The Hits [Edited] [PA]

Performer: Kelis
Artist: Ol' Dirty Bastard; Cee-Lo Green; N.E.R.D.; Pusha T; Too Short; Nas; Andre 3000; Richard X; Terrar
Distributor: BMG (distributor)

Notes: Kelis's influence has sometimes been overlooked, which is a shame because her spare, hooky R&B has been helping lead the charge in innovative pop since the 1990s. In part, this is due to her collaborations with the Neptunes, whose production skills give Kelis's singles a distinctive stamp. THE HITS skims the cream from Kelis's studio releases, bringing her top-selling singles together in one place, from her first single, "Caught Out There," to her duets with Andre 3000 ("Millionaire") and Ol' Dirty Bastard ("Got Your Money"), and, of course, her dance-inducing million-selling single "Milkshake." Sexy, catchy, and surprisingly fresh, Kelis is a dance artist worth hearing. Those who know her will appreciate this well-chosen compilation; those who don't should start here. Four of Kelis' five singles that hit Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart are included on The Hits, as well as three guest spots (one of which, Ol' Dirty Bastard's "Got Your Money," charted), leaving plenty of room for tracks that weren't exactly hits. Title semantics aside, the disc amounts to a satisfactory, but not optimal, selection of highlights from Kelis' three U.S.-released albums: 1999's Kaleidoscope, 2003's Tasty, and 2006's Kelis Was Here. (2001's Wanderland, not released in the States, is technically represented through "Young, Fresh N' New," but the song also appeared on Tasty.) Plenty of great material is left off the hourlong sequence, from Tasty's "Rolling Through the Hood" and "Glow" to Kelis Was Here's "Blindfold Me" and "Trilogy," and incorporating "Popular Thug" and/or "Little Suzie" from theWanderland era would have been a good touch. Even so, casual listeners who have wondered whether or not Kelis has had depth beyond a hot single off each album -- "Caught Out There," "Milkshake," "Bossy" -- will get the answer here, and that answer is yes. ~ Andy Kellman

Q (Magazine) (p.123) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "These tracks, expertly produced by The Neptunes, placed Kelis at the cutting edge of urban music..." Record Collector (magazine) (p.90) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "She's one of the few that easily straddles dancefloor and bedroom, sounding totally at ease in either."

Part hip-hop, part alternative pop-rock, the sound of Harlem native Kelis turned heads with the singer's 1999 debut release, KALEIDOSCOPE. Her striking image (she sported a multi-colored Afro) didn't hurt her high profile, either. While mixing rock and hip-hop had been done before (Neneh Cherry, etc.), Kelis updated it all new millennium-style, scoring a signature hit with the provocative "Milkshake," and in the process proving herself to be one of rap's most promising and groundbreaking artists. In a marriage of true hip-hop minds, the MC wed Queens wordsmith Nas in 2005 (despite much mutual serenading, they parted by 2009).

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