It's another pivot - to a more R&B, soulful sound, with soft, groovy back beats, vibrato backing vocals, and way, waaaaaay less swearing. An attempt at mainstreaming? Possibly. If so, I think it's working. This feels more accessible, with a sound that must surely have influenced acts like The Fugees. He's still angry, obviously. But it sounds bit more considered, a more intellectual approach. Mature? Well, almost.

Of course there's a danger with a softer sound that it starts to become anodyne or blend into one. Nothing perks you up more than a repeated percussion of Fs and Ns. There is interesting stuff going on here though. I'm curious that this one is seen as the great masterpiece, but maybe it's just appealing to a broader audience?

I guess Old School and Fuck the World take us back to basics, but hey, you have to keep those early adopters happy. Even these seem slightly weary, lacking the venom and aggression of the first two albums.

He's got a lot on his plate, this much is obvious. And given his posthumous output, he's probably recording demos like nobody's business. Something about this one leaves me cold though - lacking the passion of Prince, the soul of Irma, or the cleverness of KB. An acquired taste.