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An advantage Keyshia Cole has over a lot of her young contemporaries is experience. As a foster child growing up in Oakland, she went through a lot of downs, and from the sounds of The Way It Is, her first album, she's had her share of complex relationships. Cole had a hand in the writing of just about every track, and she has a number of major players -- Kanye West, John Legend, Alicia Keys, Ron Fair (Christina Aguilera, Mya), E-Poppi (Missy Elliott, Destiny's Child) -- in her corner. With only a couple exceptions, The Way It Is is about the ugly parts of a romantic relationship, so there's little room left for upbeat material. From the opener, "(I Just Want It) To Be Over," the album seems to be set up like a linear narrative about a crumbling relationship, but it doesn't quite play out that way, with the scenes shuffled out of order. ("Love," one of the positive songs, comes after the song where the punk gets dumped and before the song where he's called out for changing.) None of it's all that profound, but Cole sells it all extremely well, especially on "I Should Have Cheated," where she tires of an accusing and hypocritical lover ("I should go have my fun and do all the things you say I do"). Cole's voice is sweet and ringing, like a wiser version of Lil' Mo who has had to weather a tremendous amount of drama. She could be around for a while. ("Never," her hit song from the Barbershop 2 soundtrack, is included.)
© Andy Kellman /TiVo
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Suzie Katayama, Cello - Gayle Levant, Harp - Bruce Dukov, Violin - Katia Popov, Violin - Endre Granat, Violin - Joel Derouin, Violin - Charlie Bisharat, Violin - Steve Erdody, Cello - Kerry "Krucial" Brothers, Producer, Programmer, ComposerLyricist - Tal Herzberg, Engineer - Dave "Hard Drive" Pensado, MixingEngineer - Robin Olson, Violin - Sid Page, Violin - Josefina Vergara, Violin - Natalie Leggett, Violin - David Low, Cello - Julie Gigante, Violin - Phillip Levy, Violin - Mario De Leon, Violin - Sarah Thornblade, Violin - Alan Grunfeld, Violin - Tammy Hatwan, Violin - Cecilia Tsan, Cello - Roberto Cani, Violin - Nico Abondolo, BassVocalist - Songa Lee, Violin - Anthony Kilhoffer, RecordingSecondEngineer - J.D. Andrew, Engineer - Jackie Brand, Violin - Jun Ishizeki, RecordingSecondEngineer - Keyshia Cole, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Sara Perkins, Violin - RON FAIR, Producer, Harmonica, StringArranger - Ann Mincieli , Engineer - Mike Valerio, BassVocalist - Ariel Chobaz, MixingSecondEngineer - Chops, Horn - Lady L, Producer, ComposerLyricist, VocalArranger - Taneisha Greenidge Smith, ComposerLyricist - Steve Rodriguez, BassGuitar - Krucial Keys, AdditionalProducer - Jason Stallworth, Drum
℗ 2005 A&M Records
Kanye West, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Tal Herzberg, Producer, Engineer, AdditionalProducer - John Stephens, ComposerLyricist - Dave "Hard Drive" Pensado, MixingEngineer - Allen Toussaint, ComposerLyricist - Anthony Kilhoffer, Engineer - Jun Ishizeki, Engineer - Keyshia Cole, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - RON FAIR, Producer, AdditionalProducer
℗ 2005 A&M Records
R. Murph, ComposerLyricist - R. Eskridge, ComposerLyricist - C. Johnson, ComposerLyricist - Suzie Katayama, Cello - Bruce Dukov, Violin - Katia Popov, Violin - Endre Granat, Violin - Matt Funes, Viola - Joel Derouin, Violin - Charlie Bisharat, Violin - Tal Herzberg, Engineer - Dave "Hard Drive" Pensado, MixingEngineer - Sid Page, Violin - Josefina Vergara, Violin - Natalie Leggett, Violin - David Low, Cello - Julie Gigante, Violin - Phillip Levy, Violin - Mario De Leon, Violin - Sarah Thornblade, Violin - Alan Grunfeld, Violin - Toxic, Producer - Tammy Hatwan, Violin - Brian Dembow, Viola - Cecilia Tsan, Cello - Roberto Cani, Violin - Songa Lee, Violin - J.D. Andrew, RecordingEngineer - Jackie Brand, Violin - F. Taylor, ComposerLyricist - Keyshia Cole, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist, VocalArranger - RON FAIR, Producer, VocalArranger, StringArranger - Simon Oswell, Viola - Rene Mandel, Violin - Ariel Chobaz, MixingSecondEngineer - Steve Erody, Cello - Vicki Miskolezy, Viola
℗ 2005 A&M Records
Q. Parker, ComposerLyricist - Suzie Katayama, Cello - Derrick Jones, ComposerLyricist - Bruce Dukov, Violin - Armen Garabedian, Violin - Endre Granat, Violin - Clayton Haslop, Violin - Daron Jones, Producer - Charlie Bisharat, Violin - Steve Erdody, Cello - Tal Herzberg, Engineer, BassGuitar - Robin Olson, Violin - Natalie Leggett, Violin - David Low, Cello - Phillip Levy, Violin - Mario De Leon, Violin - Alan Grunfeld, Violin - Anatoly Rosinsky, Violin - Cecilia Tsan, Cello - Marlow Fisher, Viola - Darrin McCann, Viola - Songa Lee, Violin - David Walther, Viola - Kenneth Yerke, Violin - Keyshia Cole, MainArtist, VocalArranger - Sara Perkins, Violin - RON FAIR, Producer, Harmonica, MixingEngineer, VocalArranger, StringArranger - Simon Oswell, Viola - Berg Garabedian, Violin - Becky Bushnell, Violin
℗ 2005 A&M Records
Alexandre Varela da Veiga, ComposerLyricist - Jerry Hey, Horn - Tal Herzberg, Engineer - Joel Peskin, Horn - Jadakiss, FeaturedArtist - Dave "Hard Drive" Pensado, MixingEngineer - Gary Grant, Horn - Sean Garrett, Producer, ComposerLyricist - J.D. Andrew, RecordingEngineer - Keyshia Cole, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - RON FAIR, Producer, Harmonica - Ariel Chobaz, MixingSecondEngineer - Deisel, Producer - Jason "Jadakiss" Phillips, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 A&M Records
D. Elliott, RecordingEngineer, AdditionalProducer - Suzie Katayama, Cello - Bruce Dukov, Violin - Katia Popov, Violin - Endre Granat, Violin - Matt Funes, Viola - Joel Derouin, Violin - Charlie Bisharat, Violin - Gregory G. Curtis, Producer, ComposerLyricist, RecordingArranger - Tal Herzberg, Engineer, AdditionalProducer - Dave "Hard Drive" Pensado, MixingEngineer - Sid Page, Violin - Josefina Vergara, Violin - Natalie Leggett, Violin - David Low, Cello - Julie Gigante, Violin - Phillip Levy, Violin - Mario De Leon, Violin - Sarah Thornblade, Violin - Alan Grunfeld, Violin - Tammy Hatwan, Violin - Brian Dembow, Viola - Roberto Cani, Violin - Songa Lee, Violin - J.D. Andrew, AdditionalVocalist - Jackie Brand, Violin - Keyshia Cole, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist, VocalArranger - RON FAIR, StringArranger, AdditionalProducer - Simon Oswell, Viola - Rene Mandel, Violin - Ariel Chobaz, MixingSecondEngineer - Geoffrey Curtis, RecordingEngineer - Vicki Miskolczy, Viola - Steve Erody, Cello - Cevillie Tsan, Cello
℗ 2005 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Kevin Veney, Producer - Leonard Huggins, ComposerLyricist - Loren Hill, Producer - Rich Shelton, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Keyshia Cole, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist, VocalArranger - RON FAIR, Producer, ComposerLyricist, VocalArranger
℗ 2005 A&M Records
Errol "Poppi" McCalla, ComposerLyricist - Suzie Katayama, Cello - Bruce Dukov, Violin - Armen Garabedian, Violin - Endre Granat, Violin - Clayton Haslop, Violin - Charlie Bisharat, Violin - Steve Erdody, Cello - Tal Herzberg, Engineer - Robin Olson, Violin - Natalie Leggett, Violin - David Low, Cello - Phillip Levy, Violin - Mario De Leon, Violin - Alan Grunfeld, Violin - Anatoly Rosinsky, Violin - Cecilia Tsan, Cello, Viola - Marlow Fisher, Viola - Songa Lee, Violin - Kenneth Yerke, Violin - Keyshia Cole, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist, VocalArranger - Sara Perkins, Violin - RON FAIR, Producer, Harmonica, MixingEngineer, VocalArranger, StringArranger - Errol "E-Poppi" McCalla, Jr., Producer - Simon Oswell, Viola - Berg Garabedian, Violin - Becky Bushnell, Violin - Darrin Low, Viola
℗ 2005 A&M Records
Jerry Hey, Horn - Bruce Dukov, Violin - Endre Granat, Violin - F. Richard, ComposerLyricist - Charlie Bisharat, Violin - Tal Herzberg, Engineer - Dave "Hard Drive" Pensado, MixingEngineer - Dan Higgins, Flute, Horn - Robin Olson, Violin - Josefina Vergara, Violin - Natalie Leggett, Violin - Mario De Leon, Violin - Gary Grant, Horn - Bill Reichenbach, Horn - Anatoly Rosinsky, Violin - Roberto Cani, Violin - Songa Lee, Violin - Chink Santana, Producer, FeaturedArtist - Keyshia Cole, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist, VocalArranger - RON FAIR, Producer, VocalArranger, StringArranger - Ariel Chobaz, MixingSecondEngineer - Andre S. Parker, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2004 A&M Records
D. Elliott, ComposerLyricist, RecordingEngineer, AdditionalProducer - Gregory G. Curtis, Producer, ComposerLyricist, RecordingEngineer - Dave "Hard Drive" Pensado, MixingEngineer - Ethan Willoughby, MixingSecondEngineer - Keyshia Cole, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist, VocalArranger
℗ 2005 A&M Records
G. Cole, ComposerLyricist - Suzie Katayama, Cello - Bruce Dukov, Violin - Armen Garabedian, Violin - Endre Granat, Violin - Clayton Haslop, Violin - Charlie Bisharat, Violin - Steve Erdody, Cello - Polow Da Don, Producer - Tal Herzberg, Engineer - Dave "Hard Drive" Pensado, MixingEngineer - Robin Olson, Violin - Natalie Leggett, Violin - David Low, Cello - Phillip Levy, Violin - Mario De Leon, Violin - Alan Grunfeld, Violin - Anatoly Rosinsky, Violin - Cecilia Tsan, Cello - Marlow Fisher, Viola - Darrin McCann, Viola - Songa Lee, Violin - David Walther, Viola - J.D. Andrew, RecordingEngineer - Kenneth Yerke, Violin - Keyshia Cole, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Sara Perkins, Violin - RON FAIR, Producer, Harmonica, StringArranger - Simon Oswell, Viola - Ariel Chobaz, MixingSecondEngineer - Mix, Producer - Berg Garabedian, Violin - Becky Bushnell, Violin
℗ 2005 A&M Records
Jerry Hey, Horn - Luther Vandross, ComposerLyricist - Eve, FeaturedArtist - Tal Herzberg, BassGuitar - Dave Pensado, MixingEngineer - Gary Grant, Horn - Bill Reichenbach, Horn - Ethan Willoughby, RecordingSecondEngineer - Anthony Kilhoffer, RecordingSecondEngineer - Keyshia Cole, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist, VocalArranger - RON FAIR, Producer, Percussion, VocalArranger, DrumKit - Eve Jeffers, ComposerLyricist - Errol "E-Poppi" McCalla, Jr., Producer, Other - Tal Hertzberg, RecordingEngineer, BassVocalist - Shannon Braxton, RecordingEngineer - E. Poppi, DrumProgrammer
℗ 2005 A&M Records
Album review
An advantage Keyshia Cole has over a lot of her young contemporaries is experience. As a foster child growing up in Oakland, she went through a lot of downs, and from the sounds of The Way It Is, her first album, she's had her share of complex relationships. Cole had a hand in the writing of just about every track, and she has a number of major players -- Kanye West, John Legend, Alicia Keys, Ron Fair (Christina Aguilera, Mya), E-Poppi (Missy Elliott, Destiny's Child) -- in her corner. With only a couple exceptions, The Way It Is is about the ugly parts of a romantic relationship, so there's little room left for upbeat material. From the opener, "(I Just Want It) To Be Over," the album seems to be set up like a linear narrative about a crumbling relationship, but it doesn't quite play out that way, with the scenes shuffled out of order. ("Love," one of the positive songs, comes after the song where the punk gets dumped and before the song where he's called out for changing.) None of it's all that profound, but Cole sells it all extremely well, especially on "I Should Have Cheated," where she tires of an accusing and hypocritical lover ("I should go have my fun and do all the things you say I do"). Cole's voice is sweet and ringing, like a wiser version of Lil' Mo who has had to weather a tremendous amount of drama. She could be around for a while. ("Never," her hit song from the Barbershop 2 soundtrack, is included.)
© Andy Kellman /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 12 track(s)
- Total length: 00:48:47
- Main artists: Keyshia Cole
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: A&M (UC)
- Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B R&B
© 2005 A&M Records ℗ 2005 A&M Records
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