Customer Reviews

Chocolate Factory

5 star:		(118)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

R. KELLY- CHOCOLATE FACTORY
Ok let's get this out the way. I have an R. Kelly bias. Dude is the best R&B talent we've experienced since Babyface. Unchallenged in the biz. That being said I never compare his projects to others out right now. It's not fair because his talents surpass them immensely. So I compare it to his previous works. Once again that being said "Chocolate Factory" is his best CD ever. That's right I said it. Better than 12 Play. While 12 Play is his all time classic this CD shows his talents more than any other ever has. The limited edition double CD is also one of the best original(not greatest hits) double CD's in the last 15 years. He mixed in some cuts from his previous unreleased CD "LoveLand" and came out with a remarkable product. This CD has so many soul music influences it's not even funny. A review will not do this project justice but I'll make a definite attempt. I have a comment about all 23 cuts..

Track 1- Chocolate Factory- Nice typical Rrah track. Nice midtempo beat and lyrically comparing his woman to "candy"

Track 2- Step In The Name of Love- This song is one from the "Loveland" project. Nice mellow beat that plays on the Chicago "Step" craze. Great 70's song. He shows some serious versatility here. I love the dance "instructions" at the end.

Track 3- Heart Of A Woman- Greatness! A dedication to women and their long suffering. These songs are R Kelly at his best. Great lyrics. This is the first of several good slow jams on this CD. W O M A N!

Track 4- I'll Never Leave- Three words women love to hear. Another good slow jam. The breakdown is great on this song.

Track 5- Been Around The World- This song features Ja Rule and actually is pretty good. Kinda like a part 2 to "I Wish". Ja is not much of a factor to the track, which is a good thing. The Rrah lyrical arrangement is great though.

Track 6- You Made Me Love You- Straight Blues cut! Not depressing blues but the Lattimore, BB King, Little Milton electric guitar blues! I can see my grandmother rockin her head to this cut right now. Unbelievable versatility.

Track 7- Forever- Another "LoveLand" highlight. He changed it up a lil bit but it's still greatness. This is the wedding song of the year. I guarantee you'll hear this cut at some "ghetto fab" weddings. Once again great lyrical arrangement.

Track 8- Dream Girl- Nice lil track..Very soft..Has a Michael Jackson "Off Da Wall" music feel.

Track 9- Ignition- First single. We all know this cut and how hard it goes. Rrah always gets back to his "You Remind Me" roots.

Track 10- Ignition Remix- Typical R. Kelly where the remix is better than the original. Goes hard in da club!

Track 11- Forever More- Man! Greatness..Beautiful Slow jam cut! Lyrically I was really diggin this. Pretty much talkin about his wife's effect on his life. Classic.

Track 12- You Knock Me Out- If you didn't know better you'd think this Marvin Gaye. Great song that reminds you of an upbeat "Dance With Me" from Marvin Gaye. The piano riff is greatness.

Track 13- Step In The Name Of Love Remix- See Track 2. This is the extended version for the steppers in the Club. Nice twist also.

Track 14- Imagine That- Hmmm..Imagine R.Kelly meets Prince. ON FIRE! Unbelievable slow jam. The guitar solo is amazing and this song closes on some "Scandalous" type schiznit. It goes from a produced track to a "live" feel. Greatness..

Track 15- Hmm.. Imagine R. Kelly meets Quentin Tarrentino..I ain't lyin..This is a well produced installment of the Mr. Bigg series. The best Mr. Bigg song of them all and the most shocking song on the CD. It's like a short movie. Unbelievable. The video for this one is gonna be a classic.

Track 16- Snake- R Kelly meets Sean Paul and Beanie Man. Great reggae dance cut! Infectious!

Track 17- Apologies Of A Thug- Feature Fat Joe..Typical Rrah "Fiesta" cut......

This CD is greatness. But as Guy says "Over? Party Not over!" In comes the 2nd CD. It has 6 cuts.

Track 1-LoveLand- This song wasn't on the "original" Loveland bootleg. That's unfortunate. This is some old 80's Maze, Billy Ocean type cut. Very smoooooooooooth! Man I'm bumpin this one alot. Man I can see my parents playin cards to this cut!

Track 2- What Do I Do- Man it they just keep coming! Nice mellow cut. This song requires A nice glass of wine and a candle! Talkin about this chick he sees that he falls in love with instantly but he already has woman. Great song. It took me several listens to vibe what he was tryin to say here.

Track 3- Heaven I Need A Hug- Don't know if this song got nationwide play but essentially it's his reply to his legal problems. Very insightful song. They say all of the greats have sever emotional issues. This dude is no exception. He definitely has issues

Track 4- The Worlds Greatest. From the Ali soundtrack in the mold of "I Believe I Can Fly"..

Track 5- Far More- Here we go again..This is like some 60's Chi Lites, do wop jam! Break out the powder blue tuxedos with the shiny lapels. He went wayyyyyyy back with this one..From the original LoveLand disc. Great track

Track 6- Raindrops- Soft baby makin cut. Brian Mcknight ish. Great cut. Great rain sound effect.

It doesn't get better than this. I like every cut on this CD. Well I could do without "The World's Greatest" but it serves it's purpose. No one else could do this CD. His best ever.

When i heard this CD was going to be release i already had in my mind i was going to get this CD despite all the legal trouble that Mr. Kelly is having as of lately. A huge fan of his music since his debut Born In The 90's. Mr. Kelly returns with his most personal and his most complete album of his career. Despite his problems of late he went in to the studio and created an album that his fans will simply love.

Chocolate Factory concentrates more on romance rather than the explicit sexual overtones that his previous albums even though Chocolate Factory has it share of Mr. Kelly returning to his 12 Play , TP-2 form on such tracks as the hit single " Ignition " and " Ignition remix, " Imagine That".. Chocolate Factory also show his other musicial influences on such tracks as Step In The Name Of Love , You Knock Me Out both tracks have heavy Marvin Gaye influences. One of my favorite tracks on the CD You Made Me Love Ya which borrows the guitar riff of Al Green's Classic Love and Happiness the song certainly have an old school soul feel to it.

Love Land Bonus CD after one listen to this 6 track CD it makes you want to hear more of what was suppose to have been his follow up to TP-2. Some of his most sincere soulful work can be found on this disc . That is no more evident than on the track " Heaven I Need A Hug" finds Mr. Kelly trying to find peace with himself as well addressing the media , family, friends, fans about his fans concerning his recent troubles. The song is very sincere.

Tony's Top 5 Favorite Songs

1 " Heart Of A Woman"
2 " I"ll Never Leave"
3. " You Made Me Love You"
4. " Ignition (remix)"
5. " The Showdown"

Loveland Bonus Disc Top 3 Favorite Songs

1. LoveLand

2. Heaven I Need A Hug

3. Raindrops

So if you looking for a CD that has a feel good vibe, very romantic, soulful i highly recommend " Chocolate Factory" you will simply love it. Robert, keep your head up i will keep you in my prayers.

R.Kelly's new album "Chocolate Factory" is an extraordinary piece of work. I have been a huge fan of his music since through his early projects in the 90's. Even though, he is going through alot of trials and tribulations, he maintains to keep his head up and bless us with good music. Songs that truly stand out on this album are "HEART OF A WOMAN","DREAM GIRL", STEP IN THE NAME OF LOVE(REMIX AS WELL AS THE REGULAR VERSION), IGNITION(REMIX AS WELL AS THE REGULAR VERSION),SHOWDOWN w/ MR.Biggs, I'LL NEVER LEAVE. Lets just say the ENTIRE ALBUM stands out. This album is great and If you are a fan of R.KELLY's music, this is a collector's item!! R.Kelly, keep blessing us with good music like in the CHOCOLATE FACTORY, the type of music that makes us feel good. You are in my prayers. KEEP YOUR HEAD UP. May GOD continue to bless you!

R. KELLY- CHOCOLATE FACTORY
Ok let's get this out the way. I have an R. Kelly bias. Dude is the best R&B talent we've experienced since Babyface. Unchallenged in the biz. That being said I never compare his projects to others out right now. It's not fair because his talents surpass them immensely. So I compare it to his previous works. Once again that being said "Chocolate Factory" is his best CD ever. That's right I said it. Better than 12 Play. While 12 Play is his all time classic this CD shows his talents more than any other ever has. The limited edition double CD is also one of the best original(not greatest hits) double CD's in the last 15 years. He mixed in some cuts from his previous unreleased CD "LoveLand" and came out with a remarkable product. This CD has so many soul music influences it's not even funny. A review will not do this project justice but I'll make a definite attempt. I have a comment about all 23 cuts..

Track 1- Chocolate Factory- Nice typical Rrah track. Nice midtempo beat and lyrically comparing his woman to "candy"

Track 2- Step In The Name of Love- This song is one from the "Loveland" project. Nice mellow beat that plays on the Chicago "Step" craze. Great 70's song. He shows some serious versatility here. I love the dance "instructions" at the end.

Track 3- Heart Of A Woman- Greatness! A dedication to women and their long suffering. These songs are R Kelly at his best. Great lyrics. This is the first of several good slow jams on this CD. W O M A N!

Track 4- I'll Never Leave- Three words women love to hear. Another good slow jam. The breakdown is great on this song.

Track 5- Been Around The World- This song features Ja Rule and actually is pretty good. Kinda like a part 2 to "I Wish". Ja is not much of a factor to the track, which is a good thing. The Rrah lyrical arrangement is great though.

Track 6- You Made Me Love You- Straight Blues cut! Not depressing blues but the Lattimore, BB King, Little Milton electric guitar blues! I can see my grandmother rockin her head to this cut right now. Unbelievable versatility.

Track 7- Forever- Another "LoveLand" highlight. He changed it up a lil bit but it's still greatness. This is the wedding song of the year. I guarantee you'll hear this cut at some "ghetto fab" weddings. Once again great lyrical arrangement.

Track 8- Dream Girl- Nice lil track..Very soft..Has a Michael Jackson "Off Da Wall" music feel.

Track 9- Ignition- First single. We all know this cut and how hard it goes. Rrah always gets back to his "You Remind Me" roots.

Track 10- Ignition Remix- Typical R. Kelly where the remix is better than the original. Goes hard in da club!

Track 11- Forever More- Man! Greatness..Beautiful Slow jam cut! Lyrically I was really diggin this. Pretty much talkin about his wife's effect on his life. Classic.

Track 12- You Knock Me Out- If you didn't know better you'd think this Marvin Gaye. Great song that reminds you of an upbeat "Dance With Me" from Marvin Gaye. The piano riff is greatness.

Track 13- Step In The Name Of Love Remix- See Track 2. This is the extended version for the steppers in the Club. Nice twist also.

Track 14- Imagine That- Hmmm..Imagine R.Kelly meets Prince. ON FIRE! Unbelievable slow jam. The guitar solo is amazing and this song closes on some "Scandalous" type schiznit. It goes from a produced track to a "live" feel. Greatness..

Track 15- Hmm.. Imagine R. Kelly meets Quentin Tarrentino..I ain't lyin..This is a well produced installment of the Mr. Bigg series. The best Mr. Bigg song of them all and the most shocking song on the CD. It's like a short movie. Unbelievable. The video for this one is gonna be a classic.

Track 16- Snake- R Kelly meets Sean Paul and Beanie Man. Great reggae dance cut! Infectious!

Track 17- Apologies Of A Thug- Feature Fat Joe..Typical Rrah "Fiesta" cut......

This CD is greatness. But as Guy says "Over? Party Not over!" In comes the 2nd CD. It has 6 cuts.

Track 1-LoveLand- This song wasn't on the "original" Loveland bootleg. That's unfortunate. This is some old 80's Maze, Billy Ocean type cut. Very smoooooooooooth! Man I'm bumpin this one alot. Man I can see my parents playin cards to this cut!

Track 2- What Do I Do- Man it they just keep coming! Nice mellow cut. This song requires A nice glass of wine and a candle! Talkin about this chick he sees that he falls in love with instantly but he already has woman. Great song. It took me several listens to vibe what he was tryin to say here.

Track 3- Heaven I Need A Hug- Don't know if this song got nationwide play but essentially it's his reply to his legal problems. Very insightful song. They say all of the greats have sever emotional issues. This dude is no exception. He definitely has issues

Track 4- The Worlds Greatest. From the Ali soundtrack in the mold of "I Believe I Can Fly"..

Track 5- Far More- Here we go again..This is like some 60's Chi Lites, do wop jam! Break out the powder blue tuxedos with the shiny lapels. He went wayyyyyyy back with this one..From the original LoveLand disc. Great track

Track 6- Raindrops- Soft baby makin cut. Brian Mcknight ish. Great cut. Great rain sound effect.

It doesn't get better than this. I like every cut on this CD. Well I could do without "The World's Greatest" but it serves it's purpose. No one else could do this CD. His best ever.

I've been a longtime fan of R.Kelly's music, and this album didn't disappoint one bit. In fact, if you liked his previous works then you're guaranteed to like his latest work, Chocolate Factory. The structure of this album is similar to this TP-2.com album, and contains a lot of slow-medium cuts. But on a deeper level, this album is a lot more personal.

I've been listening to it for the past week, and I haven't had to hit the fast forward button yet.

Standout cuts are hard to choose. Hard to pick favorites. But if I had to choose: "Ignition" and its remix, "heart of a woman", "I'll never leave", "been around the world", "you made me love you", "forever", "forever more", "dream girl", "imagine that", "showdown", and "step in the name of love" and its remix.

The bonus CD contains the cuts "heaven I need a hug" and "world's greatest".

Despite all the drama surrounding his life right now, R.Kelly just keeps making better and better music. 24 heavenly tracks. This one will be a classic!

R. Kelly may be dealing with some personal issues in his life right now, but you cannot take the man's talent away. This cd, by far, is one of the best R. Kelly CD's ever made. He put his ALL into this cd. Every song is the bomb. The man is SO talented, and his music moves through your soul. He makes sensual music for the ladies, and he puts his ALL into it! I can't stress that enough. "The Heart of a Woman" should be the woman's national anthem for 2003! He speaks the TRUTH in it, as with EVERY OTHER SONG! The R. Kelly / Mr. Biggs saga continues on "Showdown" - one word - CLassic!! They should make a movie! One of my favorites is the inspirational "The World's Greatest." It gives me chills. I will CONTINUE to support R. Kelly, and will continue to buy his music. His dedication to his fans was so sincere. It moved me just reading it. R. Kelly, keep your head up - your fans STILL LOVE YOU!

I tired of here fools, haters, jeaulous people who had nothing to do in life an sit down in their computers and make fun outta place. Seems like they are just little teenagers who doesn`t know A THING of How Talented and Wise Musician R.Kelly is. I still believe that these fools only want to bring him down low because of Kelly "SUPPOSE PERSONAL PROBLEMS". Don`t ever mix acid with water, if you know what I mean.
THIS IS THE BEST ALBUM OF 2003 GET OVER WITH. WHEN R. MAKE A BUMP N` GRIND ALBUM SOME MAY TALK AND NOW HE MAKE MORE A ROMANTIC ONE AND SOME HATERS EVEN DON`T LIKE IT. GET OVER WITH HE IS MAKING MORE INTERESTING THE MUSIC INDUSTRY BY JUST NOT ONLY MAKE MULTI-PLATINUMS ALBUMS, BUT PRODUCE, WRITE AND ARRANGE MUSIC FOR OTHER ARTISTS OUT THERE WHO NEED SOMETHING THAT COULD BE A HIT. YOU DON`T BELIEVE ME, WELL HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES:
*The Following Songs Are Produced, Written and Arrange by R.Kelly for 2002-03:
1)"Bump, Bump, Bump". 2)"Girlfriend" and his Remix. 3)"Bump That", And 4)"What A Girl Wants by B2K".

5)"Hell Yeah" and his Remix performed by Ginuwine.
6)"Guess What" and his Remix by Syleena Johnson.
7)"The Truth" by Truth Hurts.
8)"Laundrymat" A Duo with Nivea.
9)11 of the 12 Songs for the Upcoming Album for the Isley Brothers, including the hit "What Would You Do".
10)He had a New song for Beyonce debut Album.
11)He had a Song for Swittz Beat.

DO YOU WANT MORE? ALL OF HIS MUSIC IS PERFECT. SEEMS LIKE HE KNOWS HOW TO MAKE HIT SONGS DON`T YOU THINK?

When a musician has a run-in with the law, it will no doubt affect their career, should it continue after it all blows over. Chuck Berry managed to survive commercially after going to prison for 2 years for violating the Mann Act in the early 1960s & Jerry Lee Lewis (although it took some years for him to regain his appeal) did after he married his 13-year old cousin. Recently, R. Kelly has faced a similar situation now that he was served with charges in the summer of 2002. Even though I haven't heard the facts yet, I still believe in R.'s innocence & the reviews of his recent album CHOCOLATE FACTORY aren't critiquing the music, but R.'s character, which is grossly unfair. After hearing CHOCOLATE FACTORY, I've reason to believe the legal scuffles have only helped make R. stronger & it's unfortunate he's creating some of his best work while in the middle of a scandal.

My local newspaper dished out its own praise on CHOCOLATE FACTORY giving it a D rating & chiding R. for his insistence on songs about freaking & getting it on in light of recent events. But my dear friend on Amazon, Nathan, told me it was the exact opposite & that R. was aiming more for love & commitment on CHOCOLATE FACTORY, not a booty call. He was indeed right, for the so-called "ick factor" my newspaper commented on is hardly present, maybe indicating R. has taken the loverman persona he's had since the beginning as far as it can go.

With most R&B albums being overloaded with interludes & skits, the title track may be an intro of sorts, but it is a real song & a great midtempo at that. While R.'s most successful singles have been slow jams for the most part, he still has a way with a groove & the lyrics here are more sensual than carnal. "Been Around The World" [with Ja Rule] (a thank-you to his fans for standing by him in his legal struggle), "Snake" [with Big Tigger] & "Who's That" [with Fat Joe] (in place of "Apologies Of A Thug", which is now only available on imports) bring up the tempo more & will surely have people heading for the nearest dance floor to strut their stuff. The last two songs take the sound of his hit "Fiesta" further with their Latin-tinged arrangements, but I guess if something works... "Step In The Name Of Love" & its accompanying remix (acknowledging the album's intention of making the listener feel good) could easily have been recorded back in the early 1970s & the heyday of Philly soul. If you don't get the urge to move after hearing this song, you're either asleep or dead.

In fact, the only flat-out sexual song on here is the first single "Ignition", which has double-entendres out the wazoo. The accusations of it being "You Remind Me Of Something Else" are right on the money & while it may have been the wrong song to release, it's still not half-bad. The remix that follows is in fact only a marginal improvement on the original: the beat is good, but it's like a song that never gets started.

Sure enough, R.'s got his mind on romance this time out with slower numbers like "Heart Of A Woman", "I'll Never Leave", "You Made Me Love You", "Forever" & "Dream Girl". While the titles may hint that R. is stretching for ideas, you can tell his sincerity in moving away from pleasures of the flesh, and if he must return to it, it will be more romantic than graphic. The very cinematic "Showdown" closes out the saga started by "Down Low" with another epic battle of vocal wills with Ronald Isley & has that feeling of being right in the middle of a spaghetti Western (Sergio Leone would be proud!). By far, this is CHOCOLATE FACTORY's magnum opus & the ultimate proof that R.'s creativity is going at full-blast even now (I can't wait to see a video for this song).

Right as his legal battles were heating up, R. Kelly had planned on releasing an album called LOVELAND, which unfortunately was scrapped because of internet bootlegging. While R. went back to the studio to retool the album, he was generous enough to include a bonus disc with some copies of the album containing 6 songs from LOVELAND that probably won't see the light of day for many years (maybe on a remastered version in the future). "What Do I Do", "Far More" & "Raindrops" are silky smooth ballads perfect for cuddling in front of the fireplace. "Loveland" is an excellent hip-shaker, while "The World's Greatest" (from the ALI soundtrack) is an "I Believe I Can Fly"-veined encouragement number. "Heaven I Need A Hug" is his most direct address of the backlash he faced after being charged, but could also work as another inspirational tune in the style of "I'm Your Angel" or "The Storm Is Over Now".

Like I mentioned in my review of Michael Jackson's INVINCIBLE, it's a shame that a truly talented artist is seeing his hard work & talent being obscured by the media's promotion of an image that may not be accurate. R. Kelly (who has collaborated with Michael twice before) is another example of the music taking second place to the rumors. Again, while his innocence or guilt has yet to be proven & I don't approve of his accused crimes (even a bisexual man like me has morals), at least put the music first in critiquing his work. R. intended this album to be a feel-good, upbeat album without anything to be read into it. He has definitely succeeded with CHOCOLATE FACTORY & if anything, R. has only become a stronger artist & person with all the turmoil in his life. The proof is in the chocolate pudding! :)

Wherever you are, R., keep the faith & know I'm in your corner!

R.Kelly Brings the Pain on this Set.The Best Album I've Heard over the Past year&easily a Leading Choice for Best this Year.R.Kelly Echos Marvin Gaye,Stevie Wonder,Michael Jackson,etc.. among others&Bring them all into His Musical Mold.the Guy truly Shines in a Recording Studio&He is Showcased rather Strongly here.He needed to Make a Album to Remind Folks what it is really all about&He does here.The SoulFul Genius Rises to The Musical Front on this Double Set that is a Must Have.

man r kelly fans get this kelly still has what it takes regardless of his issues he's still a good artist and I love the laundry mat with nivea that is my favorite jam on this whole cd this is worth the money one of the best cd's in 2003 please get this.