R. Kelly - Double Up

Trying Too Hard to Be Young Again!

He needs to give it up! R.Kelly's latest release DOUBLE UP, fails to bring that R&B feel to it. Yeah, it does bring more Rap than he usually does, and I can't lie..."I'm A Flirt," was a good song. But, as for the rest, it can all go some place else, so we don't have to hear it! May 18, 2008

Double Up = Double Flop

It's impossible not to be in two minds about Double Up. It presents us with a reinvented, thuggish ruggish version of R. Kelly, who is reaching, following...not leading the pack as he so claims on 'The Champ'. Even so, this man is so talented that he can't help but impress us on occasion.

There are some GREAT songs here, like the sexy, swaggering title track, 'Freaky In the Club', with its cool reggae tones, 'I'm A Flirt' which is outrageously cocky and fun, 'Same Girl', 'Real Talk' which is an arresting, dramatised, one-sided conversation with R. Kelly's lover who accuses him of cheating, and 'Hook It Up'.

The rest of the songs teeter between disastrous and forgettable. Nelly didn't even have the right to be in the same room as R. Kelly, let alone record with him...and the same could well be said for Chamillionaire. I understand that this album was recorded in 2007, and that by then, hip hop was so pervasive that R. had to do what he had to do to stay relevant, but perhaps he could have atleast been more discerning when choosing rappers. 'The Zoo' is an amazingly embarrassing song about wanting to get 'wild' with a girl, literally. 'Sex Planet' is similarly embarrassing, which is a shame because it could have been a decent slow jam. 'Sweet Tooth' is forgettable, making this album devoid of quality slow jams -- what a thought!

I stand by R. Kelly as one of the greatest talents of our time, though this album doesn't convey that very often. Here's to the next album, and let's hope he lifts his 'game'. May 7, 2008

Double up and check out his homie Devin the Dude's Latest

if you love R. Kelly, check out his homie Devin the Dude Smoke Sessions, Vol. 1- track 3 getting high is something to smoke to - whoah - this is the first album since Rapalot Days and the first album of Devin's to hit the Billboard Charts - Congrats April 18, 2008

Double Up

R. Kelly never fell off. He just switched it up from the same ol early 90's R. Kelly.But with that said this album is more of the same. It's R. Kelly! He's been established long enough for people to know if they like him or not. If you are an R. Kelly fan this album will not disappoint with songs such as Leave Your Name, Double Up, Freaky In The Club (especially that one...oh yeah! Lol), The Zoo, I'm A Flirt RMX (gimme that back Bow Wow...I'll make it a hit!), Same Girl, Hook It Up , Rock Star, Rollin (extra hot), Sweet Tooth, Sex Planet. Those songs make this album a success. Some songs do hold the album back from being one of his best such as the collaborations with Nelly, Chamillionaire and surprisingly Keyshia Cole. Real Talk is kinda pointless but hilarious nonetheless. R. Kelly is a superstar and even though he was low on the MVP votes last year, he is still a force to be reckoned with. March 25, 2008

He sinks into mediocrity

One of the most versatile, creative and talented artists of this generation is Robert Kelly. Foremost, he has been apart of the music business for over fifteen years and is still very relevant. Too, there have been many male singers who have come and gone within the fifteen-plus years he has been known, but, sadly, they have come and gone. Not only is he one of the most successful talents within the last several years, but he is also a noted producer. He has produced hits for Celine Dion, Lil' Bow Wow, Janet Jackson and himself, just to name a few. His albums are usually decent at least, and "Double Up" falls into the decent category. This is an okay effort, but if one were to compare it to the superb "Chocolate Factory" or the solid "TP2.com", they would find that this album doesn't even truly compare to the two. Some of the production sound like throwaways from his previous works, the lyrics are good at best, and the cohesiveness is decent.

"I'm a Flirt", "Same Girl" and "Real Talk" are easily the album's best tracks, the first two mentioned were released to radio and received moderate success. This album has its ups and downs, but the only classic material here is "I'm a Flirt" and many would not consider that a classic, however, with its infectious beat, memorable hook and cocky lyrics, I consider it a classic and one of his better songs to date. The piano in this song is reminiscent of Elton John and it is really a musical work of art. "Leave Your Name" and "Double Up" are good tracks, but not memorable. In "Leave Your Name", Kelly is letting all his women know that he is too drunk to answer their calls, but if they leave a message, he will get back to them. The production is very basic but the lyrics are truly amusing for this slow tempoed track. Guest appearances include Nelly, Snoop Dogg, TI and T Pain. They all did well and added flavor to tha album.

I liked some of the material here but some of it was very corny and some was just plain laughable. I recommend this album to those who love R. Kelly, but no one else. There are three really nice songs, but the rest? After you hear them one time you'll forget all about them.

Mikeisha's Top 5

1. "I'm a Flirt"
2. "Real Talk"
3. "Same Girl"
4. "Hook it Up"
5. "Leave Your Name"
March 10, 2008

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