This came out in 2005 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
What a difference a name makes.
Back when he went by his real handle John Stephens, this singer and pianist could be found toiling in the shadows behind the likes of Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill, Jay-Z and Janet Jackson. Since he became a sidekick of red-hot hitmaker Kanye West and changed his name to John Legend, this neo-soul talent has jumped the velvet rope between obscurity and Next Big Thingness. Judging by the 14 tracks on his debut studio disc Get Lifted, he’s in the right place. Legend has a supple voice, a love for old-school grooves, a nice touch with a melody, and best of all, doesn’t suffer from the melismatic malaise that afflicts so many crooners of late. Yeah, he benefits from the proximity of West, who exec-produced the disc and drops an onanistic rap on Number One. Ubiquitous guest-lister Snoop Dogg also pops in to repent his pimpin’ ways on I Can Change. But even without their help, John clearly has the goods to be a legend in the making.