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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Impressive Sophomore Effort from Lloyd; 3 ½ Stars, March 23, 2007
To be honest, I wasn't crazy about Lloyd's debut endeavor via "Southside", a duet with the credibility-questioned diva Ashanti. It wasn't horrible, but it also wasn't great by any means, despite getting reasonably sound airplay. I didn't buy the album because I wasn't truly impressed by the single from Lloyd's debut, SOUTHSIDE. I wasn't going to buy STREET LOVE, but I heard a lot of buzz surrounding it and I did like first single "You" better than "Southside". "You" was a bigger and better hit, though if it hadn't been for a great sale price, a lingering (from myself) for a new R&B album, and a hell of a lot of buzz, I probably would've passed STREET LOVE by as well. I am so glad that I came to my senses and purchased this great set of R&B which spans balladry, club-bangers, and most importantly, it is mostly Lloyd solo without the rediculous cameos from six-million different guest stars.
Skipping a completely unnecessary intro (as all of them are in my opinion), The album starts with first and acclaimed single "You", which is a strong way to start the album. The single has a "subtle aura" about it, not completely dislike the ubiquitous #1 "Let Me Love You" by Mario. It is perfect and simple at the same time and Lloyd does just enough singing to draw the audience. It isn't my favorite track from STREET LOVE nor my favorite R&B track out now, but it is strong enough to propel the underrated Lloyd to star status in my opinion. Lil' Wayne's collaboration here was probably meant to truly propel Lloyd (considering Wayne just may be the hottest MC in rap lately), but he isn't truly necessary; Lloyd holds down the track himself. "Certified", track 3, is stronger in my opinion with its electro-centric production than "You". The production isn't the only hot thing, as Lloyd's vocals sound terrific and the background vocals are great as well. The songwriting is particularly strong on this track making it rather memorable. With soul drenched guitar/synth licks coupled with light, melodic piano lines, this track is certifying that Lloyd just might be what the R&B game needs.
"I Don't Mind" fails to be as strong as "You" or "Certified", but it isn't bad. "Get It Shawty", the second single from STREET LOVE is stronger, though it doesn't quite stand as as strong as "You" or "Certified". It does, however, serve as a great choice for a second single because it is easy to listen to with it's electronic infused beats and production, and Lloyds silky-smooth vocals. "Incredible" turns out to be a mid-tempo track, slowing the pace down after the frantic, yet slick "Get It Shawty". It isn't as good and feels more filler than hit, but it isn't terrible by any means. "Valentine" is a middle of the road track that has the potential to be better than it is. It isn't incredibly memorable, but Lloyd sings it so convincingly you're almost drawn in by its seductive guitar-strummed nature. "Hazel" truly changes the mood after a couple of "take em' or leave em'" numbers. It is an inescapable hit where the production is banging and Lloyd himself has never sounded better (or ever sounded this good). More positive is the fact that "Hazel" turns out to be the first of a couple of truly great numbers by Lloyd.
"Player's Prayer's" concept may be a bit rediculous, but the song is truly strong. The production is great and Lloyd sounds fantastic, yet again. "Killing Me" is a great club track, one of the best on the album to be exact. The production truly sells the track. "Take You Home" isn't as strong as the latter, but it is worthy of a couple of listens. "What You Wanna Do" isn't bad either and the minoresque production adds a whole dimension with the vocal synths. It is one of the better tracks and Lloyd's vocal performance is incredible. "StreetLove" could've been better, but it isn't bad. "One For Me" is a nice "cadence-point" for the album and turns out to be a hit the caliber of some of the best of the album. The "I Want You [Remix]" could've been left off and nobody would've noticed, especially with Andre 3000's incredibly odd rap performance here alongside NaS.
Overall, STREET LOVE is a solid album with enough potential to truly 'launch' Lloyd's recording career and minor flaws. At 60 minutes, the album isn't long enough to quibble about it being too long, though had Lloyd cut 5 tracks, it probably would've been a 4 star album outright. It is close, but in my opinion, it is 3 ½ stars.
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by Lloyd 
![The Blueprint 3 [Explicit]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51JNQEKEviL._SL75_SS50_.jpg)
