Marsha Ambrosius
was content to stay behind the scenes as a writer, producer, and occasional featured artist after the 2018 release of
Nyla
, her third solo album. In 2021, encouraged by
Dr. Dre
-- who at the time was recovering from a brain aneurysm and three strokes -- she recorded what developed into
Casablanco
, issued on the doctor's
Aftermath
label.
Dre
gave
Ambrosius
carte blanche, and the two collaborators, aided by additional producers such as
Focus...
,
Dem Jointz
, and
Erik Griggs
, knocked it out during two inspired weeks. A 27-piece orchestra was brought in, yet there's even more sonic grandeur, at least in terms of cost, in a superabundance of samples and interpolations that took over a year to gain legal clearance. Conceptually, this is something like
'
-assisted,
Jeru the Damaja
-referencing cover of
Sade
's "Love Is Stronger Than Pride" (off
Friends & Lovers
) expanded to album-length scope. Listening to it is akin to watching a film with a nonstop succession of needle drops. As such, it can come across like a mixtape. Though the reliance on old ideas can be fatiguing, it's obvious that
, and company had a ball piecing it together, and there's lyrical consistency with lust, romance, and heartache articulated throughout.
' elegantly complex turn on "Wet" alone -- with
James Moody
the Dramatics
Minnie Riperton
Wu-Tang Clan
, and more in the mix -- makes a strong enough argument for the singer's continued activity as a solo artist. "Music of My Mind" puts a humorous cap on it, with the singer quoting
Al B. Sure!
Earth, Wind & Fire
Patrice Rushen
, and herself before rattling off a list of inspirations that includes "
Soul II Soul
Loose Ends
, blue chick in
The Fifth Element
," the latter replete with an operatic background flourish. ~ Andy Kellman