Nfared Reviews



Jill Scott- Beautifully Human







Jill Scott’s 2000 release “Who is Jill Scott?” did two things. First it proved
the power of word of mouth. This CD basically sold itself with little magazine
promotion, no television appearances and few concerts. This was the CD that you
heard about not from VIBE or The Source, but from your friend at school or you
coworker who heard about it from their boss who heard about it from his wife.
This is rare for an R&B CD, but it earned Jill a lot of success, leading to the
next thing this CD did.



The title of the 2000 release is a question that, before I got the CD I was
asking. I heard people talk about her being a spoken word artist and that she,
“Was the girl that was supposed to sing that song with the roots but Erykah Badu
got it instead”. When I got the CD though, the question was answered. More than
spoken word and more then Neo-Soul, Jill Scott is an artist with ambition and
creativity dripping from her tongue. “WIJS” proved that if you want to be
different, you can do it, and be successful.





“Beautifully Human” follows in the tradition of WIJS in that it is a break from
the norm, exploring love and life in ways expressed by few artists either
because they are scared or just not willing to push themselves enough to be more
innovative.





Voice and Production

There is a familiarity about Jill Scott’s voice. When she sings, it is like you
know who she is, like you have heard her before. That however does not take away
from the newness of her lasted CD. With Beautifully Human, the seven producers
capture that familiarity with tracks that are amazing, heart warming and, of
course, beautiful.



The track for, “The Fact Is (I need You)”, track #4, encompasses beauty in a way
few producers are capable of doing. Produced by Pete Kuzma, the track is
actually simplistic, yet very rich and full. It includes a soothing baseline,
harps and guitars, elements that make a track instantly lovable. The track is so
relaxing you almost want to close your eyes, no matter what it is you are doing
at the moment, and just listen. It is like a warm hug from someone you have
wanted to embrace for a long time but just was not sure how to do it. This is
one of those tracks that you feel right here (points to chest, close to the area
of the heart).



What’s probably most noticeable in this track is the progression of the
background vocals. It starts with just one voice being followed closely by a
piano. By the end of the chorus, another voice is added in harmony; In the
middle of the second verse, another voice and it continues throughout, reaching
its height at the chorus after the second verse. Though nothing groundbreaking,
this progression is rare to hear and is so pleasing to the ear it beckons your
undivided attention. It feels like it will keep going, and in a sense it does
because even when the music stops, the track, with its easily remembered tone
and rhythm, stays in your head.





Talk To Me (track # 8) is the unexpected track on the CD. Producer James Poyser
starts with a nice mid-tempo soul track complete with strings, and a soft bass
line. Just when you really get into bobbin your head though, the track changes
into an amazing jazz track with a live jazz band—not at all what you were
expecting. I even had to look at the player to see if the song had changed to
the next track and I was not paying attention. After listening to the words
though, I realized it was the same song. Jill does not miss a beat going from an
R&B voice to a more upbeat jazzy style. The switch is noticeable, but then again
it’s not. The producers, along with Jill’s skill, make it seem like you were
listening to a jazz track the entire time. Jill even gets into some serious
scatting further into the switch. This song makes me wonder if a Jill Scott jazz
CD will ever be in the works. True talent and innovation are clearly displayed
on this track.




Writing and Creativity
With this project, Jill takes an opportunity to move away from industry norms
instead sings about things that most mainstream artists choose to shy away from.
If there were ever an album that takes some serious lyrical chances, this would
have to be the one.



On The Fact Is (I need You) writers Jill and Pete Kuzma go for something totally
opposite of “Getting In The Way”. Here, Jill goes into a realm of total
vulnerability as she tells her man (and men in general) that she needs him. You
would not realize it at first though, taking into consideration the first verse,
“I can pay my own light bill baby/Put my own gas in my own car/I can buy my own
shoe collection/I’ve been blessed thus far…” While it was seem as if Jill is in
bragging rights mode, she goes right into the chorus simply sayin “I need
you/sometimes so hard to say/I need you/Some things remain.” By the end of the
second verse, she is fully engulfed, saying “I can even raise the child we’ll
make/make sure he’s loved and knows what God gave/I can teach him how to walk
and stand/but he needs you to help him be a man.” Noticeably, at points during
the chorus, she sings personally saying “I need you” then speaking to the men
who may be listening, saying “We need you”. Here Jill not
only acknowledges the person in her life, she also acknowledges her male fans
and helps them to understand that in some respects, women do need them. While
the concept here is nothing new, the way it is conveyed is creative and
poignant.



While trying not to make too much of an assumption here it is safe to say that
the majority of people listening to this CD are, well, black. Catering to her
audience and continuing in her innovative style of writing, Jill touches us with
the song “Family Reunion”(track #9). Jill is singing, yet she is talking,
telling a story we can all relate to as she starts the song, “We at the family
reunion/telling jokes and playin spades/Uncle Dave is on the Bar-B-Q
grill/grandma braggin bout the blanket she made/for the new baby/on her way/even
though the daddy ain’t really ready/this child is coming anyway.”



With the fun in this song, the third verse will probably earn several agreement
nods as Jill sings “Oh shit/(damn)/Mickey and Steven are fighting again/Move out
the way, somebody might bet hurt/ahh look at that what happened is worse/they
knocked over Helenoria’s lemon cake(HMMMMM)/you know the one she barely
makes/I’m getting riled up/I want them to go/but somebody turn Frankie Beverly
on the stereo/cousin Ruby starts rockin/shakin her good hip and body/so we all
fall into place/smiling and laughin.” Writers Jill, Ivan Barias, Carvin Haggins,
and George Kerr were able to capture these moments with ease and construct them
into a song that is fun and shows appreciation for the family reunion drama we
have all experienced at some point. We all know about reunions, but rarely do we
get the pleasure of hearing about them in a song.


Final Grade
Jill Scott had one of the most anticipated albums of the year. I have to admit,
this CD was everything I expected it to be. To that end though, the creativity,
the thought provoking lyrics and the production are not only representative of
the CD title, they are also truly amazing. Beautifully Human is definitely one
of those CDs that years from now will still be relevant. Final Grade A+



Favorite Song, Production- Golden (The Feel Good Track of the Year)



Favorite Song, Writing- The Fact Is (Bold Confession)



Favorite Line- From My Petition “I want fresh foods/clean water/air that I don’t
see/I want the feeling of being safe on my streets/I want my children to be
smarter than me/I want to feel free for real ya’ll







Rap Review

J-Kwon


“Baby Mama, that’s another story, both too young, both too horny”—J-Kwon


Rap is becoming something of a game. An artist puts out a good single, you go to
the club and dance to it and enjoy it, but then you go to the store and purchase
the CD. Suddenly the dancing stops and you really start to question what you
were thinking when you bout the CD. This, sadly is the case with J-Kwon.



His hit “Tipsy” is probably the best song on the CD, really. There are great
beats throughout. My favorites would have to be “Show Yo Ass” “Underwear” and
“Parking Lot”. This issue with this young man is that he is just that, a young
man. At seventeen, Kwon is rapping about things that someone much older then him
would know about. For someone his age, his delivery could be conceived as vulgar
and inappropriate. What is even more disconcerting is that fact that seeing as
he has two children, he probably knows a lot about what he speaks. While fans
are attacking artists for not being authentic with their subject matter, the
fact that J-Kwon, not even old enough to drink legally (how ironic with a song
called Tipsy), is being authentic really takes away from the listening
experience. The entire CD is a question of why in the world a child barely out
of high school is expressing himself so freely and nonchalantly on sex, drugs
and getting drunk



To top that off, his rap skills are well, mediocre. You catch something every
now and then, but the CD is actually better when you tune him out.



I hate it when I go moral!! I have to admit I have been jamming to "Show Yo Ass"
and "Parking Lot" for about a week now. The club person in me wants to give this
project a B+, but when the music is taken away and I am really honest here, the
best it can do is a D+ Final Grade, excellent beats saving it from an F







Go read my music reviews!!

www.middlechildpromotions.com ---NFARED













---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
The all-new My Yahoo! – What will yours do?

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]