Prison made his music deeper according to Lyfe, and when a copy of Erykah Badu's Baduizm ended up in his cell in 1997, he was inspired and had the feeling this introspective edge to his music was worth developing. His musical aspirations started in the church choir and grew in the Dotsons, a teenaged group that Lyfe formed with his brother and a couple cousins.
It was during his ten-year sentence in prison that Lyfe Jennings developed his honest sound, thanks to isolation and Erykah Badu. The Neo-Soul movement has a new player in the game. If you are tired of the predictable and quite glossy state of R&B that it is now, buy LYFE 268-192. Having written played and produced every track on the project it's safe to say that he can take full credit for what this album will accomplish in the months and years to come. This is not just a random collection of songs, but a thoughtful selection, chosen to tell his story in the finest way.
On this creation they do serve a purpose, in that they are the threads that weave together this musical tapestry. There are numerous intro's, interludes, skits and monologues, and whilst on most albums these serve little or no purpose other than to prevent you from listening to the music. Further bridging the gap between old- and new-school R&B is Jenning's sample of the Four Tops' Ain't No Woman (Like the One I Got) for the uplifting Smile. When Jennings isn't pondering whether he should get involved with a mom raising babies (She Got Kids), he's hashing out infidelity issues with a lover who might have gotten pregnant in the process (Hypothetically). Rich, Quiet Storm-flavored grooves dominate these arrangements, and, with a pliable vocal style that falls somewhere between Al Green and Marvin Gaye, the former choirboy readily impresses. The Toledo, Ohio native uses spoken-word interludes in between hip-hop/soul songs that touch on child-support issues (Greedy), street-life survival (Stick Up Kid) and finding solace in the Lord (Made Up My Mind).
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