R. Kelly gets raw on ‘TP.3 Reloaded’

SOUND BITES: AUDIO REVIEWS

updated 3:37 p.m. ET July 5, 2005

R. Kelly, whose last album was rather family-friendly, goes the other way with a new disc. Also: New CDs from Missy Elliott, Sufjan Stevens and Twisted Sister, as well as long-lost music from the Grateful Dead and music from Nigerian tribal funk-master Fela Kuti as well as his son, Fema Kuti.

R. Kelly, "TP.3 Reloaded"
On R. Kelly’s last album, “Happy People/U Saved Me,” which was released after he was hit with child pornography charges, R. Kelly chose a family-friendly, spiritual vibe — praising the joys of God instead of his usual wild sexual shenanigans.

With his new disc, Kelly will have plenty to repent for.

If you thought the man who came up with such freaky songs as “Bump ’N Grind” or “Ignition” (on which he compared lovemaking to driving a car) couldn’t come up with anything wilder, take a listen to “Sex In the Kitchen.”

“Remote Control” continues his penchant for comparing sex to machinery — “baby push enter, than fast forward,” he croons on one delightfully naughty track. “Put My T-Shirt On” sounds like a reply to Destiny’s Child’s pillow-talk slow jam “T-Shirt,” but of course Kelly ratchets up the foreplay and a whole lot more (take that, Jay-Z!) — never has a white T sounded so erotic. And his duet with fellow Jive artist Nivea on “Touchin”’ sounds so tender and lovely, it would be appropriate for a wedding — if it didn’t have lyrics like “something tells me this may be the greatest sex in history.”

The disc is weakest when Kelly tries to appeal to the fellas with thug anthems like “Players Only” with The Game. But for all the sex talk, Kelly’s best effort is the five-part serial drama “Trapped in the Closet” (a bonus DVD includes the music video). The song — or more accurately, songs — tell a dramatic story about an episode of infidelity that has a ricochet effect, touching several different people and leading to dramatic confrontations that are hilarious and riveting at the same time.

Even after hearing the “Trapped” songs a dozen times, they’re still stirring, demonstrating Kelly’s amazing ability to draw in listeners with either raw sex grooves or musical cliffhangers.

It’s hard to imagine any other artist, in any genre, with such a gift.    —Nekesa Mumbi Moody

Missy Elliott, “The Cookbook”
For her sixth full-length album, Missy Elliott concocts a hip-hop gumbo with a dash of R&B divas Mary J. Blige, Ciara and Fantasia; a pinch of rappers Slick Rick, Grand Puba and Mike Jones; and a sprinkle of production by Timbaland and the Neptunes.

Although there are plenty of spicy, up-tempo tracks — including the “Planet Rock”-reminiscent, Ciara-assisted single “Lose Control” and the Timbaland-helmed “Partytime” — only the percussive reggae jam “Bad Man,” featuring M.I.A., reaches the frenetic heights of Missy classics like “Work It” and “Get Ur Freak On.”

As on 2002’s “Under Construction,” several songs here are old-school-inspired, most notably the Neptunes’ “On & On,” which samples Doug E. Fresh’s “The Show,” and “We Run This,” which interpolates the classic break beat “Apache.”

The only glaring misstep is the bland “Click Clack.” Fortunately, Missy maintains her freaky sense of humor, as she exhibits on the Rich Harrison-produced club thumper “Can’t Stop” with lines like: “Sitting on his lap, pulling on my track, he piggy-ed my back.”

The album’s real strength is its R&B-leaning cuts, notably “My Man,” featuring pitch-perfect guest vocals by Fantasia; the naughty Scott Storch contribution “Meltdown”; and the woeful “Teary Eyed,” where Missy flexes her impressive chops.

Perhaps because longtime collaborator Timbaland only serves two tracks, “The Cookbook” isn’t packed with as much fun-filled flavor as Missy’s previous discs. But it still leaves fans hungry for more of her distinct, savory blend of music.    —Tracy Hopkins

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