The truly collaborative nature of the album is why it works: R. Kelly and Jay-Z share executive producer credits and co-wrote 12 out of the 13 tracks on the disc. On tracks such as “Take You Home With Me” and “Break Up To Make Up,” R. Kelly plays to his vocal and lyrical strengths (soul and sex, respectively); meanwhile, Jay-Z continues to use his rapping as an instrument, particularly on “Get This Money.” His greatest talent, however, remains in his storytelling abilities, as shown on the album’s highlight, “The Streets.”

Outside of this duo is where the problems are stemmed. Certainly, Lil’ Kim could have contributed more to “Shake Ya Body” than a gimmicky chorus and some filler verses. Similarly, Beanie Sigel’s work on “Green Light” brings down one of the record’s more adventurous tracks.

Despite their strength together, it’s doubtful that R. Kelly and Jay-Z will team up again; one can hope, however, that more collaborations between artists of this caliber will continue to emerge.