In My Mind [PA] - Pharrell (CD 2006)

First Epinions review. I hope I do the site justice. I love The Neptunes. I don't think they'll ever go out of sty-... well... let's just say that they'll somewhere down the line go into the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame (provided someone founds one). Pharrell has been banging out the hits for artists ranging from hip icon Snoop Dogg to pop's darling Britney Spears for the better part of 10 years. He and partner Chad Hugo have had the King Midas touch, that of which every artist and their momma runs to get snatchies on. Their clientele is so long that to list it will ensue one's appearance resembling that of fabled Rip Van Winkle. I don't think I've ever hated any of their beats (may have gotten weary of them, but never sick). So upon hearing that Pharrell's putting out a solo album, my first instinct is to run to Barnes and Noble and sample each track. And this is coming from someone who absolutely abhors ruining the listening experience by sampling. But this album warrants it, and after one full listen at the store, I think, "Yeah, that's some good stuff". Bringing 'In My Mind' home is a different story because of the make-up of the album. And that make-up consists of 1/2 hip-hop, 1/2 R&B (8 & 8 exactly). For some, this may sound a novel idea but it gives the album less playback quality. Splitting may appease the polar audience targets, but for someone who likes both, a push of the "random" button might be quite frequent (and who really uses that feature?) I like my genres mixed. Collard greens and mashed potatoes touching? Heck to the naw! But R&B mixed in with hip-hop... c'mon, they're musical siblings. With that small gripe put aside, let's jump into the tracks.

Since I'm not an Epinions regular, the jump from generalizing to specifying will be hard, because I'm a superficial listener, meaning I don't listen to lyrics unless they're concrete and stand out. So I can't (and won't) judge Pharrell on lyrical merit. But even I know when a rapper's lyrics are pedestrian, and I believe Pharrell's fall underneath that umbrella (even on the R&B tip- "I can't believe that you are a human being"... yes, he wrote that). The production suffers as well; no catchy hooks or sonic wizardry to reel the listener in. The tracks just do what they're supposed to do (they're complacent, so to speak); serve as a backdrop for spittin'. Believe it or not, these are the only gripes I have with the album. The rap tracks are still listenable and they're justified a further listen just by the sheer moxy of the R&B swingers "Skateboard P" delivers later on. The hidden "I Really Like You, Girl" (I think he wants us to fast forward to that, by the way) is the best song on the album. It's quite possibly the best "Michael Jackson-sounding-but-neither-written-nor-sung-by-MJ-song" I've ever heard. The percussive snare, discotic rhythm, idiosyncratic "oooh!", and tight harmonies invoke strobe lights, disco balls, and sequined jumpsuits. Noone copies... er... does it better than Pharrell. Don't get me started on the ultra-melodic "Stay With Me" and piano-ridden "Number One". If Pharrell was going to stick with a few established artists to emulate, going with Michael Jackson (the best ever, no matter what "anyone" says), Stevie Wonder, and Prince are the best candidates because their music never gets old.

All in all, I think that if Pharrell's talents as a rapper were better (along with his hip-hop production), the album would be a 5, but it only gets a 4 for me. The good thing is that the 2nd half of the album is enough to make you ignore the lackluster 1st half, so you may very likely find yourself going back to listen to something you may have skipped before, just on the merit of the R&B tracks alone. Because by the end of the day, c'mon... it's Pharrell Williams. This is just a vanity project; he's not supposed to be taken uber-seriously. "Skateboard P" at his worst is better than any of these contemporary hip-hop singers/rappers at their best. I'll always support what he does.