Jagged Edge Album: “Baby Makin' Project”

Description :

Urban contemporary foursome Jagged Edge re-team with production kingpin Jermaine Dupri for 2007's BABY MAKIN' PROJECT. As the man who gave the group their start, Dupri is in a special position to help Jagged Edge put together their first release on their own label, the Def Jam-affiliated 581 Musiz Group. BABY MAKIN' PROJECT files off the hip-hop edge that dominates so much contemporary R&B in favor of old-school balladry. Inspired as much by classic Motown soul as by 1980s new jack swing, Jagged Edge offer up a genuine R&B album filled with songs tailor-made for candlelit dinners and afterwards.

Jagged Edge debuted in 1997 with the very strong debut album

, they were a quartet of very talented singers in the same league like Dru Hill and Jodeci and with a quite similar sound mixing romantic slow jamz with more sexually driven pillow talk and from time to time some uptempo's aswell. They proved they were no sophmore slumps when their second album

went double platinum in 2000 and songs like "He Can't Love You", "Promise" and "Let's Get Married" all reached top 20. Third album

(not to be mistaken for Alanis Morisette's album

) had the megahit "Where The Party At" with Nelly that reached #3 and became their biggest hit to date in 2001, the song however was an uptempo and in the following years they would release several songs with rappers, but personally I think they are and were always suited better for slow jamz. Two more albums were released after this but apart from the song "Walked Outta Heaven" they both sold less then before and they weren't that good either. "Baby Makin Project" their 6th album is a way to come back to the spotlight again, cause they really don't have much to lose at this point. To my joy and perhaps others aswell, it's an concept album with only love songs. So, no uptempo's or Rap cameos here, the only guest is Ashanti on the first single "Put A Little Umph In It". After the reunion with Jermain Dupri on his So So Def Records he and his protegés produce most of the songs and while the production is on point there isn't really a major diffrent from previous albums. The diffrence is a more cohesive effort then in a while. Having said that, most songs melts into the album and many of them are very good with few stadouts like the regretful classic slow jam "Whole Town Laughing", midtempo piano song "Me That's Who" which is perhaps the best song. Retro sounding "I'll Be Damned", while "Sunrise" and "Turn U On" both have exciting sounds. The rest of the songs including "Put A Little Umph In It" are not bad either and I'm confident to say this is their best album since "Jagged Little Thrill". There are only 11 songs though and the first one is an intro but don't be scared cause of that cause there are plenty of pearls here. While Jodeci have disbanded and Dru Hill are somewhere lurking, Jagged Edge carries the tradition of talented R&B groups that really can sing and make wonderful slow jamz. Recommended if you liked their old albums.