No matter what the musical genre is when it comes to groups, there is always a clamoring for a member to pursue solo endeavors. Kci Hailey of Jodeci is a singer in this category ever since Jodeci made its debut. Like most R&B fans, when Kci delivered his first solo record (a cover of Bobby Womack’s “If You Think You’re Lonely Now” on Jason’s Lyric soundtrack in 1994, I thought a solo debut was right around the corner.
Hailey would release the third Jodeci album in 1995, followed by a stint in Kci & JoJo with his brother. In the spring of 2006, Kci’s long-awaited solo debut, My Book, finally arrived. After hearing the first single, “Conversation (Can I Talk 2 U”), I had lofty expectations for the project. Sadly, Kci did not meet them.
I will give Kci some credit on his first solo release. The disc starts with a standard calling out the hater’s song “My Book.” Kci sings in a deep register while setting a relaxed rhythm. The song is full of the deep and mannish charm that has become synonymous with K-CI. Kci let us know he still has pipes. The tearful vocals in the acoustic and pure “I Apologize” are reminiscent of K-CI & JoJo’s “All My Life.” Once again, Kci pays homage to Bobby Womack with a cover of “Woman’s Gotta Have It,” and the song is wrapped in a gentle groove. “Ghetto Woman,” a slower song with a bluesy guitar gently spinning a melody, makes you feel muddy but warm.
“Thug by Heart features ” an excellent sample of Isaac Hayes’ “The Look of Love” and is indeed a serious track and very hustler mid-tempo groove.” “Much Too Soon” featuring Al B.Sure! & Aaron Hall is another winner. All three singers sound as good as they did when they were in their prime. After that, though, the disc is pretty much by the numbers R&B.
The release does not show Kci’s full potential without big-name producers. I wish Kci had a bigger budget to work with big producers such as Babyface, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, or even hook up with fresh talent like The Underdogs & Stargate. What is truly surprising is that DeVante Swing and Mr. Dalvin did not contribute anything to the project.
My Book is not a total wash, but it is a letdown from one of nineties R&B’s most recognizable voices.
Final Grade: C
My Book is available on all streaming platforms
From his early days in the family group Wings of Faith, Mr. Gill was born to make music. However, as R&B fans know, Johnny Gill’s initial release with Atlantic Records failed to make a significant impact when it first came out. The 1983 self-titled debut showed a strong voice struggling to adapt to a studio that couldn’t properly utilize its power.
My introduction to Myron was with the song “Sistas” on the “Eddie” soundtrack in the summer of 1996. Before setting up his solo album, Myron would write classics for Mya and Dru Hill. “Destiny” was written by Myron and Tyrice Jones, and the latter was also producing. Set to a sample of Herbie Hancock’s “Come Running to Me”, the song explores how fate governs the formation of connections between people meant to exist from the beginning.
Music producers transitioning to a solo album is common in the music industry. For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I want to revisit Sean Garrett’s solo debut, “Turbo 919,” released in 2008.