With , the ranks of artists trying to put the soul back into the R&B field grew by one. Not only does he have the immaculate voice and innate sense of rhythm to stand next to and , he also writes lyrics that put the lie to more superficial forms of romance often found on hardcore rappers' LPs. From to to the best track here, (with special guest from ), shows that love consists of relationships that are both mental and emotional as well as physical, and he does so with a sultry swing that makes one of the better R&B debuts of the past decade. ~ John Bush