Diddy tries everything he can to save R&B with the release of “The Love Album: Off The Grid.”
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TOP 5
Honorable Mention. Kim Porter (Ft. Babyface & John Legend)
Have a box of tissues ready before you press play on “Kim Porter.”
Man, how powerful is “Kim Porter?” I don’t care for the song’s style (I feel like Babyface and John Legend oversing in the song), but the fact that Diddy created this deep, emotional record for his baby’s mother, who passed away, is amazing.
5. Stay Awhile
“Stay Awhile” will give you the ’90s fix that you need.
In “Stay Awhile,” Diddy and Nija aren’t entirely on the same page, and that’s OK. The former is on some cocky, “I’m HIM” type s**t, while the latter sounds like she wants to spend a full day with someone that she’s addicted to. The former blesses us with hypnotizing vocals that you will feel in your soul, while the latter hits us with a laidback rap verse that he probably made while driving to Target.
As good as Diddy and Nija are on this song, I think the nostalgic beat steals the show here. I mean, Diddy was at his best in the ’90s, so it makes sense that he would sound his best when you hook him up with a ’90s-inspired beat, right (Simple math)?
4. What’s Love (Ft. NOVA WAV)
Who are NOVA WAV and why do they deserve all of my entertainment money?
In “What’s Love,” NOVA WAV and Diddy do a terrific job of explaining what love is supposed to be. Their words come across as poetic, intense, and borderline terrifying (They make love sound like a nuclear weapon with a smile on its face).
I just adore how confident, foolproof, and slick both NOVA WAV and Diddy sound in this song. I also rock with the impactful piano notes and nice tempo we get production-wise. There’s no way you can leave this song without it being stuck in your head.
3. Stay, Pt. 1 (Ft. Kalan.FrFr & K-Ci Hailey)
You take Diddy off this s**t, and it’s a classic record.
“Stay, Pt. 1” is about the longing for someone who has been away for a while. Does that person still think about you? What do you plan on doing to them when you see their face for the first time? Hmmm.
How about Kalan.FrFr’s performance in “Stay, Pt. 1?” In a song featuring unbelievable vocals from the legendary K-Ci Hailey, Kalan shines by hitting us with a highly intoxicating chorus, top-notch melodies, and passion that is so thick, you can cut that s**t with a knife. Why hasn’t he completely blown up yet?
Diddy’s singing on this song is putrid. Kudos must go to him for pairing K-CI and Kalan.FrFr together, though.
2. Homecoming (Ft. Jozzy)
There’s a reason Jozzy is on this album the most. She is a phenomenal singer.
“Homecoming” would be a hit in the ’90s, a hit in the 2000s, a hit in the 2010s, and a hit today. I think Jozzy’s heartfelt vocals mixed with her weasel lyrical content (She talks about wanting to see an ex fail and return to her) makes for an outstanding listen, especially when you combine it with the raw, dark, boom-bap beat straight from Wu-Tang’s playbook. Even Diddy puts up a rap verse that fits the song perfectly.
1. Need Somebody (Ft. Jazmine Sullivan)
People have told me that Jazmine Sullivan has one of the best voices on the planet. After hearing “Need Somebody,” I don’t think I will argue with that.
You know exactly what this song is about: Needing someone to touch your body, even if they have a few felonies under their belt. To call Jazmine Sullivan’s performance in the song captivating would be an understatement (And I think the word “captivating” is a pretty powerful one). When she reaches her highest pitch, I get chills. When she sounds seductive, I get chills. When she sounds laidback, I get chills. The way Jazmine effortlessly merges all of the sounds I just mentioned is fantastic. My fellow readers, Ms. Sullivan gifts us with a classic performance here.
SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN
1. Brought My Love (Ft. Herb Alpert & The-Dream) (4/5)
2. What’s Love (Ft. NOVA WAV) (5/5)
3. Deliver Me (Ft. Busta Rhymes, Dawn Richard & Kalenna) (4/5)
4. Stay Awhile (Ft. Nija) (5/5)
5. Homecoming (Ft. Jozzy) (5/5)
6. Pick Up (Ft. Jacquees & Fabolous) (4.5/5)
7. Tough Love (Ft. Swae Lee) (4/5)
8. Stay Long (Ft. Summer Walker) (3.5/5)
9. It Belongs To You (Ft. Jozzy) (4/5)
10. Another One Of Me (Ft. 21 Savage, French Montana & The Weeknd) (3.5/5)
11. Intermission (4/5)
12. Moments (Ft. Justin Bieber) (4.5/5)
13. Need Somebody (Ft. Jazmine Sullivan) (5/5)
14. Mind Your Business (Bosses in Love) (Ft. Kehlani & Ty Dolla $ign) (4/5)
15. Nasty Interlude (Ft. Jozzy) (3.5/5)
16. Reachin’ (Ft. Coco Jones & Ty Dolla $ign) (4.5/5)
17. Stay, Part 1 (Ft. Kalan.FrFr & K-Ci Hailey) (5/5)
18. I Like (Ft. Mary J. Blige) (4/5)
19. Closer To God (Ft. Teyana Taylor) (4/5)
20. Boohoo (Ft. Jeremih) (4/5)
21. Burna Boy Interlude (Ft. Burna Boy) (N/A)
22. Kim Porter (Ft. Babyface & John Legend) (5/5)
23. Space (Ft. H.E.R.) (4/5)
RGM RATING
(B-)
Disclaimer: I picked MY favorite songs from this album. A bunch are great, but the five up top were the ones that stood out to me the most. OK, let’s carry on.
Under everyone’s booger-filled nose, Diddy has reinvented himself into your old-ass grandfather who knows a thing or two about quality R&B music. If you recall, though, he’s always had an excellent ear for this genre. In the ’90s, he elevated the careers of R&B acts such as Mary J. Blige, SWV, 112, and more. With that being said, The Love Album: Off The Grid, though random as hell, actually boasts music that is on par with what he was known for creating as a producer back then.
So, how does Diddy push R&B forward with this album? As simple as this: He does a fantastic job of putting R&B singers in the best positions to succeed. His attention-to-detail approach, which he made famous through outlandish scenes in Making The Band seasons 2 and 3, creates the perfect platform for artists like Jeremih, Teyana Taylor, Coco Jones, and more. Say what you want about the subject matters that the singers tackle (I feel like everyone practically talks about the same s**t: Waiting a few business days to get piped down by their lovers), but you can’t criticize the tremendous effort, the intricate melodies, or the complex structures we get in each song. Diddy is a perfectionist, and it translates to some quality s**t here.
Diddy’s rap performances on this album aren’t great. However, I do enjoy the ad-libbing he does throughout. I mean, he’s the ultimate hypeman, right? As a matter of fact, I can do without every single rap verse that is on this project, especially the one French Montana has on “Another One Of Me” (He literally destroys the song for me. I’m one of the people who likes French, too).
Everyone had a slow jam CD they created with a dusty-ass CD-RW disc back in the day (Remember, you can rewrite the content on CD-RW discs). This is precisely what The Love Album: Off The Grid feels like. This 23-track project boasts a hodgepodge of stereotypical R&B records. Though I don’t love how it flows (I feel like it’s hard to get into a groove with it because of the many different singing and production styles), I do think there are some classic songs you need to check out (BTW, I wanted to say this real quick: The up-and-comers washed the veterans on this album).
Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.
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