------------------------------------------------
I am a fan of Mariah Carey. I also love
R&B music. So here's some R&B music
reviews, and some Allure info. Enjoy!
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FEATURED ARTISTS:
* Mariah Carey
* Wu-Tang
* Mase
* Brandy
* Janet Jackson
* The Lox
* Allure
* Will Smith
* Monica
* Usher
* Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds
* Aaliyah
...and many more!

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Artist: Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds
Album: NYC LIVE - 1997
Rating: 95%

"Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds"  is one of the 
best faces in 90's R&B. After he scored an 
amazing twelve Grammy nominations last year for 
his behind-the-scenes work with such divas as 
Whitney Houston and Toni Braxton. 
Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds suggested as much 
during a brief late-1994/early-1995 tour with 
Boyz II Men, as his understated performances 
had many impressed observers suggesting that 
it might not be too horrible if the Sultan of 
Sensitivity quit his day job and remained 
on the road. After that tour, though, Kenny 
"Babyface" Edmonds retreated to the studio, 
and, aside from the occasional awards 
show, he has rarely been spotted on stage since. 
Fortunately, MTV lured Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds 
back to the performing arena for its latest 
round of Unplugged tapings. Unfortunately, the 
resultant CD does not feature the same sort of 
star turn Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds took during 
his jaunt with the Boyz. Too often, instead of 
letting his own voice carry his songs, he gets by 
with a lot of help from his overpowering singer 
friends. Babyface's tendency to rely on others 
is especially disappointing during a reading of 
"Breathe Again," which Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds 
initially wrote for R&B star Toni Braxton. Flash 
back to the 1994-1995 tour: 'Face is sitting in 
front of a white baby-grand piano and performing the 
song, along with "Rock Wit'cha" (Bobby Brown) and 
"Baby Baby Baby" (TLC)--his impressive vocal 
reinterpretations of all three sound better than the 
studio versions recorded by the artists for whom he 
wrote them. On Unplugged, though, Kenny "Babyface" 
Edmonds doesn't even go out of his way to sing the 
song, he'd rather let tea-kettle-voiced Shanice 
Wilson handle the lead, and the whole thing ends 
up sounding like Mariah Carey covering Braxton. 
On "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)," which he wrote for Whitney 
Houston, Babyface gives away much of the lead, turning 
those duties over to power-voiced Beverly Crowder. 
Elsewhere, Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds opts to perform a 
medley of two big, sweeping songs he originally penned 
for Boyz II Men--"I'll Make Love to You" and "End of 
the Road"--and, predictably, enlists significant vocal 
help, particularly during the trade-off verses of the 
abbreviated "I'll Make Love to You" and on both songs' 
choruses. Of course, not all of the guest vocal artists 
are uncomplementary. On a cover of "Gone Too Soon" and 
an impassioned reading of his spousal-abuse commentary, 
"How Come, How Long," he sings joyfully as one with 
Stevie Wonder; the two perform in perfect vocal harmony, 
trading verses and playing equal roles in the choruses. 
It's enough to make you wish Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds and 
Wonder would record a duets album together-- ut this album 
proves that Kenneth should stick to his own hits. But you 
can never question his talents.
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Artist: 2Pac
Album: R U STILL DOWN
Rating: 80%

This is the new double album released under "Amaru Recods". 
The executive producer is Afeni Shakur (Pac's mother). 
Wondering how 2Pac has a new double album out over 1 year after 
his death?? Well, this is a collection of pre-recorded tracks 
from 2Pac,recorded between 1993-1995. So, this is the old 2Pac. 
If you're a fan of his newer stuff, you
may not enjoy this as much. This isn't 2Pac's best 
material to come, but he does have some slammin' tracks 
like "Thug Style", "Enemies With Me", "Nothin But Love"
and  "16 On Death Row". The title track "R U Still Down" 
is also a gem and it's all a little
spooky when you hear the lyrics from the album...
almost as if 2Pac knew he was going
to die... you'll understand if you give this album a 
listen. This 2CD album is good worth
but doesn't have bitchin' tracks like "California Love"
 and  "Toss It Up" to really attract.
If you're a 2Pac fan, this is a collector's item.
___________________________________________________________________

Artist: Toni Braxton
Album: SECRETS
Rating: 88%

Toni Braxton has the voice. But sometimes her substance 
is lacking with such over-
polished tracks as "There's No Me Without You" and 
"Unbreak My Heart". She's fly with such groove 
tracks as "Come On Over Here" and "You're Makin' 
Me High".Toni can pull off the ballads well if 
they're sincere, tracks like "I Don't Want To" and
"In The Late Of Night" show her at her finest.
___________________________________________________________________

Artist: The Lox
Album: MONEY,POWER & RESPECT
Rating: 88%

After years of working in the underground scene, 
it's The LOX's time to shine. Jadakiss, Styles, & Sheek.
 This trio formally known as "The Warlox" has finally
 put out a solo album on Bad Boy Records. It's got that 
heavy urban feel and some phat lyrics, this is hip hop
at it's finest and brings back that Bad Boy flare.
___________________________________________________________________

Artist: Will Smith
Album: BIG WILLIE STYLE
Rating: 82%

A fun style album full of rap and enjoyable hip-hop. 
Smith is a great artist who never 
takes himself too seriously, the results are such 
flavoursome tracks as "Gettin' Jiggy
Wit' It" and "Summertime". If you're sick of the 
usual, routine rap then you should check it out... 
songs like "Miami" and "Y'All Know" and phat!
___________________________________________________________________

Artist: Mase
Album: HARLEM WORLD
Rating: 95%

Mase's first ever solo album is excellent! If you liked 
Puffy Daddy's "No Way Out"  album, you'll get a kick out 
of this! Mase is the "young Harlem with a quality sound" 
and he certainly is one of the finest rappers to emerge 
in the 90's. Guest artists include 112,
The Lox, Lil' Kim and Total. Best tracks are "Wanna 
Hurt Mase" and "Will They Die 4 U" If you like The Lox, 
Puff Daddy or Notorious BIG- this is everything you'll 
ever want.
___________________________________________________________________

Artist: Various Artists
Album: WAITING TO EXHALE SOUNDTRACK
Rating: 92%

Waiting to Exhale is filled with the sort of talent 
rarely seen on one compilation: Whitney Houston; Toni 
Braxton, Aretha Franklin; Brandy; TLC; Mary J. Blige, 
Chaka Kahn; Sonja Marie; SWV; Chante Moore; Patti 
LaBelle; Faith Evans; For Real; Shanna; and CeCe Winans. 
The first single from the album, "Exhale (Shoop Shoop),
" was penned by major hitmaker Kenneth "Kenny "Babyface" 
Edmonds" Edmonds, and is still a major force on the 
singles charts. Other tracks worth mentioning include 
Houston's "Why Does It Hurt So Bad," Braxton's "Let 
it Flow" and so many more. Brandy's "Sittin' Up In My 
Room" is an up-beat classic and TLC's "This Is How 
It Works" is fine R&B.
___________________________________________________________________

Arist: LL Cool J
Album: PHENONEMON
Rating: 85%

There are only 10 tracks on this album, but 
every single one is of fine quality. 
Keith Sweat, DMX, Ricky Bell (New Edition) and 
The Lost Boyz are just some of the artists on this 
album. Every track is slammin' and unique- but it 
seems like LL Cool J is losing some of his magic. 
___________________________________________________________________

Artist: Mariah Carey 
Album: BUTTERFLY
Rating: 97%

Not as much R&B/hip-hop as pre-hype had fans to believe, 
Mariah's latest album sees
her teaming with artists like Dru Hill, Bone Thugs 
N Harmony, The Lox, Mase, Puff Daddy, Trey Lorenz, 
Missy Elliot and Trackmasters. It's an impressive list 
and a sensational album is the final product. R&B tracks 
like "Babydoll" and "Breakdown"
show Mariah has an urban edge. The pop coated hip-hop 
track "Honey" is sensational,
and the Bad Boy mix with Mase and The Lox is slammin'. 
But the real gem is the track "The Roof"- this is one of the 
best R&B tracks I've ever heard. It's catchy, smooth
like butter and is certainly fly. The ballads are also 
still there- more beautiful as ever.
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Artist: Puff Daddy
Album: NO WAY OUT
Rating: 92%

This album is a classic, however, Puff Daddy's 
rapping isn't what makes it. His production
and iniative along with several talented guest 
artists make this a must-have. The best
tracks are "I'll Be Missing You", "Victory" and 
"The End".
___________________________________________________________________

Artist: Various Artists
Album : MEN IN BLACK SOUNDTRACK
Rating: 85%

A nice combination of R&B and rap. Will Smith, 
Snoop Doggy Dog, Escobar and
A Trible Called Quest deliver the great rap tracks.
 Whilst Trey Lorenz, Escobar and Ginuwine deliver 
the R&B goods. The rest are somewhat forgettable, 
including 3T's pisser, "Waiting For You".
___________________________________________________________________

Artist: Wu-Tang Clan 
Album: WU-TANG FOREVER 
Rating: 91%

This album was to originally be released in October of 1995, 
but the release date kept getting pushed back (for unknown 
reasons- even though the group are now defunct).
There are 2 discs, the first better than the second. The 
finest track is "Bells Of War".
This is a great collection of rap/hip-hop.
___________________________________________________________________

Artist: Aaliyah 
Album: ONE IN A MILLION 
Rating: 93%

Catchy R&B tracks, Aaliyah is a cross between Mariah Carey 
and Mary J Blige is
some aspects- she has the voice and she has the urban
 flare. R&B fans will get a kick out of her classic 
track "One In A Million" and others like "A Girl Like 
You" and "I Gotcha Back". This album rocks. 
___________________________________________________________________

Artist: Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds 
Album: THE DAY
Rating: 92%

Artists like Mariah Carey, LL Cool J, Kenny G, Boyz II Men 
and Stevie Wonder join
super-producer,singer and songwriter Babyface on his 
latest solo album. Mostly slow
songs, this is a must-have. Best songs are: "Everytime 
I Close My Eyes", "The Day (That
You Gave Me A Son", "Seven Seas", "When Your Body Gets Weak" 
and "All Day Thinkin'"
___________________________________________________________________

Artist: Allure
Album: ALLURE
Rating: 92%

"Introduction" opens the eponymous debut from Allure, 
the first release on Mariah Carey's label, Crave. 
On the tune, a macho, manly voice intones the following: 
"Welcome to the world of Track Masters/Where the flavor 
gods are always watching/Drama/Yeah/Prepare yourself 
for a new millennium in sound." Yeah, right. If this 
is Allure's album, why is the listener being introduced
 to the world of Track Masters? Could it be that Track
 Masters, a two-man production outfit comprised of Poke 
and Tone, who have worked with some of contemporary R&B's 
most prolific artists (Mary J. Blige, Nas, LL Cool J, 
the Notorious B.I.G.), are the real stars here, 
and that Alia Davis, Lalisha McLean, Linnie Belcher, 
and Akissa Mendez -- the four drop-dead gorgeous singers 
that make up Allure -- are simply on hand to fuel the 
insecure male egos of a producer-driven project? The 
answer is yes -- and no. Like the fashion magazine of 
the same name, Allure is all about the style and substance
 of the day. Style deals with the individuality expressed 
in one's tastes, but substance goes a tad deeper, delving
 into character and quality. Fully aware of this, the 
harmonious voices that are Allure sound not unlike 
the label's owner. But, unlike the ethereal sweetness 
of Carey's output, the overall effect here drips 
with attitude, sensuality, and sass. It is a finely 
tuned combination that works, but only on roughly half 
of the album's 14 tracks.
The brightest moments happen when the foursome's 
brilliant harmonies are given the freedom to stretch out. 
Listening to "Anything You Want" is like listening to a 
vintage track from Love Unlimited with sexy beats and 
string swells surrounding much anticipation: "I used 
to/Think that/Love could never happen/To someone like me
/Until I saw u walkin' next to me/Now I'm certain/That a
nything can happen." On "The Story," a sweet tale of 
somebody else's guy, Allure go from anticipation to 
upset in the course of two verses, yet by the song's end,
 these four strong women insist on moving forward.
 While these two songs detail the ins and outs of 
fire and desire, they don't even come close to the 
yearning emotions of "You're Gonna Love Me" and "When
 You Need Someone," two songs penned by Mary J. Blige.
Now, if only Alia, Lalisha, Akissa, and Linnie were 
left alone to deal with love and all the baggage that 
goes along with it. But no, Track Masters, or perhaps 
Ms. Carey, felt the need to infuse some of the tracks 
with totally unnecessary guest appearances: Nas on "Head 
Over Heels," the album's first single; LL Cool J on 
"No Question"; 112 on a remake of Lisa Lisa & Cult 
Jam's 1986 Top 10 hit, "All Cried Out"; Wu-Tang Clan
 member Raekwon on "Give You All I Got." Next time around,
 Allure should be left to their own devices. That is 
where the real talent lies.

* THIS WAS REVIEWED MY M.T.V's -- Michael Paoletta *
___________________________________________________________________

Artist: BLACKstreet
Album: ANOTHER LEVEL
Rating: 95%

A heavy blend of slower R&B numbers and some hot hip-hop 
songs, this is a jammin'
album that everyone should have!  "Leavin" and 
"No Diggity" are explosive and this
album belongs in everyone's CD rack. Also catch 
them on the SOUL FOOD Soundtrack
with other artists like: En Vogue, Puff Daddy, 
Dru Hill, Monica & Usher, and more!
(Review soon for that!)
___________________________________________________________________

Artist: Janet
Album: DESIGN OF A DECADE
Rating: 89%

We are taken through Janet's aches and pains in 
her most personal album to date. It's
also her less commercial album. Songs like "The 
Velvet Rope" and "Got Til It's Gone"
are chart-pleasing tracks, but they soon become 
tired after awhile. Janet shines with such
tracks as "What About", "Empty" and "Special". 
But then there's also a few shockers in
this album,too. All up- this album gets a 
little bodgy... despite some superb efforts.
___________________________________________________________________

Title: Butterfly
Artist: Mariah Carey
Rating: 98%
Comments: Mariah Carey has come a long way since Vision Of Love, 
her very first single from her debut album. The first track to 
BUTTERFLY is the hit R&B track Honey, which shows how much Mariah 
has expanded as an artist. This album has a more R&B/soul flavour 
than previous albums without fully turning her back on the style 
that has made her famous over the past eight years. The ballad 
Butterfly shows Mariah's talents at song writing and producing as 
it is a powerful ballad, and with My All Mariah shows her strong 
voice. Ballads like Whenever You Call and
Close My Eyes are beautiful tracks that follow the usual style 
we come to expect. But it's songs like Babydoll, Breakdown and 
The Roof that are suprises, and gems, of this album. Mariah's 
collaboration with Bone Thugs N Harmony on Breakdown is excellent 
but Mariah trully shows her idea of hip, smooth R&B with The Roof.
Full of emotion, soul, flavour and more honest lyrics than ever 
before - this is the real Mariah Carey.

___________________________________________________________________

Title: Never Say Never
Artist: Brandy
Rating: 95%
Comments: Four years after her debut album, Brandy has expanded 
as an artist. Gone are the bubble-gum R&B tunes like Baby and I 
Wanna Be Down, and in with the hip hop beats of such great R&B 
tunes as Sittin' On Top of The World (with Mase) and Angel In 
Disguise. Brandy shines with her duet with Monica on The Boy Is 
Mine and shows something she failed with on her first album - her 
talent for ballads. Have You Ever, Everything I Do and One Voice 
prove Brandy is something special but one track is remarkably 
beautiful, the second last track Tomorrow.
With a solid album like this and some phat R&B grooves and nice 
melodies - Brandy is one of the hottest acts in music around 
in the 90's.

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Title: Let's Talk About Love
Artist: Celine Dion
Rating: 79%
Comments: The great duet with Barbara Streisand (Tell Him) and 
the love theme from Titanic (My Heart Will Go On) saves this album 
from being one huge bore. Above average tracks like Immortality  
(feat. The BeeGees) and The Reason show Celine's powerful voice, 
but apart from the mentioned tracks Celine's latest album lacks 
spark and personality shown in previous albums like Falling Into 
You and The Colour Of My Love.

___________________________________________________________________

Title: The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill
Artist: Lauryn Hill
Rating: 92%
Comments: After The Fugees came out it was obvious Lauryn Hill 
had the music world in her hands - she could rap, write, sing 
ballads, produce - all the talents she uses on her solo album. 
From the hip beats of Lost One to the sweet ballad/R&B track To 
Zion, Hill shows a wide range of talent. Doo Wop (That Thing), 
The Ex-Factor and the final bonus track are all stand-outs, but 
the whole album is tight.

___________________________________________________________________

Title: My Way
Artist: Usher
Rating: 89%
Comments: Smooth R&B with You Make Me Wanna, My Way and Nice 
And Slow make Usher a hot R&B talent,
he also teams up with Monica for a sweet R&B ballad Slow Jam, 
and whilst Usher hasn't fully reached hip hop status, producer 
Jermaine Dupri helps him along with some good grooves - however 
sometimes Usher doesn't completely deliver.

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Title: The Boy Is Mine
Artist: Monica
Rating: 92%
Comments: After their debuts, Monica and Brandy were often 
compared to. Brandy had the smooth R&B voice and Monica did the 
stronger ballads - but things have changed. Brandy's shown she 
can do the ballads with ease, however Monica fails to get the 
whole R&B / hip hop thing. Her teaming with Jermaine Dupri on The 
First Night is a good start, and her duet with Brandy on The Boy 
Is Mine is an instant classic - but it's the ballads that carry 
Monica along. For You I Will (from Space Jam) and Inside 
(written & produced by Diane Warren) are great ballads that 
show Monica's wonderful voice, but it's her duet with 112 on 
the Richard Marx cover of Right Here Waiting that steals the 
spotlight. All up, it's a great album, with other stand out 
tracks like Ring The Bell, Street Sympathy and Angel Of Mine.

___________________________________________________________________

Title: Ones
Artist: Mariah Carey
Rating: 99%
Comments: With a collection of her #1 hits and four new tracks, 
how could Mariah go wrong?  A total of 17 tracks Mariah's 
'greatest hits' include: My All, Hero, Dreamlover, Fantasy, 
Always Be My Baby, Vision Of Love and many more great tracks. 
The new material includes the tear-jerking and powerful ballad 
When You Believe, a stunning duet with Whitney Houston - produced 
by Babyface. Both Mariah and Whitney's voices soar in this ballad 
and the sheer strength of their voices together is at times amazing. 
Mariah teams with Jermaine Dupri on a more upbeat R&B track, 
Sweetheart - a great bass beat and the smooth sound of Mariah 
and a catchy hook make this a gem. Mariah's rework on a track from 
the Butterfly album, Whenever You Call - is a new ballad with 
R&B/soul singer Brian McKnight. The music stays pretty much the 
same, but this time Mariah shares the mic with Brian McKnight, 
together they sound beautiful and this ballad is much more 
powerful as a ballad - expect this to become the Endless Love of 
1998/99. Mariah finishes with the cover song of Brenda K Starr's 
I Still Believe, a sweet ballad with beautiful Mariah - like lyrics. 
Overall, this album will attract a wide range of people, 
there's great R&B and some of the most powerful ballads of the 90's.

___________________________________________________________________

Title: Destiny's Child
Artist: Destiny's Child
Rating: 89%
Comments: These girls broke big time with their great R&B track, 
No No No (Part 2) featuring Wyclef from The Fugees. They continue 
the blazing R&B tracks with He's With Me and Illusions, but apart 
from the ballad My Time Has Come and a couple of remixes, Destiny's 
Child could have put some more effort into a more solid album.

___________________________________________________________________

Title: Big Willie Style
Artist: Will Smith
Rating: 93%
Comments: An album full of catchy choruses and swinging rap, Will 
Smith seems to have fun from the beginning to end, with standout 
songs including: Just Cruisin', Men In Black, Gettin' Jiggy Wit' 
It and Just The Two Of Us.
For those who aren't into hardcore rap or hip hop, this is just 
an easy flowin' album.

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Title: All Saints
Artist: All Saints
Rating: 83%
Comments: It begins with the great #1 hit, Never Ever. The 
second track is some great R&B/pop with Bootie Call and then the 
catchy I Know Where It's At follows. Fourth track is Under The 
Bridge, the AS' version, and from there on the next few tracks 
are forgettable, until the catchy hit Lady Marmelaide and the sweet 
ballad War Of Nerves save this album from being a flop after some 
great starting numbers.

___________________________________________________________________


Title: The Preacher's Wife
Artist: Whitney Houston
Rating: 81%
Comments: To be honest,I think Whitney had a good thing with 
Waiting To Exhale, but this more gospel flavoured album was a 
somewhat disappointment. The ballads aren't soaring like we expect 
from Whitney, despite Whitney's powerhouse voice showing in I Love 
The Lord and I Believe In You & Me. More upbeat tracks like My Heart 
Is Calling (produced by Babyface) and Step By Step save the album 
from being a bore, but apart from the mentioned tracks this album 
lacks a lot of soul - despite some glossy attempts.

___________________________________________________________________

Title: Secrets
Artist: Toni Braxton
Rating: 93%
Comments: Alright, I hated Toni Braxton's debut album - it was 
boring apart from the great track Breathe Again - so
I approached this album with caution. But Toni has expanded as an 
artist and her with a lot of thanks to Babyface, this is some 
fantastic work. Highlights include the hit R&B smoother You're 
Makin' Me High, the beautiful ballads I Don't Want To, Unbreak My 
Heart, In The Late Of Night and How Could An Angel Break My Heart. 
Other standout tracks include There's No Me Without You, Let It Flow 
and Come On Over Here. All up, this is a tight album. Sure she's now
bankrupt, but expect Toni to hit back with a new album soon.

___________________________________________________________________

Title: Soul Food Soundtrack
Artist: Various Artists
Rating: 89%
Comments: It was disappointing that Vanessa Williams didn't appear 
in the soundtrack as she was in the film, however there are some 
great artists. Standouts include Call Me (BLACKstreet), I Care 'Bout 
You (Milestone), You're The Man (En Vogue), Slow Jam (Monica & Usher) 
and the gem of the album - We're Not Making Love (Dru Hill). Puff 
Daddy also appears with a very annoying track Don't Stop What 
You're Doing (feat. Lil' Kim).

___________________________________________________________________

Title: Miracle
Artist: Puff Johnson
Rating: 90%
Comments: Although it may grow boring a little quicker than most 
albums, Puff Johnson has a lot of talent- a great voice that carries 
such great ballads as Forever More, Please Help Me (I'm Falling In 
Love With You) and God Sent You. There's some stirring R&B tracks 
like All Over Your Face and the hypnotising Yearning, and a social 
statement in the excellent track Outside My Window. 

___________________________________________________________________

Title: Evolution
Artist: Boyz II Men
Rating: 90%
Comments: Doin' Just Fine, 4 Seasons Of Loneliness and A Song For 
Mama and the superior tracks on this album, mostly full of tear 
jerking ballads the save the day as this hit group fail to deliver 
on the more hip R&B tracks -
it just doesn't suit. However, this album on a whole is worthwhile 
listening to...although it lacks the power of previous ballads 
like End Of The Road, I'll Make Love To You and On Bended Knee.

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