This came out in 2004 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Who says history never repeats?
In 2002, horndog balladeer R. Kelly and rap kingpin Jay-Z tried to marry hip-hop and R&B on the widely ignored Best Of Both Worlds — only to see the whole affair implode when Kelly was hit with a raft of sex crime charges. Now, apparently not knowing when to leave well enough alone, they’ve issued this equally underwhelming followup — which actually seems to consist of leftovers from the original sessions, judging by the personnel and recording data. Even better, their joint tour quickly collapsed into violence and jealousy, with Kelly suing Jay for $75 million after being pepper-sprayed and booted off the bill. “Make up to break up, that’s all we do,” croons Kelly here with remarkable insight. Guess that means a threepeat is only a matter of time.
