For more theatrics, turn no further than “Real Talk.” Here Kelly sings in a conversational tone, taking part in an argument with his girlfriend. I don’t really know how necessary it was for us to know that she went to Georgia Tech and works for TBS. Kelly plays hapless man against Usher’s young turk and the lyrics list off the girl’s assets to ridiculous detail. In the song, Kelly and Usher talk about an amazing girl only to find out that they’re dating, wait for it…the same girl. “Same Girl” is also the heir apparent to “Trapped in the Closet’s” glorious saga. “Same Girl” featuring Usher also mines Kelly’s age to humorous effect. He recalls the consequences meticulously from the fight at the club to passing out on the stairs to “smoking on some trees.” The last one not really a consequence but worth mentioning just for the metaphor alone. In “Leave Your Name,” Kelly sings (in the form of an outgoing voicemail message no less!) about a regretful, Hennessey-filled night.
However, this begs the question: just how long can Kelly keep this persona up? Brilliantly, Kelly addresses this sounding a lot like a man who realizes that he’s too old for the clubs, but stubbornly persists. Kelly has exploited hip-hop’s obsession with brand names, sex and money to the point where it can almost been seen as subversive. It’s the second persona that has yielded Kells’ best and most consistent work and it’s arguably his most successful. “I Believe I Can Fly”) 2) The sex obsessed playa (“Your Body’s Calling”) and 3) The accidentally comedic storyteller (“Trapped in the Closet”). Kelly has crafted in his albums falls under three categories: 1) The uplifting balladeer (i.e. But coming from the man who told us that there ain’t nothing wrong with a little bump ‘n’ grind, this album is a giddy reminder of Kells’ absurd genius. Quite frankly, Double Up is a straight up R&B club album and shows little sign of the difficulties in his life. In fact, Double Up is a curious album to make for someone who faces multiple counts for child pornography and statutory rape, in addition to a difficult divorce. You definitely cannot buy this album with your grande soy latte. On his latest album, Double Up, he indulges in his flights of fancy and is predictably libido-obsessed.
At forty years old, most artists would be making mature, “serious” albums, non-offensive enough to be sold at Starbucks.
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