Everyone Has a Journey

R. Kelly is as complex an artist as they come.

I isolate that sentence as I anticipate your reaction. R. Kelly's music is undoubtedly labeled as "fluff," though most artists who struggle to reconcile the major issues of life (sex, mortality, faith, hope, love, one's inner demons) are labeled as geniuses. Kells, however, gets the short end of the stick. Over the course of his career, he has - through his music - struggled to find a balance between what he perceives as addictions (sex, drugs) versus what he perceives he really needs (faith). When he sings about faith, either its a song of hope for which he attaches to a greater cause (9/11 or the need to fly) or an apology to the Lord for his failings mixed with disappointment that Jesus has turned his back on him. When he sings of sex and his other vices, Kells is unapologetic. More than that, his boasts become far more excessive.

Never before has Kell's taken us so far into this journey through life's deepest questions than on Double Up - with quite a few stops to the club in between. In fact, clubbing seems to be all Robert cares about at the album's intro. Both "Double Up" and "Tryin' to Get a Number" find him visiting a club with a different wingman (Snoop and Nelly) in two different expensive cars (a Phantom and a Hummer) to do two different acts with women (convince two to come back to his crib for his three-way, or simply just get a phone number). When it comes to sex jams, Kells seems more daring than ever on "The Zoo." Complete with animal noises, "The Zoo" almost borders on avant garde, but has the pop culture references ("It's like Jurassic Park/ except I'm your sexasaurus") to bring it back to earth.

Elsewhere, he just seems to relish his new Trapped in the Closet-ish role as a storyteller. On "My Best Friend," he is visited in prison by his wife and best friend (portrayed by Keyshoa Cole and Polow Da Don), and the three swap lines, as R comes to suspect something sexual may be going on between the two.

Of course, no moment is more poignant in its contradiction than the three song suite of "Havin' a Baby," "Sex Planet" and "Rise Up." For a series of songs that, for the most part, celebrate sex with a random list of partners united only in their abundance, a celebration of fatherhood sounds strikingly odd. Yet "Havin' a Baby" succeeds in its earnestness, though contradicted several times over in the songs that proceed it. On "Sex Planet," Kells paints his masterpiece - a six minute slow sex jam that works out sexual metaphors will all of the planets and countless other space references for good measure. At the end of his sexual journey, Kells takes a trip to Virginia to inspire the victims, friends, and families of the Virginia Tech shootings to "Rise Up." Lyrically, the cliches sound recycled, and such a "song of hope" feels deeply out of place (try awkward) after what we've just been through. Undoubtedly, that is probably why Kells returns to the club for "Ringtone" at the album's conclusion - somehow tying it all together into something that makes sense.

The Videos:

"I'm a Flirt" (remix)


"Rock Star"


"Real Talk"

T-Pain Apparently Married to that "Same Girl"

I was pretty psyched to find out there was a remix single to R. Kelly's "Same Girl" out. I mean, the original was classic with a brilliant video, and R. Kelly's remixes are usually better than their predecessors. This time, however, the magic just isn't there. First off, despite the fact that Kells and Usher found out they were dating the same girl in the original, they in fact bonded over it buddy comedy style, eventually hatching a revenge plan together. T-Pain, on the otherhand, sounds downright depressed, almost homicidal.

Watch the un-official fan made music video...

First T-Pain comes on like he's been overhearing the conversation and says that the other guys don't know him, which can't be true because he and R were just clubbing together in the "I'm a Flirt (Remix)" video. Then he asks if she has a crib by the waffle house, which leads me to wonder if it isn't possible that there is more than one "waffle house"? Then he asks R if she was doing that thing "with her mouth." R says yes. Then T-Pain asks, "Best sex in your life?" When R says yes, T-Pain concludes this must be his wife. So, let's recap - because this woman lives by the waffle house (the only one!), does something with her mouth (we'll assume it's sexual), and is a dynamite sexual partner, then she must be T-Pain's wife. His wife, I should add, that he does not live with. This is dangerous territory for anyone to be stepping because we all know that the "best sex" for R. Kelly seems to be.

This remix sucks and I am going to place the blame on T-Pain for this one. It was somewhat believable that Kells and Usher could be dating the same girl, but T-Pain as well? Besides, T-Pain's sequel totally breaks continuity with the original and sucks all the fun out of it. And the girls still twins? Triplets? I give credit to Kells for trying to save the rest of the remix, but it just isn't happening with this one. Should've left it how it was or just done a remake, if you ask me.

The Genuis of R. Kelly + "Same Girl" Video

Something - I can't really say what - compelled me yesterday to purchase R. Kelly's The R in R&B: Greatest Hits Collections Volume One. It does have 18 jams and was only $10 at Virgin. I'm rather unashamed of my fondness for R. Kelly, but this was actually my first ever Kells purchase. Leading up through 2003's Chocolate Factory, it is missing a few choice tracks. Personally, I would have traded out some of his early 90's work (or that crappy Celine Dion collaboration) in favor of, say, "Feelin' on Your Booty" but, what can you do? I'll just have to make my own R. Kelly mix at some point in time.

Kells is absolutely one of the most prolific artists in music today and he seems to just get better with time. His singles tend to be instantly memorable both for their simple, yet catchy beats, as well as lyrics that just stick with you. He can craft a great chorus, but his genius lies in the details of his verses. Whether or not he's being serious, his verses reflect a sense of humor must akin to Aqua Teen Hungerforce or something else you'd likely find on Adult Swim. His latest album finds him referring to himself as a "sexasaurus," while two years ago he was horny to have some "Sex in the Kitchen." He's totally unafraid to try new things - who would of thought that a ten song soap opera all set to the same beat would work, but it's totally brilliant. Furthermore, he seems to hop from raunchy sex jam to religious jingle to charity number back to raunchier sex jam with absolute ease. I don't think there's any other artist out there who could match that.

R's latest singles are no different - in fact they're some of his best work to date. The recent hit "I'm A Flirt (Remix)" is an instant classic. The track was originally recorded for (Lil) Bow Wow's recent release, however R must have figured it was too hot for him not to take over himself. Basically it's just a really mean song that is the antithesis of the "bro's before ho's" mentality, as R explains why you should not allow you're girl anywhere near him because he will likely steal her away from you ("she be calling you Kelly/when your name is Tommy"). He even warns his girl not to bring her friends around, because he'll probably have sex with them too. On "Same Girl," R and Usher trade hilarious verses, eventually coming to the conclusion that they're both dating the same woman, who - incidentally - "works at TBS." I don't know where in the writing process, R came up with "she works at TBS," but - then again - I'm not a genius.

"Same Girl" (R. Kelly and Usher)

R is just such a good actor - I love all of his facial expressions. The video really enhances the song in my opinion as Usher's facial reactions when he realizes R is describing his girl are positively priceless.