R. Kelly R. KELLY

Personnel: R. Kelly (vocals, various instruments); Ronald Isley (vocals); The Notorious B.I.G. (rap vocals); Ray Bady (various instruments, background vocals); Mr. Lee, Mario Winans (various instruments, programming); Jim Slattery (various instruments); Ernie Isley (guitar); Lafayette Carthon (keyboards, background vocals); Peter Mokran, Stephen George (programming); Strings, Alfonzo Walker, Charlotte Horton, Eleanor "Tinkey" Hampton, Kimmie MacFarland, Ronda V., Pepe Epting (background vocals); Kirk Franklin.
Engineers: Peter Mokran, Stephen George.
R. was nominated for the 2000 Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. "When A Woman's Fed Up" was nominated for the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.
Audio Mixers: Peter Mokran; R. Kelly.
Recording information: Battery Studios, Chicago; Battery Studios, New York; Chicago Recording Co.; Criteria Recording; D.A.R.P. Studios; Middle Ear Studios; South Beach Studios.
Photographer: Michael Lavine.
R. Kelly starts this disc off with a straight-up gospel sermon, and his vocal style is well-suited to it. He learned his craft in church, and he gives praise to God on the disc's liner notes. Of course, the second song is called "Hump Bounce," so that also tells you where this popular, strong-voiced soul singer is coming from.
Kelly sings about different aspects of love, sex, and relationships, with a style that owes much to those who came before him--Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, and a host of others who refined and perfected the art of expression through vocalization. His formula is simple: take a slow or mid-tempo modern R&B structure, add a healthy dose of gospel-inflected vocal runs, up and and down the scale, and Presto!--another hit.
Kelly's material is almost all of the slow-groove style. This is music to make out to, plain and simple, and Kelly is good at what he does. On "Not Gonna Hold On," Kelly and producer Barry Hankerson create a truly hypnotic jam, one that gives the singer room to flex his impressive vocal chops. The arrangement is spare, with just a steady drum tap, and a synthesized keyboard flowing like rainwater behind the background vocal track. Kelly knows how to create a mood, and he does it over and over again.

• Format: CD
• Genre: Pop