Elgin Lumpkin, better known as Ginuwine, is part of a particular breed of R&B singers. You know the type well -- the ones whose good looks, provocative dance moves and boyish charm leave female fans swooning. It doesn't matter if they aren't the most talented or if their vocals do not put goose bumps on your arm, because overall they are solid artists. Ginuwine, who is known more for his dancing and performances than for his creative genius, attempts to break out of this box on his fourth album, "Senior."
From the start you realize that this is a different feel for Ginuwine. After an oddly-placed Mike Tyson intro, the opening song, "Get Ready," features Snoop Dogg and The Rook. On this track, Ginuwine coons "Pass the Hennessey/ I'm about to get bent/ Toss the blunts/ Let me roll the upper lip/ Don't make me pop them thangs cause I get off the chain/ You don't know me/ But you're bout to/ It's the real me/ And I thought you knew," over a Troy Oliver beat composed of a hypnotic blend of piano, strings and harp. However, Snoop's lackluster rhymes, along with the obvious "wanksta" material, do a disservice to the beat. It's evident that Ginuwine is in the process of trading in his image of the soft-spoken pretty boy for the "R&B thug" façade which unfortunately is becoming more and more commonplace.
Yet, a few bright points shine through on the album. The club and radio favorite "Hell Yeah," featuring Baby of the Cash Money Millionaires, is perfect for mindless dancing although the track, written, produced and arranged by R. Kelly, sounds like it sound have been sung by Kelly himself instead of Ginuwine ("Have you ever seen a thug in the club with the bottle turned up head boppin like hell yeah/Have you ever seen a chic in the club with a drink in her cup, booty shaking like hell yeah"). Fortunately, Ginuwine has the ability to make anything sound good. On "In Those Jeans," for example, he asks, "Tell me is there anymore room for me/In those jeans." The impressive soulful vocals over guitar splices on a hard bass line makes the song endearing.
The album isn't completely devoid of any ballads, luckily. In "Love You More," Ginuwine sings in a higher register: "I love you more everday/You show me love in everyway/There's nothing more for me to say/But I love you." "Bedda to Have Loved" also is a must for any romantic's play list. Here, Ginuwine gushes, "Girl I know your pain/And it hurts so deep/I've been there before/But baby you will see/That we've all been hurt/We had our falls/Bedda to have loved/Than not have loved at all."
Of course, Ginuwine wouldn't be Ginuwine if he didn't toss in the obligatory freaky track. On "Senior," it comes in the form of "On My Way" and "Sex," featuring Sole. On the latter track, the up-tempo Latin inspired beat, raunchy lyrics and Sole's precise timing perfectly conveys the topic.
Although "Senior" is thoroughly entertaining, there is something missing. What is lacking throughout the album is integrity. Ginuwine doesn't present himself on this album. He steps up to the plate by producing and writing most of the songs on the album, but there is no consistency. Every track tries to reach a different audience. Most of the guest appearances by other artists have no chemistry.
Ginuwine will do well to create songs that reflect him and attract an audience that appreciate artistic honesty.
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