ME'SHELL NDEGEOCELLO - PLANTATION LULLABIES

Although this is Me'shell's 1st album, it was the second I heard. Wendy & Lisa worked on her 2nd disc and after hearing it, I immediately went and picked up this one. And I wasn't disappointed.

I've always been drawn to offbeat artists. Though there were other artists who combine rap and singing, Me'shell does it in such a smooth way. This album is urban hip hop at its best. And yet at the same time it manages to be funky, soulful and accessible. Even casual listeners could embrace this unique sound.

Lyrically, the album is extremely challenging. Ranging from topics like racism, social inequality, drug abuse and love, Me'shell presents a view not popularized by television or mainstream media. She discusses the "White Man" not from the Hollywood comedic stand point; but rather a downtrodden American struggling to survive in urban society. She celebrates her ethnicity and various aspects of the social class she grew up in. If you ever wanted to relate to people in this situation, this album puts you right in the thick of it without resorting to emotional manipulation or other tactics. You just suddenly realize this is where it's at. You're sitting on a sidewalk, listening to music playing on the ghetto blaster and absorbing the world moving around you.

Almost every track is a classic. I just put the disc in and let it play through. There are one or two songs that really catch my attention as I listen. 'I'm Diggin' You' and 'If That's Your Boyfriend', are my favorites. But I'm just as happy with the rest of the disc. Me'shell is an artist of amazing talent! Even if hip hop isn't your bag, she's someone you should pay attention to. This is perhaps the only album she's done that can neatly fit into a genre category. Each new disc takes you in a different direction. She's unpredictable and interesting. My final word: FUNKY.

ME'SHELL NDEGEOCELLO - PLANTATION LULLABIES
01. Plantation Lullabies
02. I'm Diggin' You (Like An Old Soul Record)
03. If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night)
04. Shoot'n Up And Gett'n High
05. Dred Loc
06. Untitled
07. Step Into The Projects
08. Soul On Ice
09. Call Me
10. Outside Your Door
11. Picture Show
12. Sweet Love
13. Two Lonely Hearts (On The Subway)