 |
| |
|
| |
Album Review
by SashaS
14-11-2002
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| Missy Elliott's "work in progress" |
|
Missy Elliott/TLC: 'Under Construction/3D'
(Elektra/Arista)
Missy Elliott + TLC bust out solid discs
Missy Elliott
‘Under Construction’
(Elektra)
The self-assessed First Lady Of Rap, returns after ‘Missy E… So Addictive’ with another disc to occupy our attention. The opening statement that hip-hop in general, her music and herself (she recently had to lose 4 stones due to possible health complication/s) are works in progress and not an apology because this is of Missy’s usual standard. Working with Timbaland, who sprays his usual hi-tech beat wizardry, her rhymes are based on solid sonic foundations.
The themes are mainly concerned with relationships, men are usually dissed, state of rap-dom and the closing tracks, ‘Can You Hear Me’, is a tearducts-engaging ballad addressed to R&B diva Aaliyah, who died in a plane crash in August 2001 and Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes from TLC, a victim of a car crash in April, with the surviving girls actually appearing on the track. The outstanding cuts are ‘Back In The Day’, calling for hip-hop to return to its fun ways, ‘Go To The Floor’, a stunning clash of synth-riffs and frantic bongos that elevates it above everything on the mart, and ‘Gossip Folks’ with its robotic funky-beat and vocal that sounds like Macy Gray-in-a-rappinghood… There is also an absolutely filthy ‘Pussycat’, man!
There are, as usual, plenty of guests: Method Man, Ludacris, Jay-Z, Beyonce Knowles, 50 Cent (on reworking of the single ‘Work It’) and, aforementioned, TLC. Missy’s fourth LP outing may present her having lost weight but she ain’t no (lyrical) lightweight.
8/10
*
TLC
‘3D’
(Arista)
TLC not only guest-vocal on Missy E’s track but also have her producing on their final – they said they wouldn’t replace ’Left Eye’ – ‘3D’ disc. Lisa completed only four tracks before her untimely end and, considering she was the main creative force, it was somewhat brave of Rozanda ‘Chilli’ Thomas and Tionne ‘T-Boz’ Watkins to complete the album on their own. Well, partially as they had Missy, Rodney Jerkins, Timbaland and Pharell ‘Neptune’ Williams helping out in the studio.
The final product is a distinctly TLC album, a slick affair that brims with grace and sexual allure, its musical fare a fine meandering between pop and funkiness. There are a lot of tracks that make your head, heart and groin react: ‘Girl Talk’ (“The new millennium female anthem” states the cover-sticker), ‘In Your Arms Tonight’, ‘Good Love’, ‘Give It To Me While It’s Hot’ (porridge, obviously) and a tribute to Lisa, ‘Turntable’.
The ‘Parental Advisory’ bull on the cover warns of “Sexual + Violent Content” which to males is as much deterrent as honey is to Pooh-bear! Edited version? NO, more of – ‘Dirty, Dirty’! Sex is the humans’ ultimate…*(four-letter word).
8/10
* = Play. (What did you think?)
SashaS
14-11-2002
Missy Elliott’s album ’Under Construction’ is released 11 November 2002 on Elektra
TLC’s album ‘3D’ is released 11 November 2002 on Arista
|
|
|
