| John Legend - Get Lifted: Album Review |
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| Written by Ifè Oshun | ||||
 Dubbed erroneously as a Neo-Soul artist, due mostly in part to his 2003 indie release Live at SOB's New York City, singer/songwriter/pianist John Legend has the stuff that can make his last name the watermark of his career.
Already an in-demand studio musician from a young age, and featured on works such as Lauryn Hill's "Everything Is Everything," Jay-Z's "Encore," and Slum Village's "Selfish," this former choir director and child prodigy pays much homage to his musical roots on his 2004 release Get Lifted. Curtis Mayfield, Sly & the Family Stone, Bill Withers, and Quincy Jones are strewn throughout the set like fudge ribbons through vanilla ice cream, and on one hand can be labeled as a gimmick or over-reliance on his influences. On the other hand, however, Legend's lyrics, hooks and music are unique and clever enough to illustrate that he is no run-of-the-mill R&B artist, heavy association with Kanye West -- whose Sony-distributed boutique label released the record -- notwithstanding. Keen production and a fine balance between soul and hip-hop makes this set worth every penny. Download the while thing, or better yet buy the CD, as it's destined to be the first in a string of classics. Download: Entire album
To purchase CDs, click on the cover art or title link. To legally download, click on the iTunes logo. If you do not have iTunes, you can download it here by clicking the "download iTunes" logo above. |
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