okay so the skinny jeans didn't work out for me so well …

Leave it to R. Kelly to create the best rap album of the year. Seriously, this classic has no less than 7 collaborations, in which R. Kelly’s alter-ago, Kells, trades places with seasoned rap veterans with lyrics in which he steals his own songs back from his collaborators, the way that a professional should. This record is also short on profanity, yet long on vulgarity, as R. Kelly explores everything from threesomes (Double Up), well, as some kids may be reading this, satisfying a woman, for lack of a better term (Sweet Tooth), and just being a freak in general (Sex Planet, Leave Your Name, Freaky In The Club). The collaborations are among some of the most tightly produced songs on the record, and often sound better than some of the work on the original artists CD, as was already evidenced by audiences on “I’m A Flirt Remix” before the record was even released.

R. Kelly also explores new territory with songs like “Rock Star”, of which was probably the inspiration for “Party Like A Rock Star” by the Shop Boys, though Kells and Ludacris take it to a different level here, without the conspicuous chic that the Shop Boys offered up. “Same Girl” has already made the rotations, as Kells hasn’t left his “Trapped In the Closet” fans behind him, a few other songs like “Best Friend” featuring Keyshia Cole and Pollow Da Don, have him contemplating being cheated on while being on lock down, though he can’t prove it. Even Huey takes a spin on “Hook It Up”, and Kells explores childbirth on “Havin‘ A Baby”, in his own unique way. Other than the absurdity of “Sex Planet”, “The Zoo” and one of the bonus tracks that aren’t labeled on this album, in which girls “Have Kells on their ringtone“, in which R. Kelly suggests that Kells can have one of the most downloaded ringtones as well, this is yet another ghetto classic by R. Kelly. “I Believe I Can Fly” fans aren’t forgotten either, as “Rise Up” commemorates the strength and resolve of the families affected by the Virginia Tech shootings. One of the better albums he has released in recent years, this is the record that “TP-3: Reloaded” should have been. If you want great beats, thorough content and a record that is more “post-urban contemporary” than traditional R & B, this is the record for you. If you consider that an artist, producer, or arranger with as many years in the game as this genius normally would be out of sync with the new school and dated as only their original fans still want to listen to them; R. Kelly has continued to evolve, and if this record is any indication of his perseverance, he can still hang with the best of them.