Barbershop Music From The Motion Barbershop Soundtrack CD

Ginuwine/Fabolous/P.Diddy & Jagged Edge/Ghostface/Ruff End

Personnel: Lil Fizz (rap vocals); Michael "Dino" Campbell (guitar); Darren Lighty (keyboards); Mischke, Ericka Yancey, Ginuwine, Glenn Lewis, Johnta Austin, Marques Houston, Amel Larrieux, B2K, Troy Taylor, Algebra (background vocals).
Audio Mixers: Ian Boxill; Manny Marroquin; "You Can Ask" Giz; Rob Paustian; Jean-Marie Horvat; Rakesh; Brad Gilderman.
Recording information: Battery Studios, New York, NY; Character Music, New York, NY; Daddy's House Recording, New York, NY; Daddy's House Studios, New York, NY; Gin House, Los Angeles, CA; Hall at the Ark, Fairburn, GA; Hit Factory, New York, NY; Hit Kitchen, Houston, TX; Kathlina Hakim Studios, New York, NY; Majestic Studios, North Hollywood, CA; Noontime Studios, Atlanta, GA; Playground Minimansion Studios, Closter, NJ; Right Tracks Studios; Sony-ATV Studios, Atlanta, GA; The Weight Room, New York, NY; Turtletone Studios, Englewood, NJ.
Arrangers: Lil' Kano; Ghostface Killah; RZA.
At the time of its release, the various artists collection containing music from the motion picture Barber Shop boasted two tracks, Fabolous and P. Diddy featuring Jagged Edge's "Trade It All Part 2," and Ginuwine's "Stingy," that were rising on the R&B Top 40 charts, which seemed to bode well for this collection of rhythmic urban music. Typically, not a note of Terence Blanchard's score to the film was included, but there were three tracks on the album, Best Man's "I See You," Jordan Brown's "Better to Leave," and Collin's "Baby, Baby, Baby," not actually featured in the film, and P. Diddy and the Family's "And We" was presented in a different version from the one contained in the film. That last track was one of several marred by awkward and not very deceptive "clean" edits that managed to mangle the songs' rhythms without actually obscuring the vulgar intent of the lyrics. Much of the album, however, consisted of romantic ballads, and the package concluded with two old-school favorites: Marvin Gaye's "Got to Give It Up (Part 1)" and the Staple Singers' "I'll Take You There." The album opened and closed with dialogue excerpts from the film that suggested it was a comedy keyed to the questionable macho wisdom that might be overheard in an establishment largely frequented by men. ~ William Ruhlmann
Although Ice Cube and Eve both star in this film about a day in the life of a hair-cutting establishment on Chicago's South Side, BARBERSHOP: MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE leans more heavily on contemporary R&B artists than rappers to carry the movie's musical themes. Among the rhyme merchants who do show up are Ghosftace Killah who cuts loose with Ruff Endz over the creamy beats of "Love Session," and Lil Kano, who's equally impressive on the stop-and-start "Ben." Although P.Diddy attempts to rock out with The Family (the sparse "And We") and Fabolous featuring Jagged Edge (a convoluted "Trade It All Part 2"), kudos go to the smooth crooning of Glenn Lewis and Amel Larrieux (a gorgeous "What's Come Over Me?"). Other R&B acts cutting into this collection are 3LW (a simmering "Could've Been You") and a couple of old-school legends--Marvin Gaye (the infectious "Got To Give It Up [Part 1]") and The Staple Singers (a soulful "I'll Take You There").