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BORN TO REIGN
Will Smith
(Columbia-Sony)
The Fresh Prince returns.
Movie work has kept this Hollywood star -- who began as one half of rap act DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince back in the mid-'80s -- away from the recording studio since 2000's Willennium.
In fact, Smith's latest mainstream-friendly collection of hip-hop, in stores Tuesday, boasts the funked-up, strings and horns accompanied Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head), the first single from Men In Black 2, in theatres July 3. Too bad the dance remix, featuring front-and-centre vocals from Christina Vidal, is so much better.
Otherwise, the R&B/soul trio Tra-Knox -- who performed at Smith's wedding to Jada Pinkett -- are featured prominently on this album, along with Pinkett herself, who doesn't completely embarrass herself singing opposite Smith on the old-school sounding duet 1000 Kisses, despite some pretty bad rhymes: "They say love is a gamble, And if so, baby, I'm the Bellagio, I can't lose, And I guess that makes you The Mirage."
Influence-wise, Gipsy Kings guitar licks make their way into the Latin-tinged I Can't Stop and a reggae beat drives Willow Is A Player and the Luther Vandross-sampled I Gotta Go Home -- three of the album's standouts.
Unfortunately, Smith, who co-produced the album with Omarr Rambert, is nursing one bad "I'm the greatest" Ali hangover on the title track and How Da Beat Goes. Give Me Tonite and Maybe are also excruciating to sit through.
Better bets are the fun-loving Block Party and the mother-knows-best tune Momma Knows.
Track Listing
1. Born To Reign
2. Act Like You Know
3. I Can't Stop
4. Jaden's Interlude
5. 1,000 Kisses (feat. Jada)
6. Willow Is A Player
7. Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head) (feat. TrB-Knox)
8. How Da Beat Goes
9. Block Party
10. Give Me Tonite
11. I Gotta Go Home
12. Maybe
13. Nod Ya Head-The Remix (feat. Christina Vidal & TrB-Knox)
14. Momma Knows