Word: leslieã
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Dates: during 2009-2009
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...Leslie??s story is far less clichéd than his music. A Government concentrator and member of the Krokodiloes, he graduated from Harvard at the tender age of 19 and delivered the Harvard Oration during commencement. Soon thereafter he found his way into music production. He’s produced for Beyoncé, Britney Spears, and most recently Cassie, whose single “Me & U”—written and produced by Leslie??reached #1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Leslie is a master of marketing, harnessing...
...second album this year, “Transitions,” is hardly a change—if anything, the album shows not growth but regression; Leslie??s tracks seem emptier and more unimaginative. The opening of “You’re Not My Girl,” for example, mimcs the bass line on Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust,” making use of an almost identical rhythmic structure. The song is more than unoriginal, however; it feels sparse and cheap, a sense that arises from Leslie?...
...first track, Leslie makes evident these weaknesses. The chorus is sung nearly an octave higher than the verses, in a breathy falsetto, but his voice is merely pleasant and its intensity remains stagnant. “Never Gonna Break Up,” however, is polished, and showcasing Leslie??s skills as a producer. The phrases are expertly timed and coordinated; everything seems diligently planned. But this adds less then it subtracts, since it makes the album seem a little too deliberate, a little too produced, a little too disingenuous...
...generic lyrics, however, overshadow the occasional rhythmic flourish. At times, Leslie??s phrases are nearly laughable. “What’s your zodiac sign?” he sings on “Zodiac.” “Are we compatible, baby? / If it matches with mine / we should think about dating.” A few songs later, in “Sunday Night,” he describes his sexual exploits on Sunday evenings: “Do you know what today is? / It’s our anniversary... Work so hard...
This void suggests precisely what it is that Leslie lacks: spirit. Leslie??s lackluster vocals and simplistic lyrics overshadow his few rhythmic intricacies. His tracks seem void of real thought, relying on a mixture of various clichés and repetitive electronic backdrops. And though “Transitions” isn’t necessarily a complete failure—his songs are listenable, indeed—it lacks substantive value, and it cheapens the notion of romance by reducing it to a set of false-sounding phrases. Leslie??s previous songwriting and producing successes...