Joi - Star Kitty's Revenge

“Shake what ya momma gave ya/it took 9 damn months to make ya.” Truer words were never spoken. It’s fitting, then, that they kick off Joi’s Star Kitty’s Revenge. Like a female version of Stankonia, the LP blends hip-hop bounce with live instrumentation (and, most importantly) a willingness to experiment; the result is an enjoyable bouillabaisse of Planet Rock bass and soulful melodies. You know you’ve got a good album on your hands when even the interludes are dope. Yet Star Kitty’s Revenge has more than skits going for it. “Techno Pimp” brings Parliament-worthy space funk to the proceedings, while “Get On” freaks some churchified harmonies and kickass guitar pyrotechnics over a Timbaland stutter step. “You’re A Whore” is Dre-caliber G Funk, and the one-two punch of “Munchies For Your Love” and “Lick” slow it all down long enough to get your babymake on (if that’s your thing, of course). Damn! From track to track, Joi creates a truly satisfying beat-based album. The only frustrating thing about the disc is the fact that none of it is unrepentantly catchy enough to ever be a hit, or even get on the radio; it’s just too unique, too much of a singular vision to be palatable to the tin ears of radio programmers. Which is a genuine shame – people need to be hearing stuff like “What If I Kissed You Right Now” instead of Destiny’s Child or whatever other plastic-ass pop music is masquerading as R&B these days. Fortunately, Joi’s record label allowed this undiluted slice of creativity to get through despite such “shortcomings.” Pick this disc up and enjoy a refreshing break from any music that could be called typical. [www.joi-online.com]