Word: neosoul
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...MYSTERY WHY CEE-LO, one of rap's most appealing personalities, never became famous on his own, but teamed with Danger Mouse, his caterwauling made Crazy the indelible hit of 2006. The rest of the album mixes neosoul loops with Cee-Lo's view from deep space: "Way over yonder there's a new frontier/ Would it be so hard for you to come and visit me here...
Since Badu's debut, other neosoul sisters, including Macy Gray, Jill Scott and Angie Stone, have followed her up the charts. Mama's Gun, however, confirms Badu as a singular talent who won't get lost in the crowd. The album stretches but doesn't overreach. It explores varied stylistic terrain but manages to maintain a consistent tone. The songs flow into one another, echo one another, but don't repeat one another; Badu has clearly thought the album through as a whole work, not simply as a collection of singles...
...first song, Penitentiary Philosophy, starts things off aggressively. It's a soul-rock number that wades in, chin out, fists swinging, Badu's voice wailing. Neosoul divas can sometimes drift off into sleepytime music, looking to set moods rather than stir emotions; Badu, from the first track, demonstrates that her new material has soul and guts. But she has more than just power in her arsenal. Throughout the CD, she also shows off her gift for melody: the sweet Orange Moon enthralls and delights, while Time's A Wastin conjures a sweet elegance. Badu's reggae-driven duet with Stephen...
...Neosoul singer-songwriter Scott arrives with solid credentials: she co-wrote the hit song You Got Me for the hip-hop group the Roots; and Hidden Beach, the record label putting out Scott's debut album, is partly owned by retired basketball superstar Michael Jordan. Scott's album lives up to the promise of its resume. Her mostly midtempo songs are smoothly entertaining, and her soothing vocals fluently blend soulful croons, jazzy scats and forays into spoken word. Scott's relaxed singing style and the emotional detail in her lyrics make it seem she's not so much performing...