R. KELLY
TP-2.com (Jive)
Rating: 5 out of 7
By Billy Johnson Jr.

   R. Kelly’s fifth album, TP-2.com, is in some senses, a sequel to his 1993 solo debut 12 Play. That album’s sexual romps “Bump N’ Grind,” “Your Body’s Callin’ Me,” and “Freak Dat Body” are reincarnated, conceptually, at least, on the “The Greatest Sex,” “Like A Real Freak,” “Feel On Yo Booty,” and a number of equally racy tracks. 
   But what’s most interesting about Mr. Kelly’s return is that many of his new songs exude a bit more remorse about relationships gone bad than he’s dealt with in the past (“When A Woman’s Fed Up” from R., his last album, was a loner until now). Hear him apologize on “I Don’t Mean It,” have a change of heart on “I Decided,” and work to keep the relationship together on “All I Really Want.” He even closes the album with the country-influenced “The Storm Is Over Now.” The album’s consistent warm vibe finds the Chicago native singing over the soft, syrupy R&B that initially won him fans, music beds that revisit smooth ‘70s stylings and some pretty cool hip-hop Latin rhythms that aren’t over the top. 
   Though R. Kelly’s bad-boy demeanor has probably limited his fanbase, his musicianship speaks for itself.

R. Kelly: All recordings courtesy of Jive Records. All songs written by R. Kelly; courtesy of Zomba Songs, Inc./R. Kelly Publishing, Inc. administered by Zomba Songs, Inc. (BMI).