Though there has been a lot of disagreement about R. Kelly's latest, the ever-so-self-indulgent Double Up, there is one thing everyone who's listened to it can agree on: "Real Talk" is some beautifully wacked out shit. You thought "Trapped in the Closet" was messed? Well here comes its much uglier cousin. Set to a chillaxin' slow jam, Kelly's one-sided argument with his muted girl is borderline comedy. The way he casually drops "bitches," how he can sing "I don't know why you fuck with them no-man-havin' jealous assholes anyway!" without cracking up, and of course, his expletive tossing meltdown at the 2:12 mark - this here is a modern day classic. But Darkroom Productions (Juan Donovan and Jamal Roberts) have taken the song one step further by removing the slick, racy strings and guitar, and replacing them with thugged out beats and a sinister synth riff. Sure it only makes his plea weaker, but as far as the music goes, it's a case of one stroke of genius patting the other stroke of genius on the back.
R. Kelly "Real Talk (Darkroom Productions Remix)" (MP3)
R. Kelly "Real Talk (Darkroom Productions Remix)" (Darkroom Productions MySpace page)
R. Kelly "Real Talk (Darkroom Productions Remix)" (MP3)
R. Kelly "Real Talk (Darkroom Productions Remix)" (Darkroom Productions MySpace page)