Macy Gray- The ID (2001) VBR

Macy Gray- The ID

Year 2001

Tracks
1. Relating To A Psychopath 4:50
2. Boo 4:23
3. Sexual Revolution 4:46
4. Hey Young World Part 2 (featuring Slick Rick) 4:02
5. Sweet Baby (featuring Erykah Badu)3:49
6. Harry 3:10
7. Gimme All Your Lovin' or I Will Kill You 4:45
8. Don't Come Around (featuring Sunshine Anderson)4:37
9. My Nutmeg Phantasy (featuring Angie Stone & Mos Def)4:55
10. Freak Like Me 3:38
11. Oblivion 2:48
12. Forgiveness 5:18
13. Blowin' Up Your Speakers 1:07
14. Shed 4:18

In 1999, Macy Gray's On How Life Is filled a void that no one knew existed. The eccentric singer's unusual voice more sand than gravel and her eyebrow-raising lyrics consumed a massive space that was accessible but also controversial. After all the hype surrounding her just-add-water superstardom, the daunting question her follow-up, The Id, must answer is how well she can weather the abundant exposure. Over the course of Gray's second album, the novelty of her vocal style is somewhat tempered by her limited range. That said, what she lacks in octave-conquering she and producer Rick Rubin more than make up for in creativity. The album's many eclectic singles stand strong. "Psychopath" opens the disc with a wall-of-sound block party; it's a funky, celebratory track, well endowed with twangy surf guitar, glimpses of theremin, a ragga-inspired bass line, and lots of goodies floating in the song's highest register (backing vocals, splashes of cymbals, piano). Gray's album also benefits from a host of R&B and hip-hop guests, including Slick Rick, Sunshine Anderson, Angie Stone, Mos Def, and most notably Erykah Badu, who supports Gray on "Sweet Baby," a moving uptempo ballad that easily rivals the best that '70s soul has to offer. Once again, her lyrical sensibility is gripping, vacillating from whimsical ("Oblivion" to disturbing ("Gimme All Your Lovin' or I Will Kill You". In all, Macy Gray continues to wave her R&B freak flag while digging deep in the trenches of the vividly real.
One of the most successful artists of 2000, Macy Gray won the Grammy™ for Best Female Pop Vocal, took her debut album double platinum and produced the #1 smash "I Try." Her second album, The Id, features a duet with Erykah Badu on the first single, "Sweet Baby."