Lyfe Jennings

THIS SOPHMORE ATTEMPT IS DEFINITELY A HOMERUN. THIS BROTHER IS POSITIVE AND IT'S DISPLAYED IN HIS MUSIC. I LOVE IT.

I ordered the Lyfe Jennings CD a couple of weeks ago and I was pleasantly surprised at the condition of the CD. It was in pristine condition although it was used and the price was great. I also recieved the CD quickly. I couldn't have gotten a better CD for that price anywhere. I will definitely be buying more CDs from this seller.

I really enjoyd this CD it is well worth it, Lyfe Jennings did his thing on this one.

After having to wait almost two years for another album by Lyfe Jennings, he closed the gap with Lyfe Change which dropped back in April 2008. With critically acclaimed singles, "Must Be Nice", "S.E.X.", and "Let's Stay Together", I expected to receive an album that was just as filling as his first two efforts - Lyfe 268-192 and The Phoenix. When I first popped my CD into my car's player, I was not moved by the first track on the album which features a man with a bad imitation of an Italian accent (not sure if this was Lyfe himself). Several times I skipped the track not knowing that it was a story which illustrates how significant change is. Once you've gotten the picture, there's no need to listen to it anymore.

Next up is "Keep Dreaming" which showcases Lyfe's raspy, yet silky, vocals over subtle percussion smoothly playing in the background. This song has a nice message and sounds like the traditional work from Lyfe. "Warriors" is another autobiographical example of the life that he has endured. No offense, but I think all avid Lyfe fans are well-aware of his background and don't need another song to showcase this. Besides that, the song was okay with the exception of the chorus. I think that the rough sounds of his vocals make it hard to appreciate the rest of the song. "Never Never Land" is the perfect response for those who jumped on Jay-Z's famous (30 is the new 20) catchphrase. The lyrics are on point and the arrangement of the instrumentals make for a fine delivery. "Brand New" celebrates the appreciation of a loved one not changing because Lyfe's financial status has changed. I love the message of this song but could have done without T.I.'s contribution. I may be biased but I don't think needed a rapper to drive home his point. I must admit that "It's Real" is a song that's so deeply infused with genius production that I missed the idea. This is a song about the importance of "wrapping up" due to the plight of AIDS. This should be put in rotation on the radio but I'm sure that would upset some conservative groups.

"Cops Up" is an ode to those women who catches Lyfe's attention by merely getting a glimpse of their beauty. It has a nice grown and sexy feel to it and offers a balance in contrast to the heavier subject matter. "You Think You've Got it Bad" has a reggae feel to it with an appearance by Wyclef Jean. Typically I don't gravitate to a Caribbean sound but this is a beautiful song. I love the song "Wild, Wild, Wild"! It's another representation of how Lyfe is able to give a mainstream sound to a deep subject. He's expressing that there are people "wilding" by selling out to attain a certain position (or refrain from certain situations) in life. He doesn't leave anyone out; he travels from the Hood to Hollywood for the journey of this song. "Midnight Train" is a song that's kind of hard to get into. The musical style is a little to mellow for me but once again his lyrics are a song-saver. I have to be in a particular mood to listen to this track. "Hmmm" is track that lets us know that Lyfe is well aware of his mortality. Nothing exceptional about it; it has a nice sound to it. "Old School" is a description about his car...no comment about that. The interlude "Us" is synonymous to a prayer being sung. "Will I Ever" is an age-old question that many singles have about their love life...simply put it delivered with a sense of urgency and has a great aesthetic component to it. The last song on this CD is "Baby I'm a Star". It's a good way to end the album after several heavy subjects. There's a feel-good notion to this track.

After listening to this album a few times, I noticed that Lyfe did away with his traditional introductions to every track. I can't say that I miss them and hopefully they won't return anytime soon. Due to the less than stellar productions of one too many tracks, I would give his latest effort 3 out of 5. Be forewarned that this particular CD is not a classic by any means.

Lyfe Jennings delivers another substantial release with his third album "Lyfe Change" (2008) a fifteen track release which features guest appearances from T.I, Wyclef Jean & Snoop Dogg. Highlight track's for this me include the opening track "Keep On Dreaming", the outstanding single "Never Never Land" & the soulfully sweet "Midnight Train". One thing I enjoy about Lyfe is the unique style he brings with music, that genuine down to earth music, feel he shines on the aforementioned joints. The track's I enjoy make this album worth getting for me, that said I do feel like their are significant missteps for Lyfe, none of his guest appearances benefit the release, and the single "Cops Up" is far to manufactured for my liking - don't like the hook, and while Lyfe flips up his style on track's like "Warriors" and "Hmmm" the end result is not appealing to this reviewer. I would like to see Lyfe return to writing and producing his own albums on solo, "Lyfe 268-192" was an excellent album the type you can listen to from start to finish without hitting skip, feel like the Hip Hop collaborations are not benefiting his work (with exceptions like Nas - Must Be Nice Remix). 3.5.

Lyfe is extremely talented. He is a five time apollo champ, and he has an excellent and very articulated tenor voice. And on top of all that he is a excellent guitar player. But the biggest problem with this album, is also its biggest plus, and thats its almost non exsisting commercial appeal. This album has no brightly produced tracks. Almost all of the tracks are produced by Lyfe himself, and the ones that are produced by other producers, are no name producers. Which really sets the mood of the album to be very bland, and very strait forward. Which helps and also hurts. While i believe that Jennings is at his best with the guitar in his hand and a mid to slow tempo track, i still think he could have done a couple of uptempo tracks to keep the listeners interested. Not that this album isnt interesting, its just, the whole "Ghetto Guitar" music, where all it is pretty much is Lyfe strumming away at a guitar with a few hand claps and a couple of bass snares, does get old after a while. Granted, songs like "Hypothetically" is a classic, slow tempo song that really asks the question, what would you do in his situation? And "26 years, 17 Days" is also another classic, with a little more bass and a more mid tempo track. But almost all the other songs are the same old accoustic guitar laced mid tempo tracks about either love or heartache in some way. All i am really trying to say, is Lyfe Jennings is definetly talented, but he needs to add more spice to his music, i am not saying to completely get rid of the guitar thing, because thats where he excells, but add somthing to your album to keep the listener attached next time. This is an alright debut, if it did anything it showed Lyfe does have a great voice and he does have a knack for strong songwriting.


Grade:
C

upon listening to Lyfe for the first time. it was pretty obvious that i was feeling this cd after only listening to a few songs. But by the time i had listened to it all the way through. I made it in my mind that i will continue to listen to "Lyfe 268-192" for quite sometime and with another release already out and another on the way soon. We'll have many chances to get the maximum exposure of Lyfe Jennings as he writes all about his everyday life experiences (including his time in prison). He writes from the heart and does it on every song on his debut cd. I totally love the cd and his voice. I dont mind that at all he's singing with passion, feeling and thats something that i think most folks won't have a problem with at all.

Excellent work!!

This CD is nice. The writers did an excellent job. However his voice becomes aggravating after a while so its not an all day repeat type CD for me.

Lyfe's debut album is just that -- a reflection of life in itself. Definately a refreshing dose of reality that many of us can relate to. Lyfe has a story to tell, he delivers a message of pain, love, and hope for a better future. In my opinion, this album is up there w/ "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill". The lyrics are unique and profound, the music and arrangement are original, and the overall production is very good, especially for a debut album. This is one of those albums that I am thankful to God that I did not sleep on. I remember seeing him on the Apollo and I was moved by "Made Up My Mind", which talks about good old church folk judging and discouraging others by their hyporcrisy. Hopefully you too will not miss out on this one.....

This man's music will have you crying, laughing, and everything in between. One of the best CD's I own. Definitely buying his subsequent album

as Lyfe drops "The Phoenix" on us and it makes for an excellent listening experience throughout. The only thing i didnt care for was the interludes which make up almost half of the whole cds count. I'm all for an artist experimenting and what not, but not that much. But that aside Lyfe drops some gems on the listeners "S.E.X" with Lala Brown, "The River" and a few others.

They make for what it is a well rounded 2nd release from an up and coming artist in Lyfe Jennings like the phoenix, full of energy and a fire that can't be put out by anyone. This cd helps showcase Lyfe as an artist and for the most part the guest stars are kept to a minimum thus keeping the focus on him.

The Phoenix is a rebirth that the R&B...actually the music world should be ready for like it or not.

This was definetly a step in the right direction, but he still didnt deliever a excellent album that i know he is capable of. The thing with the last album was, it was all Ghetto guitar music with no real flavor, and this time around he does add some flavor. But he still misses the kind of flavor i was hoping for. I wanted some up tempo sexy R&B flavor, but what i got instead were songs like "Slow Down" which was a good enough song, but it was more up tempo big bass rap music instead of R&B. This album definetly is a stronger set than his previous album, but i still see room for alot more improvement. While there were still some classics on this album, like the silky sweet accoustic guitar laced "More Than A Girl", where Lyfe confesses his love for his woman. His vocals on this song are flawless with all kinds of harmonies. This is definetly a classic track from Lyfe. Another great song that i was really happy to see him do was "Let's Stay Together", this is the type of music he should be making more of. Its a mid tempo track, that was produced excellently with some great use of synths and bass. But again, like his first album, other than those few truly standout tracks, theres really not a whole lot to offer. He is still playing it way to safe, he needs to step out of the box more and do some really edgey music, or at least do some more songs like "Lets Stay Together" and there will still be plenty of room for his ghetto guitar tracks. Im gonna say the same thing i said with his last album, if he could add some more flavor to his next album, im sure it will be great. He had the right idea with this album, now he just needs MORE of the flavor and maybe some better production and he will be golden.


Grade:
C+

I loved his debut album, so as soon as I heard "S.E.X" I went ahead and ordered The Phoenix. This album picks up where the first one left off. His distinct voice and lyrical content make this brother a breath of fresh air on the R&B scene. My favorite song, hands down is "Let's Stay Together" but with fresh and innovative tracks like "Biggie N*gga", there is alot to like about the album. If there is anything to criticize on the project it's the fact that Lyfe feels the need to talk prior to every track. The music speaks for itself brother, we don't need an interpreter. Other than that minor flaw, the project goes off without a hitch. Definately rates 5 stars.

Beside a curious cover artwork, this album provides some of the more good R&B songs of the recent past. I agree about the fact that some tunes are rather far from the level of the album's peaks, but the highlights are truly remarkable. I'm looking forward for Lyfe's upcoming album, just to discover if he will continue his artistical growing.
The single "S.E.X." has been one of my favorite R&B songs of 2006. A tune where good arrangements and interesting lyrics are merged in a very effective way. I'm really upset when i think about the recent and tragic death of LaLa Brown. I loved her vocal performance on "S.E.X.", and i thinked that she could become a very good R&B singer. It's too sad to think about the loss of a so young and promising artist. R.I.P.

Man... this album is hot. It might not be on the same level, that his first cd was on. But it's still a very good cd. He giving you the same vibe he been giving you from jump. If you listen... there's a message in dem songs.

I am very glad to hear someone talk bout real things,real issues an with so much soul this CD really helps you get through those hard times an let you know that everything is going to be ok he is Mos Def one of my favorite R&B artist he is truly real music an gives you a piece of who he is in this ablum iT's worth buying if you like real music an are tired of hearing bout cars,an how many girls these dudes have def get this album you wont be disappointed, he doesnt get the credit that he deserves is what i think, Cant Wait For is Third Album

FRESH OUT THE PIN, IT's OBVIOUS THAT LYFE JENNINGS IS IN IT TO WIN!!!! And 268-192 is a Touchdown and a Field Goal that could win the Game. Lyfe is what they call a very motivational speaker. His choice of subjects on this album cannot really relate to anyone under the age of 13, But quality of every song could have anyone of any age humming and reciting his tunes. The way he pin points certain subjects on this album can really make you say to yourself more than once, "Damn, He's Right"!!!
THIS ALBUM IS A MUST HAVE!!!!!!

Just to clarify, it wouldn't be exactly fair to call Lyfe Jennings a new artist. This album actually came out in August 2004, so it's inaccurate for people to call it one of the best albums of 2005 (but don't worry; I didn't know that either). Anyway, Lyfe was in prison for ten years, but he turned himself around, picked up a guitar, and produced an album that takes us through his trials and tribulations, Lyfe 268-192.

"Must Be Nice" is only a taste of how great this album is. From there Lyfe further explores his vocal skills, which are good but also a little surprising because admit it, if you didn't know him and you saw him in the studio, wouldn't you think he was a rapper? (It's not unlike when people first saw Jaheim.) The spiritual "Made Up My Mind" is the best example of this, because what he does with his voice is just, well, just listen to it.

Another thing I love about this album is how creative the ideas for songs are. There are tracks that successfully have Lyfe and the woman trading off their stories, whether it be meeting up with a old crush years later ("The Way I Feel About You") or seeing how deep the love is, no matter how risky ("Hypothetically"). And I have NEVER heard a song that is so real and introspective as "She Got Kids", which describes how things could be if a man gets in a relationship with a woman who already has children. But "Greedy" isn't far behind either (although some single mothers might not like it). I couldn't get into "Stick Up Kid", though.

I also thought that Lyfe's narration at the end of every song was a little unnecessary. But those two things don't get in the way of this great album. So pick it up and I guarantee that after one listen, you'll be pro-Lyfe.

Anthony Rupert

I got this CD and am addicted to it. He has an amazing voice and lets it shine. He tells a story thru each song- the lyrics are deep. If you are into soul and r&b you will love this. It is worth the money. This artist is under rated.

I finally bought Lyfe's album after the local radio station started playing "Stick Up" Kid. I know I was a little late purchasing the album. I'm so mad at myself for not getting it earlier. This has to be the best album I've bought in a really long time. It's even better that my John Legend album (I skip around on that CD but with Lyfe, I love ALL the songs). After having the CD for a few weeks, I was thrilled to discover that he was performing at a local venue. I waited a couple hours to see him, but it was WELL worth the wait. He sounded really good, unlike a lot of artists who perform live. He seemed very down to earth and really involved the audience in the concert. I'm looking forward to his national tour soon. The CD is definitely worth the money.

When was the last time you bought a cd and did not have ONE song you skipped on GP? Do you get annoyed at the fact that music retailers group Hip-Hop and R & B together when you know they are two distinct genres one having a long history of expressing Black love, pain, yearning, pride, history, and culture. Ever wonder when would it be that another young R & B crooner would come along with tremendous vocal range, musical talent, street credibility, heart, soul, and the self-assuredness to speak his spiritual truth and does so in a way that makes your head bob and your body move? I have had this cd for months, and never listened to it until yesterday. It is all I have listened to for the past 24 hours. I even went out today solely to buy his new cd Phoenix. I have been spreading the word around. Even my most critical friends who are very particular about what they listen to, as I am, were awed. Simply put, Lyfe gets it. Highlights include: "Cry" about getting to a point in his life where he no longer falls for the emotionally truncating myth that men are not supposed to cry. It equals taking his soul to the Laundromat he says. "She Got Kids" a different/honest spin on why men do not want to date a woman with kids. He takes the focus off not wanting to be financially responsible to these kids and puts it where it most matters... possibly not being able to be EMOTIONALLY responsible to these kids! "Hypothetically" is done twice on this CD, once with Erin, once with Fantasia. Try choosing which is better! I don't know who Erin is, but the sistah has skills! Both of these versions just touch my soul. This song asks the question, what would be the one thing that could tear our family apart? What if I did....and would you want to know the truth? Tired of the hypocrisy of so-called religious folk? Check out "Made Up My Mind" more of a spoken word piece about how these folks in their fakeness and judgement discourage and alienate too many people. On point brother! "My Life" now here is something creative... a song the reminisces on the hard times (remember having to use the stove to heat your water?) that were also the best times. and the chorus is a tribute to Christopher Reeves. Sounds like it couldn't work, but ya gotta hear it. GREAT song! "Let's Do it Right" hey, this is a hot slow jam BUT here's a twist.. it is a dedication to incarcerated brothers. How many men would sing such a song especially since it really is a legit love song. Usually, such a song would be an expletive-laden, crass rap glorifying criminal life. No, not here. It is upliftment, a tribute to "brothers on the lock down. and everybody who been something for a long time who been tricked into believing they weren't nothing". What more can be said? Every song is a highlight, but I am not going to say more. If you have not gotten this cd, stop reading. Go get it, and pick up an extra copy for as gift.

this album originally dropped in 04 and didn't start to really sell 'till 05. this album is a classic just like the original, it's even better wit the bangin remix to his single must be nice wit my boy nas and the hypothetically remix wit fantasia. i can't really name any favorite tracks because i love them all so go cop dis album if u ain't got it and cop dat phoenix his sophmore album.

The special edition of Lyfe Jennings "268-192" (2005) like the original is excellent. This album really impressed me; Lyfe's a gifted singer, with a story worth listening to. After a short intro and interlude, Lyfe delivers the goods with the outstanding "Must Be Nice", an addictive melody that this reviewer can play over and over. The follow up cut "The Way I Feel About You" is smooth and vibes well. Lyfe delves deeper on tracks like "She Got Kids", "Hypothetically" and "Smile" providing substantial & heartfelt music. "Greedy" is about a woman who uses her own seed, to gain revenge while "Stick Up Kid" has Lyfe recalling his days of being a thug. Lyfe challenges the myth that men shouldn't "Cry" with a deep slow track. On the upbeat "My Life", Lyfe sings about being poor and happy during the toughest of times and ends this track with some inspirational words. The closing track is my favourite, in an album full of memorable tracks "Let's Do This Right" a dedication to the incarcerated stands out the most for me. Lyfe knows what its like to be locked down, and shines like the sun while singing this one. Bonus material, includes remixes of "Hypothetically" feat. Fantasia and "Must Be Nice", loving the Nas addition on the later cut, and the DVD is entertaining. I respect how Lyfe has turned his life around (ten years in prison) and come up on top, and in turn inspires other people to through his singing and spoken word interludes. I am really looking forward to hearing his next album, he appears on LL Cool J's new album on a joint called "Freeze" dropping next week. I highly recommend adding Lyfe's diamond "268-192" to the collection.

Let me just say, normally I listen to nothing but rap. If it ain't 2Pac or anything, I don't listen to it, however I find myself playing this more than anything. This is the best CD I have herd in a long time. I have all three copies (Regular, DualDisc and this Limited Edition)and I love all three. Every song is great, I honestly can sing every track of this album at the drop of a hat.

The only negative of this version is Fantasia who kills my favorite song (Hypothetically)but thankfully it's at the end of the CD. Buy this CD now! I promise you'll love the realness and truthfulness of Lyfe Jennings.

This CD is off the charts! From the standpoint of a sistah, this cd makes you feel some of the things that a brotha goes through. It forces you to listen & learn. He also bravely addresses some of the religious hypocrises that have existed for so long, allowing us to reflect, recognize and hopefully change. This cd is well worth the investment. Its music with a message.

Lyfe Change is a 'Solid' Album, June 17, 2008
By Yasmine Mohamed "R&B-FUNK-SOUL-HIPHOP-THE LOT... (UK) - See all my reviews




After listening to the samples on amazon, I knew I had to purchase this album; and to be frank I am glad I did. Especially after hearing 'Cops Up', I knew that this album would have a lot of potentially good R&B/Soulful songs [which the industry seems to be lacking in].

To be honest, I would put Lyfe in the same category as Lupe Fiasco, in terms of the most talented under-rated artists of their genres. I have been waiting for a really 'feel' good R&B album to come out for quite some time.

On this particular album, I feel every single song on there fits well; as in there are no songs that go off the topic. It's actually really hard to choose my favorites right now, as I have only had a few listens, and I'll proabably keep changing my mind, but here goes;

1. Keep on Dreaming & Hmmm
2. Cops Up
3. Its Real
4. Brand New

Overall, I think this is a solid album, and I don't think anyone is going to top this any time soon.

The guy that stays in the game the longest is the guy who brings CHANGE!I'm loving Lyfe!!!!! His style is so uniquely his that it can not be duplicated. I've been die hard Lyfe fan since 268-192 and this album definitely lives up to his past albums. If you do NOT have any of this cd's GO GET EM!!! A lot of people will be happy to hear that unlike The Phoenix this ablum only has ONE interlude, To have gone from 10 years on lock down to making 3 great albums is phenomenal. The issues that he sings about are real and relatable, and you can hear the soul in each songs. This is my favorite CD right now. He has the makings to be in the game for a LONG TIME!!! I can't really name favorite tracks because I really love them all. I love the live performances on the DVD.

Lyfe Jennings is mos def the man!!!! He has totally evolved into an even more awesome force to be reckoned with. I thought his freshman joint was the bomb, but this one is the ISH for real!!! He laid it down with his raw tone and the lyrics are amazing. The collabo's are off the chain!!! Loving it, loving it, loving it more and more every time I listen!!!

Great job Lyfe!!! Keep making it do what it do brotha!!!! Somebody call the COPS UP because I've fallen in love with 'Change' on the real and a sista ain't trying to get up!!! That's Lyfe on the real!!!! Be blessed and keep giving it to us straight with no chaser!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let me start by quoting the great Lauryn Hill "Even after all my logic and theory, I add a mother ****** so you ignorant n***** can hear me." Lyfe is one of the few artists that is able to spread wisdom and reality without the explicit content and unnecessary vulgar language. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with explicit content but it takes a lot to become a Platinum recording artist without using explicit content.

With that said, I've been listening to this album since it leaked. I liked it so much I went out and bought the CD/DVD version the day it came out. The thing that makes Lyfe more unique than most R&B Soul artists is he doesn't have a great voice. He has a gritty, raspy voice, that isn't common in R&B artists. To compliment his unique voice he has a very unique lyrical style. He keeps it real, he's a man trying to make a change in the hood. And it's not coming from a middle class white man that has no idea what he's speaking, Lyfe still has the scars from the hood. It's hard to believe a guy who spent 10 years in prison for Arson would be trying to make a difference in urban areas. Rather than talking about money, cars, clothes, hoes...he keeps it real and speaks on issues such as AIDs contaminating the black race, violence in the urban areas, and adults refusing to grow up and take responsibility for themselves.

The album as a whole is a masterpiece. Lyfe has really worked to put together a body of work. Nothing like the rest of the industry, which is mostly concerned with bangin' beats, hot singles, and becoming the top "ringtone artist". I own Lyfe's first album but passed on the second one because I thought that it had more interludes than songs. Lyfe does a mixture of both of his previous albums on this one. His first album was mostly songs about relationships and love songs. The second album had more of a street style to it, where he talked about hustlin, life on the block, etc. This album has a little of both of those topics. I really encourage people to purchase this album.

I love Lyfe Jennings. I own every CD he put out there. He has a very unique voice which brings his music out. Go get this CD. I promise you, you will be listening to it every day. I love all the songs on the album, but my favorites are "Never, Never Land," "Cops Up," "You think you Got It." Wyclef is on this album, too and I just love Wyclef. His voice is unique, too. Don't think twice about not getting this CD. You will enjoy it. I promise you, you will.

THIS SOPHMORE ATTEMPT IS DEFINITELY A HOMERUN. THIS BROTHER IS POSITIVE AND IT'S DISPLAYED IN HIS MUSIC. I LOVE IT.

I ordered the Lyfe Jennings CD a couple of weeks ago and I was pleasantly surprised at the condition of the CD. It was in pristine condition although it was used and the price was great. I also recieved the CD quickly. I couldn't have gotten a better CD for that price anywhere. I will definitely be buying more CDs from this seller.

I really enjoyd this CD it is well worth it, Lyfe Jennings did his thing on this one.

After having to wait almost two years for another album by Lyfe Jennings, he closed the gap with Lyfe Change which dropped back in April 2008. With critically acclaimed singles, "Must Be Nice", "S.E.X.", and "Let's Stay Together", I expected to receive an album that was just as filling as his first two efforts - Lyfe 268-192 and The Phoenix. When I first popped my CD into my car's player, I was not moved by the first track on the album which features a man with a bad imitation of an Italian accent (not sure if this was Lyfe himself). Several times I skipped the track not knowing that it was a story which illustrates how significant change is. Once you've gotten the picture, there's no need to listen to it anymore.

Next up is "Keep Dreaming" which showcases Lyfe's raspy, yet silky, vocals over subtle percussion smoothly playing in the background. This song has a nice message and sounds like the traditional work from Lyfe. "Warriors" is another autobiographical example of the life that he has endured. No offense, but I think all avid Lyfe fans are well-aware of his background and don't need another song to showcase this. Besides that, the song was okay with the exception of the chorus. I think that the rough sounds of his vocals make it hard to appreciate the rest of the song. "Never Never Land" is the perfect response for those who jumped on Jay-Z's famous (30 is the new 20) catchphrase. The lyrics are on point and the arrangement of the instrumentals make for a fine delivery. "Brand New" celebrates the appreciation of a loved one not changing because Lyfe's financial status has changed. I love the message of this song but could have done without T.I.'s contribution. I may be biased but I don't think needed a rapper to drive home his point. I must admit that "It's Real" is a song that's so deeply infused with genius production that I missed the idea. This is a song about the importance of "wrapping up" due to the plight of AIDS. This should be put in rotation on the radio but I'm sure that would upset some conservative groups.

"Cops Up" is an ode to those women who catches Lyfe's attention by merely getting a glimpse of their beauty. It has a nice grown and sexy feel to it and offers a balance in contrast to the heavier subject matter. "You Think You've Got it Bad" has a reggae feel to it with an appearance by Wyclef Jean. Typically I don't gravitate to a Caribbean sound but this is a beautiful song. I love the song "Wild, Wild, Wild"! It's another representation of how Lyfe is able to give a mainstream sound to a deep subject. He's expressing that there are people "wilding" by selling out to attain a certain position (or refrain from certain situations) in life. He doesn't leave anyone out; he travels from the Hood to Hollywood for the journey of this song. "Midnight Train" is a song that's kind of hard to get into. The musical style is a little to mellow for me but once again his lyrics are a song-saver. I have to be in a particular mood to listen to this track. "Hmmm" is track that lets us know that Lyfe is well aware of his mortality. Nothing exceptional about it; it has a nice sound to it. "Old School" is a description about his car...no comment about that. The interlude "Us" is synonymous to a prayer being sung. "Will I Ever" is an age-old question that many singles have about their love life...simply put it delivered with a sense of urgency and has a great aesthetic component to it. The last song on this CD is "Baby I'm a Star". It's a good way to end the album after several heavy subjects. There's a feel-good notion to this track.

After listening to this album a few times, I noticed that Lyfe did away with his traditional introductions to every track. I can't say that I miss them and hopefully they won't return anytime soon. Due to the less than stellar productions of one too many tracks, I would give his latest effort 3 out of 5. Be forewarned that this particular CD is not a classic by any means.

Lyfe Jennings delivers another substantial release with his third album "Lyfe Change" (2008) a fifteen track release which features guest appearances from T.I, Wyclef Jean & Snoop Dogg. Highlight track's for this me include the opening track "Keep On Dreaming", the outstanding single "Never Never Land" & the soulfully sweet "Midnight Train". One thing I enjoy about Lyfe is the unique style he brings with music, that genuine down to earth music, feel he shines on the aforementioned joints. The track's I enjoy make this album worth getting for me, that said I do feel like their are significant missteps for Lyfe, none of his guest appearances benefit the release, and the single "Cops Up" is far to manufactured for my liking - don't like the hook, and while Lyfe flips up his style on track's like "Warriors" and "Hmmm" the end result is not appealing to this reviewer. I would like to see Lyfe return to writing and producing his own albums on solo, "Lyfe 268-192" was an excellent album the type you can listen to from start to finish without hitting skip, feel like the Hip Hop collaborations are not benefiting his work (with exceptions like Nas - Must Be Nice Remix). 3.5.