Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Mixerr Album Reviews #2,565

Michel'le’s Single Black Female album was an R&B soul album written and sung from a woman’s point of view. The album had songs such as the bouncy yet soulful and jazzy Tonight Is, heartbreaking Wasted My Tyme, and Single Black Female. There is a lack of her Minnie Mouse-like squeaky voice on this album unlike the last album. Songs such as Can I Get A Witness?, Tonight Is, and Walk With Me were the best songs. This album is like a movie score because Michel’le was telling everyone about her experiences. The songs were mostly were up-tempo songs and slow jams.



Billboard Magazine advertised Michel'le’s Single Black Female album in one of their news articles back in 1997. Michel'le’s Single Black Female album was supposed to be released in August 1997 on Death Row Records.. However Michel'le’s Single Black Female album was never due to issues over creative control and imagery.


Suge Knight realized the songs Michel’le recorded were about her relationship with Dr. Dre. Suge shelved the Single Black Female album because Michel’le was singing about her relationship with Dr. Dre throughout the entire album and Suge had hated that. Dr. Dre and Suge Knight were butting heads over label politics, business decisions, emotions, and egos during time Michel’le was recording the Single Black Female album. Dre and Suge were bitter rivals at the time.

So Suge Knight took a few of the songs off the Single Black Female and put those songs on Hung Jury. The songs Suge took off the Single Black Female album were Tonight Is and Wasted My Tyme. So Michel'le’s Single Black Female album was butchered into the darker Hung Jury album which was released in 1998. This is where Hung Jury came into the picture and when Single Black Female was trashed. That is why Single Black Female was never released.




Single Black Female is the song for all the ladies out there. This is the ladies anthem regardless of race. Michel’le explains how a love so strong can go wrong on Single Black Female. She explains her experiences in a relationship that was dead and gone. The unexpected went undetected. Michel’le never thought she would see love leave her life. She was single and free. Single Black Female was produced by Budda.

This song was the original buzz single for the album. However this song was never issued as a single because Suge cancelled the single along with the album. The song never charted because of his decision.


The song Tonight Is is a bouncy and jazzy soul song where jazz and soul meet each other. You have upbeat swing jazz and soulful R&B. The upbeat smooth bass follows the upbeat swing jazz patterns. Michel’le is looking for more than friendship from her lover as tonight is the night for him. Michel’le tells him tonight is to be more than friends. A test of infidelity. She explains this in the song.

The song Tonight Is was recorded when Michel’le was recording and writing the Single Black Female album in 1996. The song Tonight Is was recorded for the Single Black Female album as evidenced in the lyrics.

I got different styles for different MCs
I've got styles to make MCs freeze
In they tracks, but I ain't got no time for all of that
The party's packed, and I'm checkin', how you gonna act
Coast to coast connection like that
Michel'le, Death Row, Black Wax, phat tracks
I'll hit you, wish you knew the remedy
So peep it, single black female, freak me

Michel’le tells her that she willing to try something new. Possibly infidelity. She is looking for more than friendship from her lover. Michel’le tells her lover, “You say it's alright if I want to come by. What can I do for you tonight? But if I'm gonna come by, then you'll have to try something new. And if you wanna be with me, tonight is the night set for you.”

He says it's alright if she’s want to come by. Michel’le wonders what she can do for him tonight. He’ll have to try something new if he wants to be with Michel’le. Tonight is the night set for him. Michel’le tells him, “If tonight is the night, it’s alright. So get yourself together. Tonight is the night.” Michel’le tells him tonight is the night to be more than friends. “Well, tonight is the night. When I'll feel it's right to do what we like, yeah.” Michel’le tells him, “I expect you to get yourself together, baby. Tonight is the night to be more than friends. We can be more than friends. It's alright, but only if tonight is the night. When I'll feel it's right, we'll do what we like, you'll see. Tonight is the night”


The song Walk With Me will remind you of rain due to the slow tempo as this song is a slow jam. The smoothness of the rain and wind chimes give away the feeling indicating that Walk With Me is a slow jam. This was a quiet storm song mixed with jazz.

Michel’le was talking about how much she loved Dre. She really loved him. Michel’le was trying to be the best woman Dre could possibly ever have and still he treated her horribly. All she wanted and asked for was there to be true love in their relationship.


You can tell Michel’le still had feelings for Dre when listening to the lyrics on Wasted My Tyme. The lyrics "Don't cry, don't you cry no more" and “I told you to go, I just want to be alone” hit the heart hard. Her lyrics have ability to touch your heart. This was the song that caused Dre and Suge to slap her.  The song uses a warm funky bass line which makes the song memorable.

Don't Say U Love Me uses a smooth melodic jazzy piano and jazzy saxophone over modern R&B production. The song also incorporates a bass line lyrics from The Delfonics song La La La La I Love You. Old school soul meets the sounds of modern R&B and jazz. It was such a dark time when Michel’le wrote Don't Say U Love Me. It was rough. The song explained her toxic relationship with Dre when her commitment to him was strong.

I'm Not Leaving You explained and showed her emotional attachment to Dre. She still had feelings for him. Her commitment to him was strong. It was such a dark time when Michel’le wrote I'm Not Leaving You. It was rough.

So Many Wayz was another cut which explained and showcased her toxic relationship with Dre. She loved Dre in so many ways. There are so many ways to say the things you want to say and do. There are so many ways to say goodbye.  

Tell Me Lies is No More Lies revisited. Tell Me Lies is a song aimed at men who are abusive and unfaithful to their lovers. However this song is aimed more at unfaithful men than it is abusive men it seems. Men exaggerate, lie, and are unfaithful at times.

I rate this album 5/5*****!!

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