On his 'Best Night' Mr. Foxx looks to make the biggest album of his life.
Jamie Foxx may just be the most versatile man in show business. The Oscar and Grammy winner has many awards on the shelf and hit movies and albums under his belt. From 'Peep This' to 'Ray' this star has shined bright over the years, even earning himself floor space on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. The triple threat is also a hilarious stand up comedian. Now two years after the release of his hit album 'Intuition' (which featured the massive song 'Blame It' ) Foxx proves he can do it again and hit big.
This guy is no one trick pony, or one hit wonder. With 'Best Night Of My Life' (originally titled 'Body') Jamie comes out of the Foxxhole with a mound of hits. From R&B slow jams to hip-hop soul club records. 'Best Night Of My Life' has something for everyone this evening, with a brilliant body of work.
Jamie begins the night fooling around and showing his vocal talents on the intro 'This Will Be' and from there you know it's going to be a fun album and a great night. The title track 'Best Night of My Life' is a great opener, with Foxx bringing back his trademark smooth R&B flow. That perfectly mixes early 90's, Babyface esque, rhythm and blues with R&B of the new millennium.
The singles are amongst J. Foxx's strongest ever two. 'Winner' featuring Justin Timberlake and T.I. is a song that still champions even though it was released back in April and on 'Living Better Now' with Rick Ross, Foxx exhibits a new style of flow, sampling one of The Notorious B.I.G.'s best, most memorable lines for a great track you wont forget soon.
Jamie gets smoother still on the Drake assisted 'Fall For Your Type'. As the two versatile talents offer up a slower jam that's fresher than the rest. In fact this deeper cut will not get lost in the fodder of samey R&B breakup songs. With this track Foxx progresses, releasing one of his best records yet. Featuring introspective lyrics like, "Can I, can I save you from you/cause you know there’s something missing'and that champagne you’ve been sippin’s/not supposed to make you different all the time" offering up a new perception for the mainstream.
On the current single, 'Yep Dat's Me' Jamie again infuses R&B with hip-hop, but where a lot of other artists have failed, Jamie succeeds. Once again enlisting Ludacris for an unpredictable verse, which is the ATL rappers best in years with super rhymes like, "yeah you know I’m flexin’/yeah I’m coming suited and booted/like I’m the x-men/night crawling Luda/cruisin’ in that Maybach/or coming down the street up in a Kawasaki 1400/looking like cyclops/ice man chain/white ice man whips".
The production on this album is valued with beats for the club and for the home. On the kinetic 'Freak' Foxx breaks out another new flow as everything runs smoothly. Plus on diverse joints like 'Hit It Like This', 'Let Me Get You on Your Toes' and 'Sleeping Pill' Jamie proves he has something for the ladies, whichever way they want it.
'Best Night Of My Life' picks up where the success of 'Intuition' left off. Although the album showcases more versatile record from the multi talented musician the album follows the same structure. It starts off with the big, bass, collabo records tailor made for any party and then ends with the slower, solo jams designed for more intimate moments. When Foxx gets his Luther Vandross on he houses records like '15 Minutes' and 'All Said & Done' proving his music is welcome in any home. The real stand out however is 'Rejoice', where Foxx and his piano play one of the best records of his career.
This LP is a perfect mix even though it's a shame that the street single 'Speak French' didn't translate to the final track listing or none of those brilliant Tank collaborations made the final set. From the upbeat beginning to the slow climax 'Best Night Of My Life' is the perfect evening. It starts loud but it doesn't outstay it's welcome, calming down the right way in it's conclusion. Sure the Grammy winning, chart topping 'Unpredictable' may still be Jamie's best album but on his latest he still reaches for the greatest, further cementing his status as one of the best in R&B and one of the best all round talents in show business. Now that's entertainment, in live and living color. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
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