Lyfe Change (Columbia): A-
In a sea of generic, sleazeball r&b, Jennings warrants a category all his own. His third effort features earthy production and well-timed guest spots from Wyclef Jean, Snoop Dogg and T.I., but the real strength is his raspy-voiced honesty and insight. Countless r&b artists happily confine themselves to overworked themes of sex and materialism, but Jennings eschews explicit content to tackle real-life situations involving love, loss, family and the AIDS epidemic. You get the distinct feeling that his decade behind bars prior to stardom helped him realize the value of freedom and gave him the determination to make full use of it. Download: “Warriors.”
