Janelle Monae's "Metropolis" | review by Tarrin McGhee

I’ll admit, it took a few listens for my mind to expand far enough to accept Janelle Monáe into my current soul music consciousness. Recalling memories of my funk/soul/alternative hip-hop upbringing, which included Saturday morning cartoon interruptions from Daddy’s Rick James, Mama’s Betty Wright, sister’s Parliament, or brother’s endless replay of “Elevators” and “Cell Therapy” intruding through the stereo—I soon began to embrace the realness of the uniquely familiar underground sound surrounding her quirkiness. I later combined that with my undying love and respect for creative originality in rising artists, and eventually gave in and allowed Janelle to draw me completely into her world.

Imagine that the year is 2719. Five World Wars have decimated the earth. To escape from the ecological destruction, mankind has banded together to create one last great city named Metropolis………..Into to this world, an Alpha Platinum 9000 is born-- Android No. 57821, aka Cindy Mayweather-- equipped with a rock-star proficiency package and a working soul…

This is where Janelle Monáe now resides, but it hasn’t always been that way. Brought up in Kansas City, Kansas, Monáe attended the American Musical Academy in New York City, where she studied musical theatre with plans to pursue a career on Broadway. She decided to relocate to Atlanta, Georgia to pursue her dream of changing the world through her music after recognizing the lack of opportunities for black women to perform in major theatre.

Debuting her original sound for students of Georgia Perimeter College through performances in Atlanta, she got her break when she was first featured on the Purple Ribbon All-Star's Compilation, Got Purp? Volume 2, in 2005. Her song, "Lettin' Go," became a cult hit and a fan favorite. She was also featured on Outkast's movie soundtrack for Idlewild, on songs "Call The Law" and "In Your Dreams." Janelle was later “discovered” by Diddy, signed with Bad Boy via her own recording label, the Wondaland Arts Society in late 2007, and the rest, as they say, is now history.

Blasting out of cyberspace with her highly anticipated debut album, Metropolis (in stores now), Janelle is armed with lyrics that are out of this world—literally, and laces those with hypnotizing instrumentals that are redefining the sound of urban soul music and demand attention.

With musical influences including some of my all time faves-- James Brown, Michael Jackson, Cameo, Lauryn Hill, Stevie Wonder, and Outkast, she won me over with tracks like “Sincerely Jane,” where she expresses her frustration and despair for members of this generation who perpetuate a lifestyle of drugs, crime, and hopelessness. With true sincerity and raw passion, she sings, “Left the city my mama she said don’t come back home/ these kids round killing each other/ they lost they minds they gone/ they quitting school, making babies, and can barely read/some gone off to that war/Lord have mercy on them.” She questions her peers into action by posing the thoughtful question, “Are we really living or just walking dead now?”

She damn near knocked me out completely with the socially conscious, and surprisingly mellow ballad anthem, “Mr. President,” an open letter to fans that summarizes her opinions on George Bush and the state of America. “So much disappointment in many faces/ use your heart and not your pride/ we can’t go on and keep pretending/ please Mr. President/ where’s the money you spent/ food is running low/ and they have nowhere to go/ quit slowing me down.” With this fearless testament, she made me her newest fan.

Add to those credits that Monáe’s sound is simply unlike any I’ve heard before. There are certain points on the album where her voice and rhymes remind me of some of my soul twins: Jill, Lauryn, and Dre 3K, to name a few. But these loose comparisons are not to state that she’s like them in any way; they are only to express the level of talent and true singing ability she possesses.

Bottom line, this girl is bad—in the MJ sense of the word. What I like most about the album is that you can tell she’s so not concerned with making a name for herself in any of today’s music genres. No, instead, homegirl is creating her own, and I can’t help but respect that. Obviously committed to staying true to the essence of artistry-- talent, originality, and style, Janelle Monáe is serving the music industry a raw dose of real. Although each supplement was a bit hard for me to digest at first, “Metropolis” brought musical relief to my ears all this week. Be sure to fill your prescription by picking up a copy of her debut album in stores now, or order online at www.jmonae.com.

written by: Tarrin McGhee