Ginuwine:
Back II Da Basics

Release Date: 06 March 2006

Reviewed By: Sophia Jackson

1. Intro [featuring Knight]

2. Oh Girl

3. Secrets

4. When We Make Love

5. 5. Want U To Be

6. The Club [featuring Jadakiss]

7. Interlude [featuring Knight]

8. She’s Like

9. Betta Half

10. Glaze In My Eye

11. I’m In Love

12. Far Away

13. Take A Chance

14. Back 2 Da Basics

15. Thank You’s

16. Hold on Me

Ne-Yo - In My Own Words
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Ginuwine, the well-chiselled man who invited us to ride his pony, lets you know that ‘no one could ever take his place’ in the intro to his fifth album, ‘Back II Da Basics’.

The intro is a bold statement announcing his return to the music scene after his three year hiatus. But with self-production and additional production from Jazze Pha on some of the tracks, there had to be something impressive amongst the album sleeves.

‘Oh Girl’ is somewhat Usher-sounding with its catchy lyrics and tempo. It’s good, but a hint of poaching on the first song is a bit too soon.

The latest single release, ‘When We Make Love’ slows down the tempo and is the perfect track for getting your groove on. If you’re looking for a tune to kick start some bedroom action, this is it. Ginuwine seductively croons on the sounds men and women make when they make love.

‘The Club’ with its subtle reggae beat gives the ‘Back II Da Basics’ album a ‘something-for-everyone’ flavour. For those who might not count themselves in the Ginuwine camp, this is the track which might win him some new admirers. Jadakiss adds his silky smooth rap vocals and slides in neatly to polish off this banging track.

As we reach the mid-album interlude, impressively there are still no totally dud tracks.

Ginuwine’s album, which it has to be said, is noticeably lacking Timbaland’s midas touch, hits off the second half with ‘She’s Like’. It’s one of the more stand out tracks and is full of Ginuwine’s classic sweet metaphors. He even goes as far as saying that she’s like the ‘love he has for when he sings’. Steady on, Ginuwine!

In ‘Betta Half’ the G is showing appreciation for his better half. In this tune, the ballad king offers some grand gestures of climbing mountains for his homie and best friend. Through this beautiful and powerful track he expresses his turmoil of feeling pain when she’s in pain. How sweet.

‘I’m In Love’ is one of the songs that does what the album is entitled; it takes you back to some basic R&B. It’s a soppy, 90’s reminiscent love song dealing with the heady heights you whiz off to when you fall in love. In stark contrast, ‘Far Away’ is an equally insightful track, but instead deals with the heartache of couples who have lost the fine art of communication - where you both know that something is out of sync but do some serious sweeping under the carpet instead of confronting the issue.

Ginuwine gets up to his old smooth-talking tricks again on ‘Take A Chance’. The fine-looking one is singing about tempting you away from your good-for-nothing man by setting you free and taking your breath away. All you have to do is give him a chance. Ladies, start an orderly queue on the left, please.

As ‘Back II Da Basics’ approaches its finale, the title track is probably the one to get you up on the dance floor. That’s if you can ignore his apologies for being out of the music game for so long.

After 16 tracks, it’s good to see that after a decade on the scene, Ginuwine can still hang out with the young ones in the over-populated R&B world. This is an above average comeback for Ginuwine fans and lovers of real back to the basics R&B to enjoy. Welcome back Ginuwine, you’ve been missed.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Top 3 Tracks:
9. Betta Half
11. I’m In Love
12. Far Away

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