Customer Reviews

Unpredictable

5 star:		(129)
4 star:		(62)
3 star:		(34)
2 star:		(26)
1 star:		(32)

 

 

I'd like to say from the start that I've got nothing but love for brother Jamie. I've followed his career from the early days of "In Living Color" and "Booty Call" and genuinely admire the way he seems to have moved seamlessly from stand up comedian, to comedic actor, to serious actor (and Oscar winning glory). He's obviously a multi-talented dude and he obviously works very hard. Props to him.

I had no idea he had released an album prior to this one and was swayed into buying this (and the huge mistake of buying it without listening to the sample clips) by his recent work on the movie "Ray", his appearance on the Ray Charles TV tribute show and his recent contributions to songs by Ludacris and Kanye West. I was also suckered by the rumours I heard that he was taking it back to the 'old school days' and then, of course, there is the title of this CD.

Unpredictable? I don't think so. For me this is as predictable as tomorrow's sunrise. The theme is predictable, the choice of collaborations, is predictable, the inner sleeve notes that double as a poster fold-out are predictable and I could go on and on. The CD is basically full of the one track minded banality that men half Jamie Foxx's age (and with much less than half his talent) are putting out there.

That said, these guys are all selling multi-platinum, so what do I know?

Lyrically there is absolutely nothing here for me and musically, we're doing only slightly better. The title song is so so but Ludacris (whose stuff I'm crazy about) lights it up with a few verses. Mary J. Blige does her thing as only she knows how on "Love Changes". "Extravaganza" is equally interesting although I could've done without the Kanye West verses. "VIP" was the biggest surprise until I checked the inner sleeve notes and found, as I suspected, that it samples a Herbie Hancock song. Foxx makes a good job of balladeering on "Heaven", a song reportedly dedicated to his daughter, and the final song "Wish You Were Here" not only has sentimental value, it also sounds pretty good.

On the whole though, I found the CD dull, facile and without any real feeling whatsoever. But I guess that's R&B in the 21st century for you. Judging by the rave reviews he's received here though, (not to mention the fact that he's number one on the Billboard 200, Hot/Pop and R&B/Hip Hop charts this week) it would seem that my opinion is definitely in the small minority.

But it's still my opinion and I stand by it. I've given him 3 stars (and have decided not to take this straight down to the 2nd-hand CD store in town) because, as I said, I have love for the brother and who knows? Maybe in time, one or two of the songs on this CD might actually grow on me.

So. If you like your music current, with mass appeal and with a focus primarily on sex, this is a CD for your collection. If on the other hand you're looking for something a little deeper and with a flavour that's a little longer lasting, I sincerely doubt you'll find it here.

I'm not sure of how many albums Jamie Foxx has produced over the last few years, but clearly this is the most highly publicized of them all. He was on just about every talk-show there was this week like a promotion-machine. I heard half the album on TRL and Oprah alone. Jamie, of course, performed "Unpredictable" live on both shows, which he spices up a little with a different bridge... unfortunately that isn't the one on the album.



Nevertheless, the album's title track "Unpredictable" is a good choice for the first single. It's one of the best songs on this album, with a sample-laced beat that is sure to get you to at least snap your fingers. The lyrics aren't all that great, but Jamie makes up for it with his vocals, and the arrangement here is also pretty well done.



However, each time I listen to "Unpredictable", I wish that the song was longer. First, because it's a fun song. Secondly, because it'll at least stall until the album's second track "Warm Bed" comes on which is anything but unpredictable (Sorry for the cliche). "Warm Bed", along with many other tracks on Foxx's album sound very familiar, which is disappointing because you expect so much after listening to "Unpredictable".



As I listened, while reading the liner notes, I began to wonder how it takes three or four people to pen mediocre songs like "Warm Bed" and "Three Letter Word", and then have Jamie, on his own, produce a jewel like "Heaven".



Maybe that is the problem here. Foxx's album seems so overproduced that it comes out very commonplace, and at times boring. Even the album's guests can't save some of these songs, "With You" featuring Snoop Dogg is one these. What is Snoop even doing in this song? It's evident again as you listen to Timberland-produced "Can I Take You Home". The beat is killer, but it sounds so much like a Jodeci song that I have to turn it off. Don't get me wrong, I loved Jodeci, but what I want here and now is Jamie Foxx.



Occasionally you get Jamie Foxx. His song "Heaven" is a smooth and beautiful ballad which he says was written for his daughter. The lyrics, written by Jamie himself (and only Jamie, Thank God), are absolutely mind-blowing. This is the kind of Jamie that you'd hoped for after hearing "Unpredictable".

A few other songs that work for Jamie are "VIP" which has mellow and soulful sound to it, and "Extravaganza" which features Kanye West. It's clear here that Kanye and Jamie really gel in the studio. The sounnds very original and Jamie is vocally at his best, in my opinion. The lyrics are also quite catchy, clever and comical to me... (I had one too many drinks/ and ended at the Embassy/ with this pretty lil thing). It sounds like the perfect storyline for a one-night stand.



Another song that works on Foxx's "Unpredicatable" is "Wish You Were Here", an ode to his grandmother. The song is so genuine that you might actually be moved to tears. Like "Heaven", it is a slow song with personal subject matter, and I think that is when Foxx is at his best.



I hope on his next album Jamie Foxx includes more of the piano and lyrics of his own. I'll take Jamie with a piano solo and a silky smooth ballad over a raunchy Jodeci-esqe song anyday.

What can I say, Jamie is and always will be talented. I never have let the fact that Jamie, being a great actor/comedian forshadow that he can sing. A lot of people don't take his music seriously because he's an actor and/or comedian....Nah, that sounds more like an excuse to me.

Anyhow, "Unpredictable" is a very ballad heavy album, and that's not a bad thing either. This album has a lot of great songs. Unpredictable is definatly a must buy album!

My favorite tracks in order:

Track 10: VIP 10/10 Great beat, great lyrics/vocals...I just love songs with violins in them.

Track 7: Extravaganza 9/10 Catchy song, great lyrics/vocals with a nice rap peice by Mr. West!

Track 1: Unpredictable 9/10 Great first single. Love this song and Ludacriss rap verse adds.

Track 2: Warm Bed 9/10 Another great song, nice dance feel to it. Party jam.

Track 11: Do What It Do 9/10 Great slow jam, love this beat. great vibe and lyrics to match.

Who would have ever thought that that square head guy from "In Living Color" would one day win an Oscar, have a hit album, and be one of the hottest things in showbiz. Jamie Foxx is a comedian, actor, singer, and a musician, and he does all of these things with style and skill which is exactly why Mr. Foxx has the right to name his album Unpredictable because that really is what he his. I gave this album five stars because to me Jamie Foxx has one of the most beautiful voices in the music industry, the production is not bad at all, and to tell the truth this 15 track album sounds better then a lot of the garbage that people have been releasing lately. What I like about Jamie is that he brings back that 90's Jodeci, Aaron Hall, Boys 2 Men type feel of music without sounding dated. Although some tracks stand out more then others I really liked all of them except "Extravaganza" I dont know where they were going with that song. But heres my list of each song and its quality.


1) Unpredictable: To tell the truth at first I thought this was just an average song, but the more I heard it on the radio the more I fell in love with this song and Jamies vocals are actually very nice on this track which are further complimented by Ludacris and his rap verse. Very nice track overall.

2) Warm Bed: Collipark produced this track and this sets the album off real nice, the beat is aggressive but nice and soft at the same time. I love the lyrics and Jamie's voice flows very well and smoothe on this track. Top Notch Song.

3) DJ Play A Love Song: This is another great track, I really like the way the beat changes briefly towards the middle of the track, although Twista has a decent verse on this track he really was not needed. Another hot song on Jamies album though.

4) With You: At first I didnt like this song, the beat turned me off, and to be honest I didnt give it a chance. But when you actually get past the awkward beat of the song then it grows on you, and you will end up loving it. The Game and Snoop Dogg also help to make this track worth listening to.

5) Can I Take You Home: Oh My God I love this song! the beat is so smoothe and Jamie really gets his Don Juan on with this song, the lyrics match the smoothe Timbaland beat very well and this is one of the real standout tracks on this album.

6) Love Changes: Now this is an old school love song right here, Jamie and Mary singing together really reminds me of all the soulful singers like Marvin Gaye and Roberta Flack from back in the day. Mary J Blige's voice however gets irritating on some parts because she is stretching her vocals too hard, but this is still a very nice track with a simple and nice beat.

7) Extravaganza: I hate this song! You would think that after Jamie and Kanye made such good songs like Golddigger and Slow Jamz that this would be one of the best tracks but it is actually the worst in my opinion. The beat is very slow and boring, Jamie Foxx doesnt even sound like himself, Kanyes verse is whack, and to be honest the lyrics to the whole song are pointless and whack as well. Sorry Jamie but you lost it here buddy.

8) Three Letter Word: After listening to the horrible track seven, Three Letter Word is heaven to the ears. I love the song, the beat has a real nice romantic feel to it, this is one song you could really set the mood with. There is only one thing I dont like about this song and that is when Jamie Foxx says in the chorus that "sex is stronger then any drug even love", nothing is stronger then Love Jamie, especially not sex.

9) Get This Money: This is another quiet storm song on Jamies album, I noticed by this point of the album that Jamie is still old school when it comes down to it. The drums in the background are real dynamic on this song, the hook is very catchy, and overall this is another great song on the album.

10) VIP: The first thing that you will notice about this track is the very sensual and 70's vibe that the beat has. I really love this song and it is another of the standout tracks on the album. The chorus really sounds a lot like the singer Tank is adding background vocals and it really works for the song. One of my favorite tracks and the lyrics are fun and creative.

11) Do What It Do: I love how assertive Jamie is on this track, he starts the song out strong and very reminiscent of another freaky singer *cough cough* R. Kelly *cough cough*. I really like the song but overall its not really a standout track, but that doesnt mean its not a good one.

12) Storm: Once again Jamie follows the quiet storm role again, this time he plays the role of your romantic weather man, comparing the moistness of a woman to the rain that pours from the sky, the beat flows well, and the weather sounds in the background really add depth to the song. Lovely track.

13) U Still Got It: I love the way that Jamie sings about a subject besides having sex, partying, and being a player. This time around Jamie is singing to his woman who is pregnant with his baby and she doesnt feel sexy anymore and he croons her the whole song letting her know that she still "has it". Common adds a nice verse to the song, and this is one of the nicer tracks on the album.

14) Heaven: I first heard this song as a live performance when Jamie Foxx was featured on the Oprah show. I loved it then, and I love it even more on this album. Jamie plays the piano beautifully, and overall the subject matter is very sweet, and I am sure that many woman will find it romantic that Jamie is singing a love song to his daughter.

15) Wish You Were Here: Anybody who has ever lost anybody can relate to this song, it will no doubt bring tears to your eyes when you listen to the lyrics about Jamie and his grandmother who passed away years ago. The beat is very dynamic but simple at the same time, the chorus has a real nice feel to it, and the lyrics are beautiful. Jamie really shows his vocal talent on this track and people of all ages can really appreciate this song.

We live in a day and time where anyone can get a record deal, come out with a club song produced by Lil Jon and next thing you know they are a celebrity. But few artists are actually deserving of celebrity status. Jamie Foxx to me has paved the way not only for aspiring black entertainers, but for everyone, I give this album and extra star simply because Jamie has broke the barriers and did not allow himself to be confined to just being one thing, which something that everyone can relate to.
Jamie Foxx is a true celebrity and like I said earlier, Jamie has an amazing voice and he always has, even if you listen to the "Bait" soundtrack and listen to a song called "Bed Springs" you can hear that Jamie Foxx has always been a talented singer. Dont be a fool and think that just because Jamie used to play Sha Nay Nay from "In Living Color" that he cant hold down a serious and enjoyable album, becasue thats exactaly what Mr. Foxx does with "Unpredictable"

I have been waiting for Jaime to make another album for years. I still listen to Peep This today. I knew Jamie could sing and it was all about timing. This album is great! He has teamed up with a great group of artist and I will be listening to this for another 10 or 11 years, but lets hope he doesn't make us wait that long to do it again!!

Love You Jamie!!!

I LOVE every song except EXTRAVANGA that's mainly because I do not care for KANYE WEST. 14 OUT OF 15 IS ALMOST PERFECT. Jaime put is all in this CD. This is definitely fot the Grown & Sexy. My favorite tracks are Unpredictable, Warm Bed, Storm (Forecass), Heaven, Wish U Were Here.

Go Ahead and get this CD you will not be disappointed.

After months of hype and numerous appearances on rapper's CDS, Jamie Foxx finally releases his sophomore CD to 1994's Peep This. Jamie showed his vocal talents on the soundtracks to his film The Great White Hype and Bait, and he completely blew up with his duets with rappers ranging from Field Mob and Twista to Kanye West. The CD which features production by Mr. Collapark, Kanye West and Timberland is sure to please everyone.

1.Unpredictable feat .Ludacris - The official first single with a nice rap from Ludacris.

2.Warm Bed - A mid tempo track with production by Mr. Collapark who shows that he can do more than bass heavy song with this track. I'd like to see what he can do with other R&B artists.

3.DJ Play A Love Song feat. Twista - This is easily one of the best tracks on the CD. This is going to be one of my mix tape favorites and Jamie takes us back to when DJ's like myself actually played slow jams in the club. I can easily see a video being shot for this song.

4.With You feat. The Game & Snoop Dogg - Another winner of track feat. Rap's West Coast kings. I don't really see this being a single though

5.Can I Take U Home - This track is cool it kind of sounds like the remix w/o a rap to Twista's When I Get You Home . The Neptune's offer up some cool production for this track.

6. Love Changes - A remake of the Kashif and Melissa Morgan song. Personally I think Mary was wrong for the song as Mary's and Jamie's voices don't blend well together, but never the less it's still a hot song.

7.Extravaganza feat. Kanye West - The lead single that first gained radio play and mix tape buzz over the summer this track never really impressed me and Kanye's beat was kind of weak.

8.Three Letter Word - Another mix tape favorite and killer slow jam. This is easily one of the better songs on the CD.

9.Get This Money - An up-tempo track

10.VIP - Another mid tempo track

11.Do What It Do - Midtempo track

12.Storm (Forecast)- Jamie takes it back to another pillow talk infused slow jam, where he compares a night of chilling with that special someone to a weather report.

13.U Still Got It (Interlude) feat. Common - Jamie and Kanye reunite after their self titled song off the Any Given Sunday track, pretty much just a standard interlude.

14.Heaven - A slow jam basically talking about the Heaven of being a father to a daughter.

15.Wish U Were Here - Jamie ends the CD on a high note with a tribute to his beloved grandmother.

Jamie Foxx proves he has range and is a capable singer with his sophomore CD. With slow jams on par with his classic slow jams Bedsprings, Light A Candle and Experiment. Jamie gives us on the best R&B CD'S of late 2005

I just purchased the "long awaited" CD from the one and only Jamie Foxx. I think he's been hanging around the wrong people in the studio. They are not your real friends Jamie cause if they were someone would've told you that this CD is not even close to a classic. That's what I would strive for if I made a CD. And with a voice like Jamie's it is wasted talent to do such mediocre songs. Kanye West ruined the Extravanganza song. The song with Snoop on it is Garbage. The song about his Grandmother (I wish you were here) is a good song. The title song featuring Ludacris is a good song but overall the CD is predictable and boring. I really like Jamie Foxx more than the next person so I'm not hating. I'm being as truthful as I can with my review.

Allow me to be the voice of difference when I say that this effort is an over-produced, filler-track filled, emotionless, mediocre-vocal-embodying collection of commercial material. Nothing special about this studio album from Jamie Foxx. If his career was solely contingent upon trying to be a successful recording artist, Mr. Foxx would be in deep "doo-doo". It fails to showcase his true musicianship and each track seems like an imitation of successful artists of the past and present (ie- Ray Charles and Usher). Hard to decipher that which is truly HIS voice. Amid the "blah", there are a few joints that are worth mentioning such as "VIP", "Warm Bed", the lead single, "Unpredictable", and "U Still Got It" (unfortunately merely a snippet). All in all, it is safe to say that if Jamie releases another record identical to this, I am predicitng his recording artist forecast to be quite dismal.

This album had to kinda grow on me... but now that it has, I'm really really feeling it... Of course, Unpredictable is a hot track, but the entire CD is actually pretty good quality... there are maybe 2 songs that I don't put in rotation. I have to say my Favorites are "Changes" and "Can I Take You Home" and of course, "Unpredictable" but overall, I am enjoying this.. A lot of people critisize the fact that he has such a 'random' so to say, voice. Meaning, he sounds different on many tracks, sometimes you don't recognize his voice, and he has no set style... but, is that really a requirement to have talent? I think it's actually pretty impressive! Each track is unique, and like I said, although I'm not grooving to each one of the tracks with the same enthusiasm (lets face it, there is not exactly an abundance of albums in which we like EVERY SINGLE SONG, although I could name a few if asked)... I still respect what he did with this project and I can recognize a good album when I hear one. Jamie has genuine talent and I admire his abilities to excel in acting and in singing! We all know, many try, few succeed! Sometimes we get accustom to seeing someone in one genre and we're just not too accepting of them when they cross over into other ones, but Jamie has definitely made it clear that he is going to "Make it do what it do" and I say, do it.