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Kelis kaleidoscope review1/21/2024 And while there are a few guests that feature alongside her- Pusha T (then under the alias of Terrar), Marc Dorsey, Markita, Justin Vince and Williams himself-none of them pull focus from Kelis. Anchoring Kaleidoscope is Kelis herself, that dusky, sweet vocal tone evoking all the humor, anger and sensuality contained in the lyrics of its tracks. There are a host of other selections to embark upon some are social justice vehicles (“Ghetto Children”) and others balance metaphysical queries (“Mars”) with the struggle of daily living (“Roller Rink”). Whether flushed with desire (“Good Stuff”), burning with righteous anger (“Caught Out There”) or wracked with pathos (“Get Along with You”), Kelis is all heart with a hint of hedonism.Īlthough she doesn’t abandon her amorous forays-both “Gameshow” and “In the Morning” tackle the complexities of love-Kelis does stretch the thematic arc for Kaleidoscope further. The trio of songs that emerge right after Kaleidoscope’s introductory salvo concern themselves with romance. Over the course of the album’s remaining 13 tracks, Kelis scripts and fulfills her own mythology to enthralling effect. Soon enough, Kelis interrupts Williams’ recall with an acerbic statement of “Yeah, yeah, yeah and now I’m all grown up!”-her reputation as an eccentric, urban moderne was instantly cemented. As this opening piece unfolds, it humorously details Kelis’ “genesis” as an adopted humanoid-extraterrestrial child with lovable tendencies (and a quick temper). “We found her, on one of our voyages to the Fourth Sector…” Williams handsomely intones, his spoken word introduction set against a lullaby-like melody which pulls the curtain back on Kaleidoscope. Not surprisingly, these pieces are some of the strongest on Kaleidoscope. “Suspended,” “Roller Rink” and “In the Morning” were the three sides Kelis co-penned for the LP. Keeping pace with Kelis’ red-hot ambition, Hugo and Williams oversaw almost all the album’s deliciously alien soundscapes and gripping song stories only some of the compositional make-up for “Ghetto Children” was on loan from Slick Rick’s 1989 jam “Hey Young World.”Įach selection housed on Kaleidoscope was written with Kelis in mind, but she wasn’t content to totally sit out on the writing processes for her own project. Having served as a hotbed for various R&B and hip-hop acts throughout the 1990s, this coastal enclave of Virginia Beach proved to be an ideal place to cut sides for the long player.įrom late 1998 up through to the first half of 1999, Kelis’ focus ensured that the Kaleidoscope sessions were moving forward. Kelis and her newfound colleagues got down to constructing her debut album Kaleidoscope in Sandbridge, Virginia in 1998. Buoyed by assistance from the duo, Kelis eventually inked a recording contract with Virgin Records at 17. In Kelis, Hugo and Williams found their muse and for the headstrong New Yorker, Hugo and Williams became her tribe. ![]() The two writer-producers were only a few years away from a musical takeover in the 2000s. ![]() In the interval between her enrollment there and after her eventual graduation from the institution, Kelis temporarily piloted an R&B girl group (BLU), bartended and laid down vocals for a hook on the 1997 Gravediggaz track “Fairytalez.” That hunger and hustle likely aided in Kelis intersecting with Rob Walker, (then) manager to Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams (known collectively as The Neptunes). LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. Despite leaving home at 16 (amid a brief falling out with her parents), the Manhattan born and Harlem reared vocalist-songwriter continued pursuing her education at the Fiorello H. Music, science fiction and fashion played an integral role in shaping Kelis Rogers’ artistic appetites. Happy 20th Anniversary to Kelis’ debut album Kaleidoscope, originally released December 7, 1999.
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