Notes & Personnel Info |  | Personnel includes: Jay-Z, R. Kelly (vocals); Devin The Dude, Beanie Sigel, Lil' Kim (rap vocals); Donnie Lyle (guitar, keyboards); Precision (guitar); Rodney East, Kendall Nesbitt (keyboards); Louie "LP" Pimental (bass); Abel Garibaldi, Ian Mereness, Poke, Tone (programming); Shanay Reed (background vocals). | | Producers include: Megahertz, Poke, Tone, R. Kelly, Charlemagne. | | Engineers include: Abel Garibaldi, Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton, Poke. | | Recording information: Baseline Studios, New York, NY; Basement Studios, Cliffside Park, NJ; Chicago Trax, Chicago, IL; Rock Land Studios, Chicago, IL; TransContinental Studios, Orlando, FL. | | What do you get when you combine one of the biggest names in hip-hop with the premier R&B singer of his generation? In the case of R. Kelly and Jay-Z, besides the obvious marketing opportunity, you get an intersection between the two genres that illuminates the strengths of both while simultaneously working on a new paradigm from the middle ground occupied by both artists. "Break up to Make up" isn't the old Stylistics R&B hit, but a new concoction full of Jay-Z's attitude and R. Kelly's vocal power; no looking back for this pair. And with Kelly being one of the original R&B mack daddies, you can be sure that tales of carnal exploits are in no short supply on the appropriately titled THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS. The key here, though, is the way Jay-Z's well-documented lyrical acumen is supported by the melodic twists and turns of Kelly's singing, and how RK's sound is in turn made all the more visceral by his partner's in-your-face approach. | | Both R. Kelly and Jay-Z were flying high around the time of The Best of Both Worlds, so the idea of a collaborative album was a reasonable one, following up the success of The Blueprint (2001) and TP-2.com (2000). Unfortunately, Jay-Z's contributions (interjections and verses, mainly) sound like filler on The Best of Both Worlds, although Kelly fares better, supplying some potent hooks and co-producing the tracks with the Trackmasters (i.e., Poke and Tone), but he can't carry the album alone. Still, there are some moments where the collaborations click, particularly on the album's singles, "Get This Money" and "Take You Home with Me." [The Best of Both Worlds was also made available in a "clean" version with all profanity removed.] ~ Jason Birchmeier | | Both R. Kelly and Jay-Z were flying high around the time of The Best of Both Worlds, so the idea of a collaborative album was a reasonable one, following up the success of The Blueprint (2001) and TP-2.com (2000). The Best of Both Worlds falls terribly short of both artists' high standards, unfortunately, sounding as if the vocals were phoned in, which in the case of Jay-Z they probably were, for his contributions (interjections and verses, mainly) sound like filler here. Kelly fares better throughout The Best of Both Worlds, supplying some potent hooks and co-producing the tracks with the Trackmasters (i.e., Poke and Tone), but not even he can carry an album this uninspired. Still, there are some moments where the collaborations click, particularly on the album's singles, "Get This Money" and "Take You Home with Me." Overall, though, The Best of Both Worlds rates among the poorest efforts -- arguably the poorest -- in either Kelly's or Jay-Z's catalog to date. [The Best of Both Worlds was also made available in a "clean" version with all profanity removed.] ~ Jason Birchmeier |
Musical Guests | | Lil' Kim | | Beanie Sigel | | Devin |
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