Let's be honest, since 2000 not too many folk have had a better or more consistent track record of dropping dope music then Raheem DeVaughn. From 2005's "The Love Experience" to 2013's "A Place Called Loveland" and with "Love Behind the Melody" and the "Love And War Masterpiece" in between, you'd be hard press to name another artist who has 4 albums dropping back to back in their chamber that are this solid. And don't get it twisted, I'm not just talking about R&B either. I'm inviting all genres to get down in the ring for this one. The only two artists that come to mind is Raphael Saadiq and Ghostface and both of those dudes are good company to have your name mentioned next to. But other then those two, I honestly can't call it. And with that kind of track record I have absolutely no doubt in mind that his newest album on deck "Love, Sex and Passion" is gonna be any different. In fact, I'll bet a crate of some of my illest records that this jawn won't disappoint...any takers?
"Love, Sex and Passion" sets off with the banger "Black Ice Cream" that has Rah telling the shorties, "you be the scoop I'll be the cone, you be the queen I'll be the thrown/you be the ride I'll be the saddle baby, you be the spoon I'll be the stir your crazy/it be the power of the P for the pleasure, I'll be your D and do whatever/you be the job I'll be that work, I'll be that pipe that make it burst." "Pretty Lady" featuring NO's own Trombone Shorty is just another jawn in Rah's chamber that shows that dude can make uptempo bangers just as well as those bedroom anthems while the album's 1st single "Queen" produced by DC's own Chucky Thompson is dope and will have you reminiscing of Raheem's grammy nominated single "Woman." "Nothing Without You" has Rah asking "what's a man without his woman (nuthin), what's a sky without it's blue (nuthin)", "When You Love Somebody" has that old school Staxx Records feel to it and "Terms of Endearment" breaks down what it means to have real love in your life. "Miss Your Sex" is kinda self explanatory and is that classic Raheem bedroom anthem, "Baby Come Back" is my ish and has Rah begging to get his woman back, "I know I was a fool, I know I was wrong/baby I changed, and I'm missing you/make this house a home, baby come back." This dude even goes to his shorty's mother house, "today I went by your momma's house and knocked on her door/and told her I'm in need of forgiveness and can she talk to her daughter/and she said know I ain't the first man to make the first mistake and I'm not the first man to say/that my nights are long and my days are blue, baby I'm lost without you."
"Never Never Land" has Rah breaking down what he would never do to his woman, "I'll never keep you waiting, I'll never betray home/I'll never be ungiving, I'm never too far gone/I never wanna quit, I never wanna fold, I wanna be the man that you see me/I never wanna be the ear that you can't run to, I want you to trust and confide in me." "Temperature's Rising" has Rah freaking the classic R. Kelly line from "Seems Like Your Ready", "Sun Proof Room (50 Shades)" is dope and "Strip" has that 80's freaky Prince feel to it so you KNOW you can't go wrong with this one if you're trying to get some. "Countdown To Love" sounds like some classic Marvin so you know you're good on that front too. "Feather Rocking Love" featuring Boney James on the sax is sick and I don't know if you could end this album on a doper note then "Infiniti." But the song that STAYS on repeat for me (and I mean, like ALL DAY repeat) is "All I Know (My Heart). On this banger Rah breaks down an ill love triangle he's caught in the middle of, "all I know is that I love you, love you like you love him/like I can love another, that's all I know/it's kinda crazy that you love him, love him like I love you/I love you like I never loved nobody and all I know/my heart is chosen, my heart is choosing you my heart is choosing, that's all I know."
One of the reasons I rock with Raheem is because dude stays in his lane. He knows what he does well and he still continues to do it some 15 years later. Dude is one of the VERY few artists out here in these streets where I can cop his album without hearing anything off it and go home KNOWING I got a banger in hand and this new jawn "Love, Sex and Passion" just helps to drive my point home. And to take it another step forward, this is one of the few albums where I literally like every song on it which helps "Love, Sex..." knock his last album "A Place Called Loveland" out the box of having the title of my favorite Raheem DeVaughn album. And at the rate this dude is going, his next album will mess around and knock this jawn out the box. At the end of the day how can you not salute an artist who not only has this kinda body of work but also keeps outdoing himself time and time again? Oh yeah, for anybody who took me up on that bet, we can meet down at Som over at 14th & U so I can grab that crate of records off ya'll too...
4.5 outta 5 mics
No comments
Post a Comment