By Marcus A. Williams

Lyfe Jennings: Serenading for change

When your soul is weak and your body has withered, the melodic soulful sounds of Lyfe Change is the perfect emotional uplift.

Columbia Records recording artist Lyfe Jennings has released his third street inspirational album, “Lyfe Change.”

Following the success of his 2004 platinum debut album, Lyfe 268-192 and the 2006 smash hit sophomore album, The Phoenix , Jennings is definitely showing that he hasn’t lost his magic touch of composing quality music.

The raspy vocalist opens the album with “Keep on Dreaming,” which tells listeners that before adequate change can take place they must first find their confidence and love for self.
“Is it cause they laugh at you…and talk about you too, they talked about Jesus Christ, what makes you think they won’t talk about you,” soulfully sings Jennings. “No need to worry, you are a star and you are perfect just the way you are.”

The opening track does a perfect job of setting the tone of the album as well as echoing the words of American philosopher, John Dewey who once said  that a “good man is the man who, no matter how morally unworthy he has been, is moving to become better.”
After the opening track Jennings began to take the listener through his heartaches, confusions and regrets. This section of the album allows the listener to take a glimpse through the eyes of pain.

From the pain of abandonment, imprisonment and negativity to a bitter-sweet kind of pain, love.

Jennings uses tracks like “Never Never Land,” “Brand New” (featuring T.I.), “Cops Up,” and “It’s Real,” to show that the hurt, tears and misfortune of love can be just as devastating as hate.

Jennings uses “It’s Real” to increase the awareness of a very prevalent issue in the Black American community, the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

However, as powerful as the message is, it barely penetrates the melodically seductive beats, so by the end of the song the meaning is almost nonexistent.
“Ah it’s real, don’t care how you feel, we already know it kills so I gotta wrap it up, I gotta protector, ah it’s real,” sings Jennings.

Jennings has started this trend of remaking at least one classic “oldie but goody” on each album.

But he does more than remake the track, he kisses each lyric with his unique finesse.
This time around he brought back the classic, “Midnight Train to Georgia”, originally recorded by Gladys Knight and The Pips.

Jennings’ “Midnight Train” continues to loll the listener through the emotional windmill of love.
Jennings lets everyone know that while love may be wonderful with its ever changing emotions, the reality of everyday chaos is never too far away.
“The phone rings, should I pick it up and go back to reality or should I not move, burry all my sorrows in a bottle under a full moon” sings Jennings on track number eleven, “HMMM***”
But Jennings ends the album letting listeners know that when it’s all said and done and all the struggles of life and love have been endured and you feel like you have been beaten down to nothing, change is still possible.

If you need some uplifting encouragement to love yourself and keep pressing on to see just what life has in store for you than Lyfe Jennings has crafted the perfect motivation to bulldoze your way through life.

The third masterpiece from the raspy soul star Lyfe Jennings, “Lyfe Change” is currently in stores and from the sounds of it, it is sure to change lives around the world.