The famous idea is that if one thing is good and another thing is good, mixing them together does not neccasarily equal double the goodness.  Well, that seemed to be the problem with the first Best of Both Worlds album, as R&B king R. Kelly and G.O.A.T. contender Jay-Z did not seem to mesh well.  The basic concept for that album was building on the immense success of their hit, "Fiesta (Remix)".  Repetitiveness became the focal problem for that album, and it showed in sales, reviews, and publicity for that album.  So when the two announced that they would make a follow-up, the idea was taken with a grain of salt.  Now the two are set to release their second chance, Unfinished Business (very EPMD-like), and they bring the noise, even if it's not the best kind.

At the first listen of the first song, the listener has figured out that the Trackmasters are still producing, and are doing the entire album.  So "The Return" doesn't sound so much as a comeback as it does a rehash of what we've heard before.  And we didn't lie it then either.  The Slick Rick-biting intro to the song only leads to a feel of nostalgia for what hip-hop collaborations used to be.  On "Big Chips", Tone & Poke do their best imitation of themselves, and the insanely overused spanish guitar is overcome with interesting horns.  R. Kelly still sounds genuinely out of place here, as if his verses were added on.  Of course, that feeling switches betwen both artists for the remainder of the album.  "We Got 'Em Goin" is R. Kelly at his most psuedo-thuggish, and it still sounds very bad.  Memphis Bleek makes an unneeded appearance and Jay-Z phones in a verse.  Even if the content on this album is ignored and appreciated for the enjoyability of the music, this album still continues to dissapoint.  Kells achieves uber-cornballishness on "She's Coming Home With Me", as the intro cannot be listened to without a chuckle at his utter serious while singing lines like "Fellas/ a few tips/ when you're in the club/ you must watch ya girl/ because she may end up with me".  "Feelin You In Stereo" is a slow jam in the vein of the Pied Piper's former hits like "Ignition" and "You Remind Me", but the formula has been tired for years.  The true fault of this song is the tacked-on Jay-Z verse which belongs nowheer near this track.  On "Stop", the Trackmasters attempt to take over the song, but their beat still utilizes their mindblowingly overused spanish guitar and handclaps.  It seems as if R. Kelly can't stop rapping at this point, but the real kicker in  his verse is a diss at, of all people, Sisqo.  Foxy Brown also appears with her "retired" mentor and his illiterate singing friend, and sounds much better than her male counterparts.  "Mo' Money" is an especially wack Twista collaboration where Robert and Hov needed to rememeber that they themselves are not, in fact, Twista.  The idea that people must out do Twista at his own tongue-twisting flow is a sad one that always leads to dissapoint.  "Break Up (That's All We Do)" is backed with an interesting beat, but the substance is the worst drudge on this entire album.  On "Don't Let Me Die", the duo tries something different; different, of course, not neccasarily meaning good.  R. Kelly does nothing but rap here, and it sounds like crying mixed with something; I say that because Kelly rapping is a unique, and awful, sound.  On "The Return (Remix)", Jay and Kells try and make up for this album by finishing with a teaming with the ultimately superior group of Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh.  Their appearance does not single-handedly make this good, but Rick's verse and Kells singing over Doug's beatboxing makes this one of the album's few, and far between, highlights.

Earlier this year, R. Kelly released an album (Happy People) based almost entirely on a previous hit of his, "Step in the Name of Love (Remix)".  The album was panned by some who felt that the original was not good enough to be made 10 times.  Well that sentiment goes doubly for this album, a sad comeback into the realm of full albums for Jay-Z.  Their unbelievably boring subject matter and weak Trackmasters production led for an even more underwhelming sophmore release.  You may ask, "Well.... what made it any worse than the first 'Fiesta' ripoff?"  The fact that they did it, flopped (platinum for artists who almost always go two million is flopping), and forgot that they were doing it again.  As that other old saying goes, fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me; don't be fooled.

iPod Worthy: "Big Chips", "The Return (Remix)"

Skippable: Everything else

Overall: 1 out of Six Shots