The Chokin' Kind is where Joss tells us That hat don't fit my head/It's the chokin' kind. Sets the tone for the entire album. Supa Dupa Love is solid. When Joss tells you that she Fell In Love With A Boy, remember: don't go tellin' all the lies on Sarah. She then warns about the bitterness than can bring a love affair down with Victim of a Foolish Heart. Back to rekindle a relationship, a past love of her partner tries to break their relationship apart.

In the next track, she rids herself of the Dirty Man: I'm a good housekeeper/I'm gonna take broom and sweep all the dirt in the street. The dirty man gets replaced with a man who is Some Kind of Wonderful, a nice upbeat track to lift the spirits. She uplifts it even further with I've Fallen In Love With You. She talks about the slumber last night with I Had a Dream.

The downfall of love is told in All The King's Horses:He fell, I fell/There's nothing else left to tell. Joss then ends the CD solidly with For the Love Of You, the Isley Brothers classic. She makes it even more mellow, with simply her voice - no keyboards, no drums, just her voice and chords in the background which is merely a superflous backdrop.

Joss is solid. These selections are definitely classics which she puts her shine on gracefully. This is a great introduction. Now that she's put her spin on classics, it's time for her to shine more in her own light.

e-scale: 7/10

ej wants you to share your world. Express yourself to eXponent. It's a good thing.

Can't think of anything to do
My left brain knows our love is fleeting
He's been looking for something new
I've said it once before but it bears repeating
- Fell In Love With A Boy

Introduced by Jermaine Dupri, Mama Knew Love ("Mama I'm gonna struggle with ya/I'm gonna help you see the big picture") sits in the front. The mix of the samples with the vocals reminiscent of Al Green lets us know what to expect as the album progresses. In case we missed it the first time however, Anthony pulls in a guitar as he introduces us to Cornbread, Fish and Collard Greens, which he will provide to the girl who's in need of his love, with one condition: she straighten herself out. "Cause I'm a pimp girl/Come on let me rock your world".

Organs slide us into the splendid track Since I Seen't You, and soothe us into a cut that's fly, sensual, and full of heart. Simple and to the point, and this is key.

Since I seen't you
We been peoples
You're my equal
This love is see through
I wanna keep you
I wanna be with you

Having acquired the love he wanted, he seemed to have lost it in Charlene ("Come on home to me Charlene"). But don't let him stop spilling his heart here. He loses his best friend and lover in the next track, and as he lets you know in "I'm A Mess". Coming Where I Come From brings you into his world and the challenges that he goes through ("Sometimes I gotta cry a little bit louder"). This release and the accompanying video lets you know what he's all about.

Better Days brings us back from the blues and allows him to express more of his love. With himself providing primary background vocals, this track is more intrinsic and definitely powerful. However, when he starts out with Lucille, he turns his exasperation into "My old lady's on the other side of town with her ex-boyfriend/Drinkin' again". Seems that life is producing more tricks.

A guitar intro brings us into Float, a sensual track that encourages his love to vibe with him: "Baby come float with me/Let me take you to a place on high". Sensual and definitely on the positive, no-holds-barred tip. The song, however, ramps up and gives more energy....enough to make you sway in the chair. ("Baby grab ahold/Feel me in your soul/Forevermore").

He then slides us back into a duet with LaToyoia Williams with My First Love, a solid cut which we would have come to expect in this album, and he doesn't dissapoint. However, he then comes back with Chyna Black ("Soothes a body/Like Mom's old rolls"). This energetic track is a nice switch, which then leads us into the heartbreaking final track, I Tried.

This album is on a vibe that we rarely get to hear in this day and age. It's not hip hop, and it's not rap. It's tracks with enough funkiness, lyrics, emotional battles, scars, and celebration that brings the young and old into the same circles and can keep us all grooving. If you're expecting rap here, you'll be dissapointed.

But instead of being dissapointed, go back out and sit in the rocking chair sit a spell, and listen.

e-scale: 8/10

ej wants you to share your world. Express yourself to eXponent. It's a good thing.


I'm a pimp girl, I'm a pimp girl
With juicy juice and Jheri curls
Drip drip one sip and you'll be punch drunk
- Cornbread, Fish, and Collard Greens

First I noticed that George did a little magic, and then Jason followed suit. Originating from Jonno and his mind, they were able to throw a keyword into iTunes and shape and mold a playlist. Since I don't have iTunes, I came up with another solution.

The problem at DIC is that there is not one piece of Apple equipment. With a total of over 15 computing devices and not one Apple, what's a brother to do? The solution: use file searching and Media Center to burn a CD. Using Media Center, we had the added advantage of fade-out/fade in when playing and recording music. (Caveat: Music Match works well also; Media Center, however, has newer features).

My keyword for the making of my CD was the word 'sun'. Using this, I came up with the following playlist:

This playlist was easy to compress into a CD format. I had a mishap with the word 'moon' however, coming through with far few tracks that I had in MP3 format. A great list, yes, but far too short:

Hmm, my mind is all clear now. What playlists do you have in mind? Discuss.