The R&B year in music had its highs and lows, and 2009 may end on a high note with December releases by Robin Thicke and Alicia Keys.For me, the voice of 2009 was Maxwell. His BLACKsummers' night was pure, soulful and lyrically raw. Maxwell's CD of substance sits atop my list of favorite music in 2009.
The rest of the best continue to dominate my iPod and compete for my attention on any given day.Jay-Z, The Blueprint 3. Those who say hip-hop is a young man's game don't understand that Jay-Z's blueprint for success lies in clever lyrics, top-notch beats and sheer mass appeal. You can't knock Jay-Z's hip-hop hustle.Jamie Foxx, Intuition. One part party, the other part cool, Foxx had listeners singing and dancing to "Blame It" and tearing up to "Overdose." It's time to take Foxx the singer/musician seriously.India.Arie, Testimony Vol. 2: Love & Politics. There's no flash, no pretense from India.Arie. She reminds you of Mother Earth as she strums on her guitar. This year, the songstress continued her award-winning formula of infusing folk, funk and soul.Ryan Leslie, Ryan Leslie. This Harvard grad is an ambitious fellow, having released two CDs in one year. However, his self-titled debut is a CD worth getting excited about thanks to the infectious music and catchy lyrics in "Addiction, You're Fly" and the hilarious "Gibberish."Mariah Carey, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel. My feeling of trepidation about listening to Carey's 2009 CD evaporated quickly after I pressed play. Tunes including "H.A.T.E.U." and interlude "Languishing" show why Carey's chops continue to be golden.Keri Hilson, In A Perfect World. I was slow to warm to Hilson, but once I did, she earned heavy rotation in the CD carousel thanks to "Slow Dance" and "Get Your Money Up." Her pipes make her an R&B and pop singer to watch.Laura Izibor, Let the Truth Be Told. Soulful and Irish, Izibor is a funky siren. A lounge singer on "The Worst is Over" and Angie Stone-esque on "Yes (I'll Be Your Baby)," the debut from Izibor is darn good music.Jadakiss, The Last Kiss. Even with radio-friendly tunes including "By My Side" featuring Ne-Yo and "Can't Stop Me," there is nothing warm and fuzzy about this 18-cut opus thanks to tracks such as "Cartel Gathering" and "One More Step." His voice is still raspy and he still has that hardcore swagger.Charlie Wilson, Uncle Charlie. That's right, I like Uncle Charlie. He's still smooth and "There Goes My Baby" is proof positive that the former Gap Band lead singer has still got it. He even teams up with T-Pain and Jamie Foxx on "Supa Sexxy." Yup, Uncle Charlie's still got it.
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