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Life After Def
10/29/2003 4:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Dan Leroy
His diplomatic denials aside, it's hard to imagine an album with clearer motivation than Montell Jordan's latest. From its punning title to the personal revelations in "Questions," Life After Def is the outpouring of a proud artist wounded by his breakup with Def Jam. Luckily, the chip on his shoulder has roused Jordan from the comfortable groove he'd settled into in recent years. The up-tempo material here has the spark of an artist with something to prove; the furious bounce of "Aiight" and the Slick Rick-style throwaway "Denise" happen to be the catchiest things Jordan's done since his monster first single, "This Is How We Do It." That allows you to appreciate the slow jams on their own merits, rather than as relief from repetitive club fare, and widescreen weepers like "Bottom Line" and "What If I Never" turn out to be among his best ballads ever. Closing not with the gospel benediction "Yes" but the gritty "We Ride On Dem," Jordan affirms that his eyes are on earthly, as well as heavenly, redemption--and Life After Def should help him achieve it.
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