Peep This

the take

Like many others, my introduction to Jamie Foxx as a singer was in 2005 with his "Unpredictable" album. It wasn't until 2018 that I found out he released an album a whole decade before 2005: "Peep This" from 1994. When I first listened to "Peep This", I wasn't really too keen on it as a whole. I vibed with the title track, as it showcased how much of an underdog he was due to him being seen as a comedian first, but that's it. (Jamie Foxx is my favorite cast member on "In Living Color", but that's irrelevant.) Fast forward to now and I finally gave Jamie's debut album another listen, partially due to me watching three episodes of "The Jamie Foxx Show" on BET back-to-back that reminded me of his singing career. "Peep This" is actually not that bad, now that I think about it. The album's uptempo tracks incorporate the New Jack Swing sound that already kind of fell out of popularity by the mid-1990's. That said, there are still solid songs on here that are good enough to appreciate. The more I listen to songs like "Meet You", "Your Love", and "Precious", the more I appreciate this kind of songs more than on initial listen. The songwriting on these tracks is exactly nothing to write home about, but Jamie's vocal presence transforms those sometimes simplistic lyrics into hypnotizing words when executed right. As for the ballads, that's where Jamie has always exceeded in, in my opinion. Before Sexyy Red and Drake butchered this song due to its sampling of it, "Infatuation" has always been the one standout for me. Not only that this song have always spoke to me on a spiritual level, but "Infatuation" is Jamie Foxx at his best, from the vocals to his presence and everything else in between. "If You Love Me", "Don't Let the Sun Go Down", and "Light a Candle" are other great ballads (and songs on this album as a whole) that I hold in high regard. Years later, I finally began to appreciate Jamie Foxx's debut album more to where I kind of have it above "Unpredictable".