::ALBUM REVIEW::
by Roderick Meadows
Posted: October 7, 2009

Kierra Sheard has grown up right before our eyes. No longer the precocious eight-year old that we first saw duet with her mother-the legendary Karen Clark Sheard on BET's Teen Summit, Sheard has staked her claim as a Grammy nominee in her own right. Her fifth EMI release, an EP aptly titled Kiki's Mix Tape, is a musical patchwork of new material and remixes of original versions from some of her past hits. She has left no stone unturned in respect to crossing genre lines, and the result is quite pleasurable, if not entirely unfamiliar.

Getting things started is the futuristic bump of “I Want Back,” produced by none other than her brother, J. Drew Sheard. Putting a new spin on the declaration of getting everything Satan's stolen, the cut showcases Kiki's emotive growl, which has gotten stronger with each new album. Sheard's first single, the thumping Rodney Jerkins-produced “You Don't Know” makes an encore appearance, sounding as fresh as it did back in 2004. “Wave Your Banner”, from Sheard's 2008 project Bold Right Life has been subjected to a rather unnecessary “Monsta Mix” and comes off as sounding like filler from a Ciara album. Sheard's nod to CCM, “Sing to The Lord” is quite fun, if you can get the images of Hannah Montana jamming for Jesus out of your head. I must admit, I did enjoy the Toni Basil/“Hey Mickey”-inspired rap towards the end of the song. This will certainly be a favorite of youth dance teams in churches across America, with its perky, rock and roll flavor. On the other end of the musical spectrum, J. Drew returns to the control board with the neo-soul-ish “Teach Me,” with Kiki's laid-back vocals riding an easy-going instrumental track worthy of Musiq Soulchild or Chrisette Michelle. One cut that could have been left off was the paint-by-numbers Darkchild production, “Why Me,” unaltered from its original appearance on 2006's This Is Me. Also included, rather awkwardly, is an update of Donny Hathaway's timeless “This Christmas,” which appears on Mix Tape as a duet with former Commissioned crooner Marcus Cole. Despite excellent vocals from Cole and Sheard, the cutesy, cheesy instrumentation feels contrived and ruins what could be an excellent holiday cut. A surefire headbanger from producer extraordinaire Warryn “Babydubb” Campbell, “Crazy” is a radio-friendly r&b-inspired ode to Sheard's undying love for God. The project ends on a funky note, with an extended version of 2008's “Love Like Crazy” - probably my favorite song on the entire project.

Kiki's Mix Tape offers up a little bit of something for every musical taste. This brief, but fun retrospective of her past and present, with glimpses into her musical future, is a satisfying appetizer for her next full-length project.