Ok, so you’ve seen Trapped in The Closet… TP-2.com is the homepage on your browser. Your original copy of 12 Play won’t play without skipping anymore because you’ve spun it so much. You’ve seen him on the news, at the awards shows, and although you won’t admit it you’ve seen the tape (whatever helps you sleep at night). You’ve even been to the Taste of Chicago…. The problem is none of this will tell you who the real Robert Kelly is.
TP.3 Reloaded will.
Twelve years ago, 12 Play, an undisputed classic, defined his identity. The track listing is enough to bring back all kinds of um, memories: Bump n’ Grind, Your Body’s Callin’, It Seems Like You’re Ready, Sex Me, Pts 1-2… I’d go so far as to say that if you were born around August of 1994, chances are you’ve got 12 Play’s November 1993 release to thank. His image then was one of the ultimate Don Juan, the consummate player. The love in the music played a distant 2nd fiddle to the lust.
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In 1993 hip hop was just now beginning to explode onto the mainstream. There was no G-Unit, no Rocafella Records. In fact, the Notorious B.I.G. was almost a full year away from dropping his first album, Ready to Die. TuPac, Dr. Dre, and a young Snoop Doggy Dogg ruled the west. There was no OutKast, no Kanye West, no Cash Money, and no Lil Kim. No hip hop sneakers, no ring tones, no rappers selling you McDonalds. Commercially speaking, hip hop was in diapers.
Twelve years later, much has changed, including The Pied Piper. Easily his most anticipated album, TP.3 comes at an important juncture in Kelly’s career. Any Kells fan will tell you that the passion, the feeling, the cleverness, and the realness in Kelly’s writing is the same today as it was back then. Since 12 Play, R-rah has given us inspiration (I Believe I Can Fly, Step in the Name of Love, Happy People) club jams (Thoia Thong, Fiesta) and sex manifestos (Half on a Baby, Feelin’ On Yo Booty.) Not to mention the volumes of work he’s done on other artists’ projects.
What has changed since 1993 is Kelly’s inclusion of hip hop into his musical repertoire. And not just his repertoire, but his identity as well. The self proclaimed R&B thug has incorporated hip hop into who he is, a fact which some point to as a drawback.
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Kelly’s hip hop credibility goes a long way. His story is one of a rise from the streets of Chicago, from literally singing on the L, to singing on MTV. His multitude of hip hop collaborations (everyone from Nas to Fat Joe to Keith Murray to Biggie, to Baby) seem natural. But some of his harshest criticism came after his highly publicized 2-fold failure with Jay-Z on The Best of Both Worlds (parts 1 & 2). It seemed as if Kelly actually wanted to rap, and accusations of jealousy were made by Jay-Z, who claimed that Kelly wanted the life of a rap star. If you heard Unfinished Business, it isn’t so hard to believe. He certainly does spit at times, favoring the rhyme over the melody, the rhythm over the vocals.
But Kelly is versatile. He’s gospel. He’s Jazz. He’s opera. He’s chorus. He’s dancehall. TP-3 shows us all of this, and it is, in fact, reloaded. It’s reloaded because it presents a balanced R. Kelly, his artistic genius channeled through several genres, not overdone with just one.
Player’s Only is a catchy, club track (Scott Storch) featuring The Game, on which he and Kelly celebrate being rich and living the fast life. Girls Go Crazy is more of the same, this time featuring Baby on a frenzied get-your-back-up-off-the wall beat. Happy Summertime is about sunny days in drop top cars, and features Snoop Dogg two-stepping on lake Michigan.
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There are, of course, several songs devoted purely to sex. In the Kitchen, Put My T-Shirt On, (Sex) Love is What We Makin’ and Sex Weed all go in that category. His duet with Nivea on Touchin’ sort of stalls, and Remote Control is bland. Hit It Til The Mornin’ is about, well, hitting it till the morning, with help from Twista and Do Or Die.
Surprisingly, the album is made on a couple of dancehall/ raggaeton tracks. Slow Wind is sultry and alive with a Jamaican beat that allows Kelly to showcase his vocal skills. Reggae Bump Bump is a dizzying ride with Elephant Man. Fun and frivolous, it’s Kelly at his best.
The album ends with Chapters 1-5 of Trapped in The Closet. The controversial drama unfolds as Kelly tells a now famous tale of infidelity, deceit, and suspense. Much has been made of the content, but Kelly’s musical storytelling ability is often overlooked. Each character has a distinct voice, and the story is masterfully narrated in a captivating melody.
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The love is still 2nd to the lust, and Hip Hop’s influence is unmistakable. Hate it or love it, TP.3 Reloaded is R. Kelly.
Album in stores.
