When the heck is it Jaheim's turn? He, the husky-voiced New Brunswick balladeer set to replace D'Angelo in the smart, smooth, neo-soul crooning stakes. The guy who's not Bilal, Avant, Ginuwine, or Maxwell.
At 26, Jaheim may have to compete for hip-hop hearts and charts with the younger likes of Chris Brown. But the thug-lover proves on this third album that he's got the verbal skills and the fluid trills for the challenge.
Jaheim's dusky Luther/Marvin/Teddy purr breathes deeply an air of tradition, switching up nicely from meaningful moaner ("Daddy Thing," a tale of loving another man's son) to fancy romancer ("The Chosen One"). Though a little too smooth despite its '70s-heavy samples and rugged contributions from Styles P and Jadakiss, the rapid-fire "Like A DJ" rouses this Ghetto nicely.
So what if it's presumptuous to call these tracks "Ghetto Classics"? With that voice, you'll let him slide. It's Jaheim's turn.
Alabama
