On their impressive debut album, the duo of Nikki & Rich manage to expertly blend multiple music genres into their overall sound, from R&B and Gospel to pop and Hip-Hop. The result is a project that manages to defy categorization and escapes being placed inside a musical box. The album, ironically titled Greatest Hits and released in the U.S. on Sept. 27, 2011, is most notable for the soulful single "Same Kind of Man," which has been featured in promos for the NBC drama series "The Playboy Club." Fortunately, this isn't the only hit-worthy track; there's a number of other highly enjoyable songs, too.
Addictive Beats
Nikki & Rich are Nikki Leonti, a California-born pastor's daughter who grew up singing in church; and Rich Velonskis (aka Rich Skillz), a Queens, NY-born hip-hop/R&B producer. Their debut album Greatest Hits album had a long road to release. Originally due in the summer of 2010, it kept getting pushed back and reworked to that point that the final version, which was released in the U.S. on Sept. 27, 2011, is substantially different than the review copy sent out to music critics in mid-2010. Unfortunately, the newer version doesn't include a couple of their best songs, "Cat & Mouse" and "Next Best Thing." But fortunately, some of the songs on the final release almost make up for it. Among them is the hip-hop track "Danger," which features the rapper Hayes, formerly of Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment label. The song, about a woman who's dealing with a womanizing man has an addictive beat, and clever lyrics that compare the man to a weapon and his various women to bullets: "Like a loaded gun, I'm not your only one, you got more in the chamber," Nikki sings. "And I smell danger."
Also noteworthy is the album's other Hip-Hop track, "City Lights," which features verses by the rapper Fabolous wrapped around a warm vocal performance by Nikki, who, before forming the duo with Rich, was best known as a Christian music artist. But despite her background, not all is squeaky clean on Greatest Hits, particularly on moments such as when Hayes talks about getting high and shooting at enemies on "Danger," and Fabolous' more edgy lines, like "life's a bitch that you can't two-time."
Also noteworthy is the album's other Hip-Hop track, "City Lights," which features verses by the rapper Fabolous wrapped around a warm vocal performance by Nikki, who, before forming the duo with Rich, was best known as a Christian music artist. But despite her background, not all is squeaky clean on Greatest Hits, particularly on moments such as when Hayes talks about getting high and shooting at enemies on "Danger," and Fabolous' more edgy lines, like "life's a bitch that you can't two-time."
Musical Chemistry
The best song on Greatest Hits is arguably "Same Kind of Man," a mid-tempo tune about not being able to stay away from a lover whom you know is bad for you, is one of only three tracks from the original version of the album to make it onto the final version. The song is solid from top to bottom; Nikki's passionate Aretha-meets-Joss-Stone vocals, coupled with the live instrumentation and Rich's old-school Soul production make this song a must-hear.
Many of the 11 songs on the album are pop-influenced, albeit with an R&B twist, like the wistful relationship song "Time Machine" and the power ballads "Angel" and "Let Me Down." One of the more interesting tracks lyrically is "It's Not the End," a motivational track about overcoming obstacles and climbing high. "You could knock me down to the floor, but you'll never knock me down in my spirit/A circumstance could leave me with no more, but my voice will always rise 'til you hear it," she sings. It's a stirring, quasi-spiritual song that makes good use of Nikki's past as a Gospel singer as well as Rich's expertise as a hip-hop DJ.
With a title like Greatest Hits, it's possible that this project might be the only thing we hear from Nikki & Rich as a group. If that's the case, it would be unfortunate; the duo definitely have musical chemistry together, and although not all the material on their debut album is a home run (particularly the pop-ish music, which is fairly bland), there's plenty to enjoy. Hopefully this album doesn't represent both the beginning and end of Nikki & Rich as a group.
Many of the 11 songs on the album are pop-influenced, albeit with an R&B twist, like the wistful relationship song "Time Machine" and the power ballads "Angel" and "Let Me Down." One of the more interesting tracks lyrically is "It's Not the End," a motivational track about overcoming obstacles and climbing high. "You could knock me down to the floor, but you'll never knock me down in my spirit/A circumstance could leave me with no more, but my voice will always rise 'til you hear it," she sings. It's a stirring, quasi-spiritual song that makes good use of Nikki's past as a Gospel singer as well as Rich's expertise as a hip-hop DJ.
With a title like Greatest Hits, it's possible that this project might be the only thing we hear from Nikki & Rich as a group. If that's the case, it would be unfortunate; the duo definitely have musical chemistry together, and although not all the material on their debut album is a home run (particularly the pop-ish music, which is fairly bland), there's plenty to enjoy. Hopefully this album doesn't represent both the beginning and end of Nikki & Rich as a group.
Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the artist. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.