When
Jamie Foxx
released his first album in 1994, he was a star on
In Living Color
with a decent-sized following who declared, "No, really, he can sing -- he's alright!" A decade later,
Foxx
was a major movie star who had impressed
Clive Davis
enough to be offered a new recording deal. Though he didn't release any albums during the intervening years,
was determined to stay active in music and collaborated with
Adina Howard
,
Gladys Knight
, and
Melvin Riley
. He appeared on the
Any Given Sunday
soundtrack
, made a minor breakthrough on
Twista
and
Kanye West
's
"Slow Jamz,"
and then became a superstar with his portrayal of
Ray Charles
in
Ray
. Just when it seemed like he'd spend the remainder of his recording career as a
impressionist, he put together
Unpredictable
, his second solo album. Now packing major clout as a recording artist,
received big-name production help from
Mike City
Timbaland
Sean Garrett
, along with guest spots from
West
the Game
Ludacris
Common
Snoop Dogg
Mary J. Blige
. Though he fits somewhere between
R. Kelly
Ginuwine
has more than enough personality and talent to defend his music against accusations of opportunism. He can belt and proclaim with authority, but he's best when he's smooth and mellow -- an asset, to be sure, since not many modern
R&B
vocalists trade in subtleties. Lyrically,
is not subtle -- he's a freak who at least balances the crude ("Make you turn around and touch your toes/The next thing, girl, you already know") with the silly ("I know you're used to dinner and a movie/Why not be my dinner while makin' a movie?").
is actually predictable in that all but one of its tracks have something -- or a lot -- to do with baby making.
drops the salaciousness near the end and proves that he can do teary eyed
adult contemporary
with as much ease as the bedroom material. ~ Andy Kellman