With the upcoming end of the decade fast approaching, I’ve decided to celebrate it with lists of the top 20 of everything that matters. We’ll go through albums, singles, athletes, and movies. Today we will start with….
The Top 20 R&B Albums of the 2000′s
Before we start I should mention the 5 that almost made it; apologies to (in alphabetical order) Erykah Badu (for Nu AmErykah Volume 2), Keyshia Cole (for The Way It Is), Musiq (for Juslisten), Ne-Yo (for In My Own Words), and Raphael Saddiq (for The Way I See It). I also want to say that this was a weird decade for R&B. There were a lot of “best of the year” types of albums every year. But very few that I could see as certifiable classics. Nonetheless I have sifted through the entire decade for you. Now on to the top 20!
20. Because I Love It-Amerie (2008 Sony/BMG)
Amerie’s third album was only available in limited release in the U.S. But if you did happen to pick it up, it was definitely worth it. Turning into more of a funk artist than a contemporary R&B singer, Amerie creates an album way beyond what her vocal talent would suggest. After a beef with former in-house producer Rich Harrison (Amerie felt Rich was selling songs to other R&B singers who were directly trying to rip off her style – particularly Beyonce’s “Crazy In Love”), Amerie opened her cupboards and worked with a whole staff of producers and songwriters. Yet they all stayed in line, creating a hip-hop/funk sound that triumphs through speakers for cuts like “Some Like It,” “Take Control,” and “Gotta Work.” She turns around and shows a vulnerable side on tracks like “Crush” and “All Roads.” The whole album is full of funk-tracks and hip hop samples creating an ambiance that lasts for the entire portion of the disc. It’s a shame this was her least promoted/released album, because she may never make an album this good again.
19. 8701-Usher (2001 Arista)
Lost in the memory of his album that followed, 8701 was equally as strong. Though it didn’t start out that way. The first two leaked singles were “U-Turn” and “Pop Ya Collar,” neither of which made any sort of impact. The latter didn’t even make it on the U.S. version of the album. But on the third try, the Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis-assisted “U Remind Me” became his third #1 R&B single, also topping the pop charts for 4 weeks each. He followed that up with the power ballad “U Got It Bad,” which was even more successful. “U Don’t Have To Call” was the third straight smash and by then he was four times platinum and co-headlining a tour with Nas. But what stood out about this album, particularly compared to other Usher albums, was the depth. It wasn’t just the singles here. “Twork It Out,” “I Don’t Know,” and “If I Want To,” were all hot potential singles. And the ballads “Can You Help Me” and particularly “How Do I Say,” were just as strong. Ursh really has two great albums, one was front-loaded and this one was just deep. As complete an album as Usher has ever made.
18. Ryan Leslie-Ryan Leslie (2009 Universal Motown)
Another great R&B album that went under the radar was the debut for Ryan Leslie. While the first two singles “Diamond Girl” and “Addicted” fail to catch the legs the label wanted, they just threw the album out at the beginning of the year and gave him one more single (“How It Was Supposed To Be”). And while there was nothing on here that sounded like a big single, the entire vibe was dope. It had a throwback 80′s vibe that only strayed for the darker “Addiction.” “Just Right” and “Quicksand” had the same uptempo renaissance feel as the singles, and the closer “Gibberish” felt like a Junior High slow dance. There were a lot of songs obviously aimed at former love interest Cassie, but the back story here is not all-too-important. The songwriting caught some flack, but the production was the star here. R-Les uses a synthesizer to perfection and throughout the album it continues to be the star. When this first dropped, I described it to friends as “the flyest R&B album of all-time” and I stick by that description today.
17. BLACKsummer’snight-Maxwell (2009 Columbia)
After taking a few years off, Maxwell returned to the scene last year with perhaps his best work to date. He returned with much more songwriting depth than before and a darker tone. It was supposedly the first in a trilogy of albums (where’s that part 2 & 3′s you promised us, Max?) but as an individual entity it is largely successful. The ballads “Pretty Wings” and “Fistful Of Tears” work extremely well, as do the more funky “Cold” and “Help Somebody.” But the real jewel here is the opener “Bad Habits.” The six minute slow jam is dedicated to a passionate affair that is known to be wrong. But this album was the ultimate babymaker of the decade and picks up the slack where some of Max’s past material has fallen short.
16. Fearless-Jazmine Sullivan (2008 J Records)
As Missy Elliott’s first major discovery since a particular fallen babygirl (Aaliyah), there was a lot of attention on Jazzy. And while she sold fairly well, it was on the critics side of things where she really got noticed. She was nominated for 5 grammy’s and put together a great album full of highlights. “Dream Big” and “Fear” were inspirational. “One Night Stand” and “Live A Lie” were throwback jam sessions with lyrical vulnerability. The singles “Bust Your Windows” and “Lions, Tigers, & Bears” featured an on-fire Salaam Remi on the boards, fresh off of his success with Amy Winehouse. “My Foolish Heart” featured a well placed Gza sample and a lamenting Jazzy. But the three real jewels were “After The Hurricane,” “In Love With Another Man,” and the single “I Need You Bad.” On the first, Jazzy rides a Stargate track with more depth lyrically and musically than we are used to hearing from the production stars. ”In Love With Another Man” is as honest and heartfelt a breakup song as has been released this decade. And “I Need You Bad,” with its’ reggae riddim backdrop, sounded like the 2009 version of Lauryn Hill.
15. Confessions-Usher (2004 Arista)
The biggest selling R&B album of the decade is the one Ursh will probably always be remembered for. This was a situation that no one could have ever dreamed up. In the midst of tabloid controversy, Ursh sends a mixtape single that ends up rocketing to number one, becoming, perhaps, the biggest song of the decade (“Yeah”). He follows this up with numerous songs that sound like they are referring to the scandal he was involved in, and you have the second biggest selling album of the decade. He also set various trends here, being the first major album to be re-released with new tracks. Of course the new tracks were mostly all singles as well. He even released a single that wasn’t on either version of the album (“Confessions Part I”) that still got national chart success. Chances are, even if you never purposely listened to this album, you’ve heard most of it. It featured, perhaps, the most loaded production lineup in history. Jermaine Dupri handled the storyline tracks (all versions of “Confessions,” “Burn,” “My Boo”), Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis also did a lot of heavy lifting (“Simple Things,” “That’s What It’s Made For”), Lil Jon got the party started (“Yeah,” “Red Light”), Just Blaze brought the soul (“Throwback”) and Dre & Vidal were the new kids on the block (“Caught Up”), and they all got rich.
14. Tasty-Kelis (2003 Star Trek/Arista)
Despite featuring the most annoying song of the decade (“Milkshake”), Kelis’ third album was a winner by any other standards. I give points for originality, and Kelis created a style on this album that was ripped off constantly over the next decade by bigger stars like Gwen Steffani and Lady Gaga. The Neptunes were at their R&B best here laying the foundation with the classic 80′s drums on “Flashback” and “Protect My Heart.” Andre 3000 and Rockwilder offered more alternative/hip-hop oriented alternatives on “Millionaire” and “In Public.” But it was Dallas Austin who was the real winner here, producing the albums two most superior songs, “Trick Me” and “Keep It Down,” though the latter sounds a lot more Neptunes-ish to me. Raphael Saddiq contributes the bulk of the second half of the album with “Glow,” “Sugar Honey Iced Tea,” and “Marathon,” all winners as well. But sadly, most people will remember this album for the overtly annoying “Milkshake.”
13. Back To Black-Amy Winehouse (2006 Island Records)
Despite what you may now think of Amy, when she first dropped she was a sledgehammer. A swirling mix of backpage tabloids, incredible production, and even more incredible talent, Amy’s U.S. debut created a whirlwind of interest. She also sold 12 million worldwide….it happens. Produced entirely by Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi, Amy was able to get six successful singles out of this album. Obviously a fan of urban music, Amy verbally pays tribute to Ray Charles and Donny Hathaway, then on to Nas and Slick Rick. “Rehab,” “You Know I’m No Good,” “Just Friends,” and “Back To Black” were all big hits. But the more personal “Love Is A Losing Game” and “Tears Dry On Their Own,” the latter with its classic Marvin Gaye sample, that were the true crown jewels here. While no one really knows if she’ll really give us a new album, or if she’ll go the route of Lauryn Hill, we’ll always remember her for the initial impact she registered upon arrival in the U.S.
12. Get Lifted-John Legend (2004 GOOD/Sony)
Like his homie Kanye, John Legend’s debut was met with much critical acclaim and even more sales. Selling two million and then picking up 3 Grammy’s got Mr. Legend into the center sphere of pop culture. John Legend has a voice reminiscent of past generation stars like Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. And he kept things light with his debut with a lot of help from Kanye, before going more artsy with the follow-up. The Kanye-produced lead single “Used To Love Her” continues to be among my favorite songs of the decade. Meanwhile the light-hearted “Number One,” another Kanye-assist, was an immediate favorite. But it’s the soul numbers here that really get you. “So High” was so dope that L-Boogie had to come out of hiding for the remix. The very church-esque “Refuge” was heartwarming, and the grand jewel was the will.i.am-written, “Ordinary People.” The male musical equal to Alicia Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You,” this is still Legend’s most familiar number. And while he has yet to equal it, his debut was a showcase for his talents and it was as diverse as it was dope.
11. Love Hate-The-Dream (2007 Def Jam)
One of the fastest rise and falls I’ve ever seen was the-Dream’s career. In 3 years he’s gone from an unknown, to the most dominant force in R&B, to being dropped. But perhaps more than his sizeable number of hit songwriting credits, what really made him famous was his debut album. And the first single, “Shawty Is The Shit (aka Shawty Is a 10)” flopped considerably. I’d probably argue that this album was Tricky Stewart’s best work. The second single, “Falsetto” was as sexy as it was fly. Quite an accomplishment for a guy who really has no real singing talent. The third single was “I Love Ur Girl,” which took him to another level featuring a Jeezy verse for the radio version. But the album is a true gem all the way through. Take R.Kelly and Prince and throw them in a blender, then take away the vocal talent but add a 2010 charisma, and you have the-dream. He goes overtly Prince-ish on “Fast Car,” and pulls it off better than anyone else has. “Nikki” and “She Needs My Love” are both fun numbers. “Purple Kisses” and “Playin In Her Hair” are also light numbers. But things get serious at the end for “Livin A Lie” with Rihanna and “Mama.” Everyone and their mama tried to rip off this album for a couple of years, to the point that artists with more vocal talent were now doing everything the-dream was, and he just couldn’t compete. But this album was an example of how to overcome your vocal short-comings and still make a great album.
10. Journey of A Gemini-Donell Jones (2006 LaFace/Jive)
It should be well-established that 2000′s Where I Wanna Be is Donell’s classic. And while that one barely misses qualification for this list, his second best album does. Journey went way under the radar, as it was delayed for years. In 2004, a first single, “U Make Me Say,” was released but not heavily promoted. The rumor was that the label didn’t want to put the money behind him they had in the past as there were rumors running wild that he had sniffed a lot of his money into his nose. The single was vintage Donell, but didn’t eventually make the album. Seemingly out of nowhere, in late 2005, “Better Stop Talking” featuring Jermaine Dupri verses, and a then-unknown Ryan Leslie on production, hit radio. The song didn’t really take off, and the label just put the album out with very little production. The Adult R&B stations picked up the follow-up single “I’m Gonna Be,” and made it a modest hit, but this was pretty much the end of Donell as a major artist. But the album itself featured numerous highlights. Tim & Bob’s uptempo “Feelin You” and slowed down “I’m Gonna Be,” were both superior. As was Mike City’s “Lust Or Love,” trying to keep up with the former. R-Les also pitched in with another winner on “If U Want” featuring Bun B. The Underdogs provided a winner with the honest “Cuttin Me Off,” and Donell himself added “Special Girl” and “My Apology.” In retrospect, Donell did a certain type of R&B. He bridged the “street R&B” gap from Jodeci to Trey Songz. And while he never quite got as popular as those two, he did the same angle just as well.
9. Comin From Where I’m From-Anthony Hamilton (2003 So So Def/Arista)
Throughout his career, Jermaine Dupri made numerous big discoveries. The last major one was the least expected – Anthony Hamilton. The guy who originally got famous for producing Kris Kross, and made most of his money off of Usher and Mariah Carey, now is giving us the newest big neo-soul crooner? It was hard to digest at first. But thankfully he put together a proper staff and let them do most of the work here, only lending his hand to one song (vocally), and promotion. The opener, “Mama Knew Love,” featuring a Jay-Z sample and some Dupri adlibs is the only evidence we have of any influence from Mr. So So Def. For the rest of the way Mark Baston and James Poyser handle most of the production, and they simply create a lane for Hamilton to do his thang. Like Legend, Anthony Hamilton has a throwback voice that is reminiscent of past crooners, in his case Smokey Robinson and Al Green. “Cornbread Fish and Collard Greens” and “Since I Seent You” get the album off with a spectacular start. Then Baston kicks things into overdrive with the two highlights of the album. Things calm down for Hamilton’s most noted song, “Charlene.” The ballad captures heartbreak in superior fashion. Then we move to “Comin From Where I’m From,” another winner, this time on the more social tip and capturing the essence of the ‘hood lyrically.
8. Born To Do It-Craig David (2001 Atlantic Records)
In 2001, we needed something new. We had gone through everything that Jermaine Dupri, Puff, and Timbaland had to give R&B-wise. Enter Craig David. On “Fill Me In,” he introduced the U.K.-bred Garage style, and we ate it up here in America. The U.S. version gave us two new winners, “Key To My Heart,” and the “Fill Me In” remix. “7 Days” and “Booty Man,” were major winners in the same style, and we got the more reflective “Once Inna Lifetime” and “Walking Away.” Eight million albums sold later, Craig David was an international superstar. While it took 8 years before he had a single anywhere near approaching the singles from this album (2009′s “Insomnia”), he’s always going to have a lasting impression based on this album. He even threw us a DJ Premier-remix of “7 Days” with Mos Def for the headz.
7. Gotta Make It-Trey Songz (2005 Atlantic)
Lost in the hype of Ne-Yo and Chris Brown’s debuts, a third male solo artist dropped an album that was vastly superior to either of those two. Most people just remember the two singles, and those two didn’t even make a gigantic impression. But the songwriting on this album was vastly superior to anything that was out on the market at the time. “Gotta Make It,” was the superior lead single, featuring a memorable melody, honest lyrics, and a nice Twista guest spot. “Cheat On You” followed with more honest lyrics, though it may have not endeared him to the female crowd (they would love him soon enough). “Gotta Go” caught on with the neo-soul crowd, and led to his numerous future songs about sex. “All The Ifs” is another songwriting gem about with its’ mellow backdrop. “Ur Behind” is a memorable track in the Bobby Valentino-vain (a song about big asses). “From A Woman’s Hand” and “Comin For You” were genuine tracks sounding like he’s trying to make up for “Cheat On U.” “Just Wanna Cut” is a superior club track which would foreshadow his future success in the club. Altogether, this is Trey’s best album lyrically, and one of the better R&B albums of the decade lyrically.
6. Good Girl Gone Bad-Rihanna (2007 Def Jam)
Rihanna isn’t the most vocally talented artist in the game. But she’s constantly pushing the envelope musically, and sticking to what she can do vocally. And when you do that, there’s the small chance you could strike gold. And that’s exactly what she did in 2007, with Good Girl Gone Bad. The previous album, A Girl Gone Bad, had sold 3.5 million worldwide, and she was quickly growing in popularity. She had surpassed labelmate Ne-Yo, and was growing further than boyfriend Chris Brown, as the new face of black pop. The lead single “Umbrella” pushed her past everyone. The track was the most successful single that Tricky and the-Dream ever did. And it spun her into uncharted territory as a superstar. She quickly became a fashion icon, but you could have released any song on the album at that point. And it was going to be a number one pop song. From the sweetness of “Sell Me Candy” to the rage of “Breaking Dishes” to the remorse of “Rehab,” to the pure funk of “Push Up On Me,” this album provides for everyone. And provides well. The guitars on “Shut Up And Drive” mesh well with the house feel of “Don’t Stop The Music.” The whole freakin album is dope. Making this the best guilty pleasure since chocolate cake. And the most addictive piece of irresistible blatant pop in decades.
5. Ready-Trey Songz (2009 Atlantic)
While his album cover deserves a huge “no homo” or “pause,” it was as good of an album as could be expected from Trey. After his great debut (#7 on this list), his second album featured him trying to find his niche. He’d proven he was talented, but how was he going to do this and sell records? His lane was wide open, Ne-Yo was taking some time off, and Chris Brown had just gone through the Rihanna scandal. He hired a new superstar manager (Kevin Liles) and went back to the lab with longtime collaborator Troy Taylor. Troy produced the bulk of the album (8 tracks plus the intro), but he also brought back a couple of the bigger names he worked with on the second album. StarGate, who produced what had been his biggest hit (“Cant Help But Wait”) returned for the lead single, “I Need A Girl.” The song was a modest hit, reaching the top 10 R&B charts (which would be a re-occurring theme for Trey). Promotional singles for “Successful” (a more Trey-oriented edit for his album), and “LOL 
” followed, both continuing the success. But next he released two singles at the same time. Both of which became the biggest songs of his career; “I Invented Sex” and “Say Aah.” The former became his first #1 R&B song, and featured a remix with Usher and Keri Hilson. The latter became his introduction to the mainstream as his first top 10 pop hit. “Say Aah” was also the fourth straight top 10 R&B song from this album (“LOL” barely missed, peaking at #11 with very little promotion), and he followed with “Neighbors Know My Name,” was number five and the third straight in the top 5. By now it was clear, Trey was a star. But the album had legs beyond the singles. “One Love” brought back Brian Michael Cox for the production on what Trey called the male version of Mary J. Blige’s “Be Without You,” which was also produced by Cox. “Be Where You Are” featured a more poppy electronic feel than we are used to from Trey, and “Black Roses” featured rock-oriented guitars. And then there’s the “Purple Rain”-esque “Yo Side Of The Bed,” the album’s closer. This was the album that everyone should remember Trey for.
4. The Chocolate Factory-R. Kelly (2003 Jive)
This was the last great Kellz album. There’s no doubt about it, the guy is fuckin nutts. He married Aaliyah when she was 15 (allegedly), peed on girls in their early teens, but you know what? The dude was consistently the best R&B singer in the game for about ten straight years. His run really began with 1994′s 12 Play, and ended with 2003′s Chocolate Factory. Ironically, those are his best 2 albums. And the latter is chalk full of highlights. Things kick off with the triumphant title-track, before going into the original version of “Step In The Name Of Love.” “Heart of a Woman” and “I’ll Never Leave” change things up a little bit. It seems there were a few songs on here designed to get him back in good graces with the snobby female critics. These are two of the higlights. “Been Around The World” with Ja Rule is next, a vintage Kelly song about overcoming obstacles. And even Ja doesn’t mess up Kellz’ groove. “Dream Girl,” both versions of “Ignition,” “Forever More,” all lead up to the pinnacle; a seven minute re-edit of “Step.” This was perhaps the song that really saved Kellz’ career (at the time, at least). While “Ignition (Remix)” was a smash, he caught just as much flack as props for it. But “Step In The Name Of Love” was undeniable. “Imagine That” and “Showdown” give off more of a blues vibe, before kicking into the album closers, “Snake” and “Who’s That” featuring Big Tigger and Fat Joe, respectively. Both were big club songs. Purchasers of the album also got a six song EP of songs originally recorded for Kellz’ previous album that was cancelled due to the timing of the allegations against him. One his classics, “World’s Greatest” is featured, but also this features perhaps Kellz’ strangest song, “Heaven I Need A Hug.” This was an indication of things to come. His next 5 albums featured another shelved album, and each one got progressively worse. There were a handful of hits to go around, but Kellz previous albums all had that many hits on each album; not all 5. Today it seems his lane has been taken by Trey Songz, and Kellz cannot seem to get any kind of buzz going at all. The last time we’ll remember his greatness is Chocolate Factory.
3. Lyfe 268-192-Lyfe Jennings (2004 Columbia)
A dude in jail for arson discovers Erykah Badu, starts bangin out songs on his guitar and names his album after his imprisonment identification number. Sounds like a wild story huh? Well how about this ending…..after a classic debut, he drops 3 more albums of solid quality, announcing his retirement right before the last one drops. Said he wants to spend time with his kids. Then dude gets popped for arson one more time and doesn’t even get to promote his last album. Much less spend that time with his kids. But this was his masterpiece that he left behind. Poetic, melodic, and still very “street,” Lyfe filled his admitted limited musical backdrop with so much intrigue and excellent songwriting that this album just kept getting better with repeated listens. Songs like “Hypothetically” and “Must Be Nice” were classics in their own rights, with the latter among the better R&B songs of the decade. But the real gems were the storytelling songs like “Stick Up Kid,” “Greedy,” and “She Got Kids.” These were the real meat of the album and took it from just another good R&B album into a classic.
2. Aaliyah-Aaliyah (2001 Blackground/Virgin/EMI)
For her third album, already a superstar, Babygirl went back into the studio to make another hit album, but came out with a piece of art. The lead single, “We Need A Resolution,” was a similar Aaliyah/Timbo collaboration in a similar vein to their huge soundtrack hits “Try Again” and “Are You That Somebody,” but much artsy-er and more mature. And while this track was well executed and did what it was supposed to do, it was just the tip of the iceburg both commercially and artistically. This was easily her best album and it was her first effort to take more chances artistically. “Rock The Boat’ became one of her biggest hits to date, and her premature death while flying back from filming the video just added to its’ lore. “More Than A Woman” and “I Care 4 U” were also big singles for her. But it’s just the tip of the hat. Everything on this album is a force from front to back. It’s a nice funk filled experiment that goes beyond R&B. Aaliyah created a masterpiece, and it’s just a shame she didn’t get to see the full reaction.
1. The Diary Of Alicia Keys-Alicia Keys (2003 J Records)
So your debut album sold 6.2 million and won 5 Grammy awards. What do you do to follow up? How about selling eight million worldwide and getting three more Grammys? How about making a much better overall album? How about delivering the hit single of her career (“If I Ain’t Got You”)? The intro “Harlem Nocturne” blends seamlessly into the pulsating “Karma” and into Timbaland’s “Heartburn.” Things slow down for “If I Was Your Woman,” and then the lead single “You Don’t Know My Name.” Kanye’s production mixes perfectly with Keys’ old school stylings and then blend into “If I Ain’t Got You,” Keys’ crown jewel. The momentum keeps going into her Dwayne Wiggins (of Tony!Toni!Tone!) collaboration “Diary.” “Dragon Days” moves the tempo along to another major highlight, “Wake Up.” The album was so dope that they had a Nas & Rakim collaboration in the bag, and it didn’t even make the album! This was clearly the best album of the decade and is in my top 5 R&B albums of my lifetime. From here there was little to go but down, as her Lauryn Hill-inspired third album was met with less acclaim and her fourth album felt uninspired. She’ll always sell, but it’ll be interesting to see if she ever reaches the heights of her second album.
Once upon a time…
