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Amazon.com: Beyoncé, look out: Le Toya's in the house. This debut disc by the former Destiny's Child member could make any firmly established diva crazy with envy. Slicing the set up between traditional R&B and hip-hop-lite, the once stuck-in-the-shadows belle of Houston trades on her silky vocals and a knack for musical playfulness; hear it not only on "Torn," the radio hit that propelled this project, but also on the tracks you'd expect least. "Hey Fella," with fellow Houstonian Slim Thugg, is a dirty-flirty come on that'll nudge listeners into winking at strangers, and "Tear Da Club Up" and "Gangsta Grillz" rip into the atmosphere, determined to get Texas booties--booties from anywhere at all, really--shaking. On those two tracks and elsewhere, Le Toya enlists her street smart homeboys--Bun B, Jazze Pha, and Mike Jones--to set the appropriate vibe. But overall, this disc feels like a free-spirited invitation to check out her many musical layers. Detractors may fault Le Toya for latching on to better-known bangers and satisfaction-guaranteed production (hello, Jermaine Dupri!), but a close listen and a look at the credits crushes doubts about her credibility. Destiny may have left Le Toya behind, but the fellas from back home scooped her up; her voice and their presence will vault her to the top. --Tammy La Gorce Customer Reviews: Rating: 
Date: 2007-12-29
Good
This is a good album of danceable tracks from the "H-Town". LeToya has a sweet high pitched voice that sounds great over the heavy club beats. It is a bit ghetto but not in a bad way. She has a lot of rappers as guest stars so if you don't like that, beware. Overall, it is a solid buy if you like this type of music. It is not grammy material, but who cares. Rating: 
Date: 2007-11-15
LeToya solo
This is a great CD! She has a very lovely and passionate voice. She does not overstrain her voice and sing too loud. I don't know why some R and B artist think that their voice is not good if they are not super loud and over straining to the point where their voice cracks. Just because something is loud does not mean it sounds good. Like I said again she sings great none of that over the top drama. Her voice is soothing and moving. Real talent does not need gimmicks. She sings with soul and her CD has a good mix of upbeat dance music and ballads to keep everyone happy, no profanity, up to date, and classic R and B. She shows that women of faith can have fun and still be classy! Rating:
Date: 2007-10-15
good album altogether
Hey Fella - nice beat, like the thuggish feel thanks to slim
Torn - nice ballad
Tear Da Club Up (H-Town Version) - does what it says
are great highlights off the album.
I like her voice as its not as annoying as beyonce's!!! Rating: 
Date: 2007-09-03
(3.5 Stars) Beyonce and Kelly Aren't the Only Ones With Talent
LeToya Luckett may be one of the artists who had the most to prove with her debut album. A former member of Destiny's Child, LeToya had the misfortune of finding out about her dismissal at the same time as the fans: when she saw herself replaced in the video for "Say My Name". Even while she was in the group, LeToya was widely ignored in favour of the showier Beyonce, and, to a lesser extent, Kelly Rowland. As such, her abilities as a singer were quickly called into question when it was announced that she was making a solo debut. Featuring an all-star group of producers, LeToya sets out to prove to the world that she can be a successful singer in her own right, with somewhat mixed results.
The intro sets the tone of the album, with LeToya stating "I've been patiently waiting for my time, now I'm ready to go." Right off the bat, we are reminded that this offering from LeToya has been a long time coming. This is followed by "U Got What I Need", a version of which leaked about a year before the album dropped. Luckily, it was remastered and comes back as a superior incarnation. This song features a rather prominent sample of "Walking In The Rain (With the One I Love)", which actually sounds good, despite being sung in chipmunk-like vocals. I wouldn't call it a classic song, by any stretch, but it is a good start. The ironically titled "So Special" hints at LeToya's vocal capabilities, in the verses at least. However, there is nothing about this track that really stands out. Although it is good as you listen to it, it is quickly forgotten after a few more tracks, and does not really inspire much need to play it again. "Torn" is an interesting take on the overused "You Are Everything" sample. This track truly showcases LeToya at her best. Her vocals are understated, yet strong enough to show that she can sing. The lyrics are simple; yet they suit the track impeccably (especially the bridge).
"What Love Can Do" is a personal favourite. This was another track that leaked long before the album was due, and was remastered for the better. This is another song that showcases LeToya's vocal skill. By now, it is evident that LeToya is not a powerhouse, but she is definitely capable of holding her own. As with the track above, the bridge is one of the best parts of the track (although the second verse is a strong contender as well). "She Don't" was the rather overrated, not to mention overplayed, second single. The biggest problem with this track is that the topic so played out. It discusses seeing an ex, and thinking that his new girlfriend isn't as good as LeToya was. It again shows off LeToya's voice, as a matter of fact, her vocals are quite pretty in this track. It could be a stunning song if it weren't for the overdone nature of the subject matter. "Tear the Club Up" kicks off a series of rather generic club tracks, which probably would have fared better had they been spaced through the album instead of lumped like this. While LeToya handles the song well, it really doesn't go anywhere. It seems more like the obligatory song about partying in the club, but does not fit well with the earlier tracks. I must say though, LeToya's singing of "tear the club up" over chants of "alright" and "do it shawty" sounds very pretty.
"All Eyes On Me" fares somewhat better, probably because the production is a little more interesting. In terms of subject matter, it is easily a continuation or even a carbon copy of the previous track. However, the beat is a little less generic, making it a slightly better listen overall. LeToya's voice does end up partially masked by the beat, although in this case it works to her advantage. "Hey Fella" brings us back to the realm of the generic, although the production is rather interesting. (On closer listen, however, it sounds vaguely like a watered down version of Aaliyah's "We Need A Resolution"). This is another track that sounds fine, but doesn't really go anywhere. The result is a decent cut that is good enough to listen to, but doesn't really have much repeat factor. It is rather repetitive, and the lyrics are on the weak side. "Gangsta Grillz" is a fan favourite, and was commonly viewed (by fans at least) as single material. I have never really seen the appeal of this song. It sounds fine, but it also sounds like much of the material that was on the radio at the time. This is another track that had potential, but settles for being merely average.
"Obvious" is another fan favourite, although personally it seems like more of a grower. At the time the album was released, it seemed to many that Bryan-Michael Cox could do no wrong, which may explain much of the songs appeal. That's not to say that it isn't a great song though, as it definitely is. This is the kind of song that you need to pay attention to the lyrics to really appreciate; otherwise it tends to fade into the background. As a whole, however, it easily remains an album highlight due to the vocals and lyrics. "I'm Good" is a rather disposable addition to the album. As with several of the offerings here, it is good while you listen to it, but is otherwise unmemorable. "This Song" was another grower, but is another cut which showcases LeToya's vocals. As with songs like "Obvious" and "Torn", the track gives another strong indication that LeToya is at her best with slower tracks. The laid-back vibe allows LeToya's voice to shine as she sings about writing a song specifically for making love with her man. The outro is the fairly typical "Thank God for this opportunity" type. The kind of thing we've heard many times before, but a nice touch. The album ends with a remix to "Torn", although other than the addition of a couple of rappers, the song sounds pretty much the same.
Overall Mark: 3.5/5
This is one of those odd albums that really could have been amazing, had the artist stuck more to her strengths than attempting to please everyone with obligatory, rapper-laden upbeat tracks. In particular, the five or so tracks in the middle (from "Tear the Club Up" to "Gangsta Grillz") sound like typical filler rather than adding much of anything to the album as a whole. None of the rappers are really remarkable, and honestly, I can never be bothered to check which rapper is on each track, which goes to show how minute of a contribution they realistically make. Ballads and mid-tempos are truly where LeToya shines, as it gives her the opportunity to show that she really can sing. Apart from that, those songs give a hint at substance, which make the songs considerably less generic. There is definite potential here, and if LeToya plays her cards right, she could have a truly incredible album next time around.
Rating:
Date: 2007-07-23
Who would have thought?
The fact that ex-Destiny's Child member (or, essentially, background singer) LeToya Luckett was able to make a comeback at all is a little surprising; in fact, when I first heard "What Love Can Do" off the Coach Carter soundtrack, I wasn't even aware that that was the same person. Anyway, I picked up LeToya's self-titled album to see if she really had skills.
The answer is yes...well, sometimes. LeToya is a better singer than I thought she would be, which is shown on selections like "This Song", "U Got What I Need" and "Obvious". "What Love Can Do" is also on here, but it's a slightly different version than the one from Coach Carter, and this version IS good, but the other version was GREAT. Oh, well; it's still decent enough.
However, things start to get a little shaky after a while. As other reviewers have said, Toya is a lot better with ballads than with fast songs. This is especially evident when guest rappers come aboard, like on the obligatory Jazze Phizzle productizzle "Tear Da Club Up" (which Bun-B can't even save), as well as the played-out subject matter in the Mike Jones-assisted "Gangsta Grillz". (You would think Paul Wall would be in that song, but instead he appears in "All Eyes On Me", which is tolerable.) Mike also appears on the necessary end-of-album remix-of-the-first-single along with Rick Ross and a repetitive outro by producer Jermaine Dupri, and none of them say anything worth writing home about.
The overrated "Hey Fella" features a dry verse by Slim Thug AND a dry chorus, not to mention that the beat sounds like it was jacked from Aaliyah's "We Need a Resolution". And speaking of that, production is another downfall. As good as the first two singles "Torn" and "She Don't" are, musically they sound like carbon copies of each other. And the already disposable "I'm Good" uses the exact same beat from Chris Brown's "Gimme That" (c'mon, Storch; you know better than that). All in all, LeToya's got singing down, but she ought to get some better producers for her next album.
Anthony Rupert |
