Kelis -‘Kaleidoscope’ (Virgin America, 2000)
When the reviews of the noughties (what the hell are we calling this decade anyway? Nearly bloody over and we still haven’t decided), hopefully much of the music that will be focused on as well as the ubiquitous guitar music will be American R’n’ B and Hip-Hop. Along with the UK takes on much of this, which have helped spawn, variously, grime and dubstep (and trip-hop in the previous decade), it has been a stunning time for much of this. And sure, there’s been a lot of guitar music, but if I’d been at Glastonbury in 2008, Jay-Z would definitely have been a higher priority than the flippin’ Kings Of Leon.
Amongst the most amazing records that Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, known as The Neptunes have produced is this: the debut album from Kelis. It was going to be this or Tasty, but I think the wake-up call this provided for me, as I failed to get truly into either UK garage or Nu-metal in 2000, wins it over. Early in 2000 the chorus of ‘I hate you so much right now’ from ‘Caught Out There’ ruled the airwaves. A punk as anything attitude, and suddenly r’n’b wasn’t about soppy ballads (never got it on with new jack swing), it was sassy, it was sexy, it was in your face and I love(d) it. I’m betting that Beyonce may well have learned a bit from Kelis.
The follow-up single ‘Good Stuff’ showed that as well as being a rapper she was also a singer – at a time when it seemed you were one or the other but not both. Album cuts like ‘Mafia’ and ‘Roller Rink’ showed very different sides. As indie seemed to be increasingly about very stodgy rock -hello Travis and Stereophonics -this was where it was at. Not on the album – but I almost wish it was- was Kelis’ collaboration with Wu-Tang Clan’s Ol’ Dirty Bastard ‘Got Your Money.’ Here was a lass who mattered.
The follow-up album didn’t cut the mustard, but by the end of 2003 she was back with Tasty. Which she most definitely was, posing suggestively with a lollipop, and causing much water cooler discussion about what exactly ‘Milkshake’ was about…Hmm. At the time the album seemed to be overshadowed by both Destiny’s Child and Eminem, but I feel this has stood the test of time remarkably well.