On her debut,
Love & War,
Jerzee Monét straddles the line between an eccentric soul songstress (think
Alicia Keys) and a chart-bound R&B crooner (more along the lines of
Ashanti or
Truth Hurts). Meanwhile, her press shots make her look like the second coming of
Neneh Cherry, while her affiliation with
Ruff Ryders and
DMX points to a degree of artistic independence. In the hands of producer
Tyrice Jones, however,
Jerzee Monét doesn't sound distinctive enough to triumph over the bland material presented here. The single "Most High" is pleasant and positive, but far too fluffy for its own good.
Monét also courts the hip-hop audience with an
Eve duet, and attempts to ride the coattails of
Ashanti with the
Ja Rule feature on "Twisted." The latter reveals her, much like
Ashanti, as a solid singer in the
Mariah Carey mold, but little breaks through amongst the bland, sound-alike productions and songwriting. ~ John Bush