![]() ![]() So just when you thought the early-2000s neo-soul movement was starting to get a little marketing-driven, albums like this come along and remind you that soul music never died with the rise of hip-hop in the early '80s it just took a decade or two to rediscover itself and be embraced by a new generation. And her producers are the perfect match, all of them laying down smoked-out beats that are as informed by hip-hop as they are by '70s soul - the most hip-hop-informed moment being her collaboration with Black Thought, "Ain't Nobody Playin'," clearly the album's crossover single the most soul-informed moment being her cover of Patti Labelle's "Love Need and Want You," clearly an ode to her Philly soul roots. She exudes sassy soulfulness and sensuality. It's not just how she sings, what she sings, or the music she sings over it's the synthesis. However, even when you do focus exclusively on her music, you can't help but be effected by her overall aura. And though it's difficult to look past her alluring image and persona and focus exclusively on her music, you don't really want to it only adds an additional dimension, being incredibly analogous - again, sexy, seductive, and vicious. ![]() And while it's easy to compare her to all the other early-2000s neo-soul divas, she's no Erykah Badu (she's a bit more street-orientated), she's no Aaliyah (she has more attitude), and she's no Alicia Keys (she isn't nearly as radio-ready) instead, Wright lives up to her "Jaguar" persona, being sexy and seductive but still vicious and somewhat of a femme fatale (for instance, in her liner notes she addresses her "enemies," "x-boyfriends," and "old sex partners"). A few years earlier, Wright probably wouldn't even have been given a major-label contract however, she debuted in early 2002 with not only a substantial major-label marketing push courtesy of MCA, but also a stellar roster of producers - Scott Storch, James Pyser, and Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson - and a high-profile appearance on Jay-Z's MTV Unplugged broadcast, where she sang backup vocals, just as her album was hitting the streets. ![]() Blige performance.Jaguar Wright's debut album, Denials Delusions and Decisions, arrived at a perfect time, just as the early-2000s neo-soul movement led by similar female vocalists such as Jill Scott and Mary J. The rapper responds by syncopating and scatting, launching slightly rejiggered choruses on “”Takeover”” and the tongue-twisting “”Jigga What, Jigga Who.”” Everything clicks, but there are several moments of pure delirium: “”Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love),”” which is enlivened by a spine-tingling gospel ad-lib from Philly newcomer Jaguar Wright, and “”Can’t Knock the Hustle/Family Affair,”” which turns on an incandescent Mary J. As notorious for her impassioned, spine-tingling vibrato as she is for her show-stealing performance at Jay-Zs 1999 MTV Unplugged concert with The Roots. If The Blueprint and previous studio recordings are carefully scripted affairs built on pop song forms, Unplugged celebrates the possibilities of off-the-cuff interplay: The Roots sound like they’ve been backing Jay-Z for years - they push him to new heights just by working that minimal, relentlessly funky backbeat, supplying sparky little counterlines in the margins. Abandoning his usual sample-based production to mix it up with the fiery Roots rhythm section and a string quartet that provides more than just window dressing, he expands his familiar anthems with extemporaneous freestyle forays and smart instrumental interludes. Jay-Z gives himself an unexpected artistic makeover on the loose Unplugged, which was recorded live in November for an MTV special. ![]()
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