Is there a way to separate R. Kelly the artist, from his recent legal woes? Can you listen to his music without wondering who or what serves as his muse? Admittedly it’s been hard for me.

R. Kelly is a prolific writer and one of R&B’s most sultry artists, but - yes there’s a but- lately I find myself having to work hard to listen to his music without judgment. So to keep myself honest I tried something different when the time came to review Chocolate Factory. I enlisted the help of others before ever hearing it myself.

First, I spoke with a friend who has the CD. His commentary was all good including a very serious warning about its sexy content. ‘You might mess around and have another baby listening to it,’ he said ominously. Well, bump and grind is Mr. Kelly’s specialty, but that doesn't necessarily equal good music.

Next, I casually left the CD sitting out, knowing that my husband, a serious music buff, would be unable to resist checking it out. I was right and he did. As I sat downstairs, not listening, I could hear him hooting and raving with each new track. Twenty mintues later he proclaimed that R could release the first eight songs and each would be a bonafide hit. Detect a pattern here?

Unable to put it off any longer, I popped the CD in and let Chocolate Factory envelope me. No matter what Kelly’s going through in his personal life right now, he’s consistent as ever in his music making. As proof, he penned the crazy hot single, Bump, Bump, Bump, for B2K; his new duet with Ronald “Mr. Biggs” Isley is tha’ bomb; and Ignition, the original and remix, is tearing up the charts. If you doubt his golden touch, you’re deaf or in denial.

Although the title track is generic, nothing more than a re-hash of the artist’s past work, and Heart of a Woman, his usual warning to the fellas to ignore their ladies needs at their own peril, a bit trite under the circumstances, Chocolate Factory definitely delivers the goods. Many of the songs, including Been Around The World, an ode to his fans featuring Ja Rule, are testament to Kelly’s ability to make magic with uncomplicated lyrics and tight tracks.

We’ve heard them all before but Chocolate Factory, once again, introduces listeners to the many sides of R. Kelly; the thug (Who’s That, Been Around The World), which he seems content to perpetuate to maintain his street cred; the consummate lover (Forever, You Knock Me Out), which sometimes manifests itself in throw-back 1950’s style love songs; the apologizer (I’ll Never Leave), a man who not only recognizes that he has flaws, but isn’t above begging for forgiveness, and the seducer (Ignition, Dream Girl) a side of him that has earned him the well-deserved moniker, Mr. Bump n’ Grind. We’re familiar with all of him and once more he pulls us into his private party. The album smoothly glides in and out of each personality, teasing your senses, never allowing you to get too much of one before it jumps to another.

Unlike many artists, R. Kelly has always been able to successfully float between ballads and dance tracks. It’s not only acceptable but expected that one minute you find yourself bouncing to lyrics like “It's the remix to Ignition, hot and fresh out the kitchen, mama rolling that body got every man in here wishing,’ and then the next shaking your head in amazement at the power of his ballads. He even tries something a little different with Imagine That, a mid-tempo slow jam with a guitar riff that would make the Isley Brothers proud.

Speaking of the Isley’s, listeners are once again treated to the melding of old soul and new, as
Mr. Biggs makes an appearance on Showdown. Listeners have come to expect the inclusion of Ronald Isley on an R. Kelly joint, and while the nearly eight minute track could have spared us the “video” dialogue which interrupts the song three times, the two complement each other like no other.

Throughout the album Kelly lavishes his fans with love, shouting out his appreciation for their support. There’s the dedication on the inside CD cover, the ode with Ja Rule, and another ‘thank you’ in the remix to Step In The Name of Love, which is really two more than was necessary. It’s nice, at first, but it begins to border on pleading.

Clearly, his very public legal issues have overshadowed his music over the last year, evidenced by the quick demise of Best of Both Worlds, his collabo with Jay-Z. And I’m not alone in trying to separate my feelings for his problems from my love of his music, but, Chocolate Factory is definitely among his best work. If you’re thinking of begrudging R. Kelly his props, don’t bother, the hits speak for themselves.