Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

Due to the magic of advance releases, I'm sitting here writing this in November 2001, a couple of months or so away from the release of the N*E*R*D CD, IN SEARCH OF N*E*R*D. There's a lot of buzz on this bad boy; there is a (confusing) rumor to the effect that this production trio laid down a track for ALL FOR YOU, the latest Janet Jackson CD, that somehow would up in the can instead of on the disc. As unfortunate as that may be, I think within a few months these guys aren't really going to care.

While IN SEARCH OF N*E*R*D does include a bit of the usual violence which, alas is more often than not a staple of the rap genre, there is more of a focus on danceability and rhythm here than one might find on the average CD in the bin. One of the best examples of this is "Baby Doll." There are also some interesting samples, here, as well; is that Steve Winwood I hear on "Am I High"? There's also some righteous anger here, too, on tracks like "Rock Star" and "Provider." The ultimate song of alienation on IN SEARCH OF N*E*R*D is, however, "Bobby James," about a high school loser who turns to drugs. Its offhand, but disturbing, refrain, "Hey there mister can you give me some cash/I'm almost passed out and I'm ready to crash" echoes throughout the track. "Stay Together," the closing track on the CD, is a total surprise, a track with an introduction that features a smooth chorus singing "Let's Say Together" and a totally unexpected saxophone solo that segues into a vocal over a heavy percussive and organ backbeat. The track contrasts the emotions present at the beginning, and end, of a love affair: at the beginning, the idea of staying together is mutual, while at the end, the singer, knowing he is being dumped, is plaintively, almost desperately, screaming that they stay together. The track, and CD, end suddenly on that note, leaving the listener wondering what will happen, and what is coming.

In an era where everyone with a Roland and a chip on his shoulder fancies himself as a producer it's refreshing to come across someone who is not afraid to take chances and to step outside of what's expected within a genre. N*E*R*D isn't afraid to push the boundaries of rap and hip hop, and have produced a CD evocative of the best and worst of those genres, while gently rubbing shoulders with pop and jazz on the edge. It will be interesting, and instructive, to see what they do with other projects they become involved in.