Me'Shell Ndege'Ocello Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape CD

Contains hidden tracks on track numbers 14, 15, and 16.
Personnel includes: Me'Shell NdegeOcello, Redman, Tweet, Cato, Talib Kweli, Caron Wheeler, Lalah Hathaway, Marcus Miller, Michael Hampton (Kid Funkadelic).
Producers: Cato, Meshell Suhaila Bashir, Supa Dave West.
Recorded at Hyde Street Studios, San Francisco, California.
COOKIE: THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL ALBUM was nominated for the 2003 Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary R&B Album.
A few things are proven on Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape, mainly that Me'Shell Ndegéocello can still play bass, and that three years between albums can be worth the wait. Both concepts were tested with her previous disc, Bitter, which lacked Ndegéocello's playing skills and floundered under mixed reviews and limited commercial appeal. While her fifth disc may not alleviate the latter, the former should be back around in droves. The attempts at pop songcraft heard on her earlier albums and best represented with the minor hit "If That's Your Boyfriend" seem long gone. That's not to say that Cookie is not catchy, just not within the parameters of traditional pop methodology, as she instead brings the funk constantly, mixing it up with a smattering of jazzy sensibilities and hip-hop. Ultimately, the disc is a mix of Afrocentrifugal explosiveness -- not only from the music, but also from her powerful lyrics that make the political personal and the personal political. ~ Brian O'Neill
Me'Shell Ndegeocello's fourth solo outing comes from an artist whose work is nothing short of visionary. Considering that COOKIE was shelved for a period before being released, the set nevertheless sounds as fresh and contemporary as anything currently being pumped out of the urban music scene. Ndegeocello continues her amalgam of bass-driven jazzy R&B, funk, and hip-hop, adding in occasional world music touches (as with the Indian-influenced outro in "Trust").
"Priorities 1-6" smoothly captures a Maxwell vibe, while both "Earth" and "Barry Farms" jam on slinky Prince-like grooves, replete with sexually charged lyrics. As physical as Me'Shell's lyrical focus gets, it holds equal court with social, spiritual, and political statements. In the opening cut, "Dead Nigga Blvd. Pt. 1," she sings, "Just because civil rights is law doesn't mean that we all abide." COOKIE also has an eclectic ensemble of guests. Caron Wheeler lends her soulful voice to the jazzy "Criterion," fellow four-stringer Marcus Miller weighs in on Funkadelic's "Better By The Pound," while the remix of "Pocketbook" boasts a who's who collaboration of heavy hitters including Rockwilder, Tweet, Redman, and Missy Elliot.

Guests:Redman,Tweet,T.Kweli,L. Hathaway,M.Miller,Cato

Rolling Stone (6/20/02, p.83) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Powerful, beautiful, sensual and activist, this is the record Prince keeps trying to make..."
Spin (3/02, p.129) - 8 out of 10 - "...still swings for the same musical fences....Hancock harmonies, Afro-Latin rhythms, [and] downtown-hip instrumental work..."
Entertainment Weekly (6/7/02, p.76) - "...Another set of songs that are political and unflinchingly personal, but still manage to entertain....this is one tasty COOKIE." - Rating: A
Vibe (3/02, p.172) - 4 discs out of 5 - "...Rich in lyrical and sonic brilliance, COOKIE provides plenty to stimulate both brains and behinds..."
Mojo (Publisher) (12/02, p.116) - "...Provocative and engaging..."