R & B has been with us since before rock 'n' roll; it's present form owes much to an amalagation of the seamless production best exemplified by Smoky Robinson's early 1980s solo albums and the Gamble-Huff stable of such stalwarts as the O'Jays and Teddy Pendergrass, as well as the progressive, daring-for-their-time arrangements of Stevie Wonder. Ginuwine has since the beginning of his career has utilized this style --- lush arrangements, tenor-voiced vocals riding over a background of repetitive, almost chanted, chorus lines, and all of his songs dealing with the yearning of love, good and bad.

THE LIFE finds Ginuwine in the role of executive producer, giving him the chance to really stretch. And he does. Ginuwine does not reach for the moon and the stars unless he is capable of grasping them and he demonstrates repeatedly on THE LIFE that he can quite handily master any task that he sets out for himself. While "Differences" is presently getting constant airplay, it is no means the only standout on the CD. On "Show After the Show" he utilizes a funky backbeat wedded with an arrangement that would not sound out of place in a casbah to create a sensuous ode to seduction. "That's How I get Down" has it's rhythms firmly planted on the street, and features a guest appearance by rapper Ludacris. Both gentleman maintain a nice balance here, neither overpowering or outclassing the other, but only because both perform with appropriate restraint --- a factor that adds to, rather than detracts, from their respective performances. "Role Play," on the other hand, gets right down to business. "Come in here/take off your skirt/sit right down and let G go to work" leaves little to the imagination. And it gets hotter from there. The arrangement is uncharacteristically spare, but is perfect for the song, and give Ginuwine the perfect opportunity to show off his considerable vocal talents. It is only on "Two Reasons Why I Cry" that Ginuwine strays from the program with an ode to his deceased parents. The intensely personal performance of this song might have been more appropriately placed at the close of the CD, as opposed to following it with "Just Because," the hot, funky "Just Because," an instant Top 10 winner which, due to its placement after "Two Reasons Why I Cry" sounds almost inappropriate. This, however, is a minor quibble at best, especially when weighed against the rest of the CD, which is as strong an R & B entry as anything released this year.

THE LIFE is a document of a talent that presently stands above most in the field, and that, amazingly enough, hints at even greater work in the future. Ginuwine demonstrates here that he can do just about anything that he sets his mind to and do it better than anyone else. And should he ever tire of performing, his future as a producer would appear to be a foregone conclusion in favor of success. Ginuwine is a man to watch, and to continue watching.