In Brief

Like the Fugees’ Lauryn Hill, Elliott is a triple threat--a cool-as-ice rapper, a singer with an earthy, deeply soulful voice, and a talented songwriter and producer. Whether it’s the rollicking “Sock It 2 Me,” the mysterious “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” or the sultry “Friendly Skies,” this album just doesn’t let up. Elliott represents R&B;’s past, present, and future.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).

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Hear the Music

* Excerpts from these albums and other recent releases are available on The Times’ World Wide Web site. Point your browser to: https://www.latimes.com/soundclips