will go down in history as a solid and pleasing, if somewhat predictable, addition to the Chicagoan's catalog. ~ Alex Henderson