My Bad

More Like My Good
by: tom reiter

Rayvon, who supported Shaggy on "Angel", debuts his solo career with My Bad, a blending of R&B and reggae/dancehall. Produced by Shaggy, My Bad takes on a smooth, classy "player" tone, all without being too arrogant.

Rayvon wastes no time in catching the attention of the listener, stacking the best five tracks right in the beginning of the album. My Bad begins as a pop R&B album and slowly migrates to the reggae/dancehall feel that Shaggy has successfully popularized. The title cut breaks down Rayvon's mistake of taking a girl in and treating her right when she thought she was scheming him (only to find out he was hooking up with her friends). Although somewhat weak in lyrical content, "My Bad" is strong enough on beats and solidified with Rayvon's talent.

"Playboy Bunny" and "2-Way" are playful and catchy, and fit the R&B bill (think Usher comingled with R. Kelly). "Damn" is the last real power track, relaying Rayvon's need to control his, ahem, urges, when making love to a, ahem, 'talented' woman. From there on out My Bad pursues the American R&B dancehall feel. The tracks aren't bad, but they don't showcase Rayvon's voice nearly as well as the rest of the album.

Shaggy makes an appearance or two, as does a slew of other artists, but the appearances are used sparsely enough to only add to My Bad, not overwhelm it. My Bad adds a hint of humor to real life topics, and the riffs and beats support this theme. For fans of the R&B-reggae-dancehall style, Rayvon doesn't dissappoint with My Bad. 26-Sep-2002 10:00 AM