New CDs out today come from one of the biggest female acts in hip-hop, the pied-piper of R&B and one of the summer’s most anticipated blockbusters.
Missy Elliott, “The Cookbook” (Atlantic) Missy returns with her sixth record, and while many of the players are the same – her Virginia Beach neighbors Timbaland and The Neptunes produce all over this record – some are different. Single No. 1, “Lose Control,” has Missy rocking the mic with Ciara and Fat Man Scoop. Other guests include Slick Rick, Mary J. Blige, Lil Kim, Mike Jones, Fantasia and Tweet.
R. Kelly, “TP.3 Reloaded” (Jive) Kelly’s specialty is epic R&B cheese. And this album sounds like more of the same. There’s the obligatory banger, “Playa’s Only,” featuring the rap stylings of The Game. And there’s also slow jam radio-friendly tracks that pepper the record – his bread and butter. Setting this record apart from other Kelly outings is what he calls an Urban Operetta, “Trapped in the Closet, Chapters 1-5.” The five tracks, using the same harmonics and first-person storytelling tone, close out the record. They make for an interesting listen, but this kind of kitsch doesn’t stand up to multiple listens.
Various Artists, “Fantastic Four – The Album” (Wind-Up) This record is all about the collaborations. Indie kids will fawn over the debut of T.F.F., which features The Distillers’ Brodie Dalle, The Datsuns’ Dolf de Datsun, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Nick Zinner and Jet’s Chris Cester. Another interesting collaboration pairs Anastacia with guitarist Ben Moody in his first recording since his controversial departure from the platinum-selling Evanescence.
– Ricardo Baca
