12 Play 4thQuarter
The album that never was. When “12 Play 4th Quarter” leaked well before its intended release date R. Kelly decided to scrap the project and go into the studio to record new tracks that would make up his “Untitled” release. It was a shame because “4th Quarter” was one of R. Kelly’s most concise, fluid and best releases since his original “12 Play.” With no guests at all, “4th Quarter” was a slow, hazy walk through R. Kelly’s always libidinous mind, filtered through his newfound love of auto-tune. The album flowed like an old-school R&B record and was not crowded with filler and guests spots like many hip-hop and R&B albums today. A few of the tracks from “4th Quarter” made their way onto “Untitled” but some of the best tracks “Playas Get Lonely” and “Skin” never made the cut.
Happy People/U Saved Me
After the huge comeback success of “Chocolate Factory” and the hit “Iginition (Remix)” it looked like R. Kelly’s legal troubles were doing nothing to slow down his creative output, especially when the double album of “Happy People/U Saved Me” came out only a year later. Criticized upon its release as R. Kelly trying to look penitent amidst his legal troubles, “Happy People” is a track dedicated to Kelly’s favorite dancing past-time of “stepping”, an upscale Chicago-bred style of slow to mid-tempo dancing. “U Saved Me” is an album of religious gospel music that focused on surrender to the Lord, faith and prayer. Obviously this was not the R. Kelly fans were used to and the album did not sell nearly as well as his other releases. Sadly many missed out on some of the most fun and creative music R. Kelly has ever made. Hopefully in the future people will see it as the unconventional classic that it is.
Double Up
A ridiculous, bloated, hilarious album, “Double Up” found R. Kelly mixing rap-guesting club jams (“Get Dirty”, “I’m a Flirt”) with weird, metaphor-laced love tracks (“The Zoo”, “Sweet Tooth”) with his always amusing story songs (“Same Girl”, “Best Friend”) into a 17-track long album that flowed surprisingly well and with little filler material. Few artists can pull of a record as fun and varied as R. Kelly did on “Double Up.” The only misstep is the Kid Rock guesting “Rock Star” which found Kelly jumping on the already played out rap-rock hybrid. There is something for everyone on “Double Up" from tracks about riding around in your tricked out Benz with custom Mercedes Benz parts to late-night lover jams to borderline silly tracks about checking your messages the day after a night on the town.
