As a matter of fact, these songs almost make me wish I didn’t understand English, so I could enjoy the beauty of his vocals without cringing at the lyrics. Still, there’s nothing wrong with Jaheim’s singing. Even worse is the fact that these two songs waste choice samples: Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes’ “Hope That We Can Be Together Soon” on the former and the Force M.D.’s “Tender Love” on the latter. Hearing Jaheim rehash his drug-dealing days on songs like “Life of a Thug” and “Have You Ever” gets boring quite quickly. It’s not like I can’t relate to Jaheim’s upbringing - Flatbush, Brooklyn ain’t a whole lot different from the ghettos of North Jersey - but at a certain point you grow out of your surroundings. That said, the beginning of the album suggests that the transition is still very much a work in progress, with lyrics that resurrect every “hood” cliché in existence. Kelly chief among them), and shows signs of progressing beyond the ghetto (both real-life and metaphorical) that his previous work found him mired in. Jaheim is on a new label (Warner Bros.), working with new producers (Baby face & R. The new Makings of a Man hints at change. Despite debuting at #1 on the album charts, it fell quickly and was barely certified gold when his previous two efforts had gone platinum. Jaheim’s third album, 2006’s Ghetto Classics, was the bottom of the barrel, and the public agreed.
However, songs about hustling and paternity disputes, which you might be willing to give a pass to on album #1, sound tired and cliché by album #4. Of course, this is supposed to present an aura of authentic realness. Despite possessing the voice of an angel, Jaheim has tried way too hard to go the “R&B thug” route. However, a great voice doesn’t necessarily equal a great artist. The New Jersey native has a supple, full vocal tone that combines the rough edges of Teddy Pendergrass with the exquisite phrasing and control of Luther. While there are a handful of men out there who possess the entire package (Musiq Soulchild, Rahsaan Patterson and John Legend, to name a few), no young R&B singer has a better pure voice than Jaheim. With the recent passings of Barry White, Luther Vandross and Gerald Levert, it’s now officially up to the young bucks to challenge for the crown of Great Male R&B Singer.
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