Chocolate Factory

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Chocolate Factory
Studio album by R. Kelly
Released	February 18, 2003
Recorded	2001-2003 Rockland Studios Chicago, Illinois
Genre	R&B/Soul
Length	76:26
Label	Jive 41812
Producer	R. Kelly
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Entertainment Weekly (B-) link Rolling Stone (favorable) link RS Album Guide [1] VIBE [2]
R. Kelly chronology
Best of Both Worlds /w Jay-Z (2002) Chocolate Factory (2003) The R. in R&B Collection, Vol. 1 (2004)
Loveland - EP
Bonus disc cover
Singles from Chocolate Factory
"Ignition" Released: 2002 "Step in the Name of Love" Released: 2002 "Chocolate Factory" Released: 2003 "Forever" Released: 2003 "I'll Never Leave" Released: 2003 "Snake" Released: 2003 "Who's That" Released: 2003

Chocolate Factory is the seventh studio album by R&B musician R. Kelly, released February 18, 2003 (see 2003 in music) on Jive Records. Well received by most critics, in spite of Kelly's sex scandal during the time of its release, seven of the tracks on Chocolate Factory had already or would later be released as singles.^[3]

Contents 1 Release and Reception 2 Track listing 2.1 Disc One - Chocolate Factory 2.2 Disc Two - Loveland 3 Personnel 3.1 Rhythm Section 3.2 Vocals 3.3 Additional personnel 4 References

[edit] Release and Reception

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Released after the singer had gone through a year of controversy for a now-infamous videotape alleged to show Kelly and an underage girl having sex, the album proved to be a success for Kelly, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart, while selling more than 532,000 copies in its first week.^[4] After the release of his hit single, "Ignition (Remix)", which peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, the album has gone on to sell over 3 million copies in the U.S. alone.^[5] Other hits include "Snake" featuring Big Tigger, which peaked at #16, and the 1970s-inspired "stepper's anthem", "Step in the Name of Love".^[6], which peaked at #9. The album's packaging design is very similar to the design of Chocolate City. As of May 19, 2003, Chocolate Factory has been certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.^[7]

Included in the album's packaging is a note, in which R. Kelly addresses the charges against him and his appreciation for his fans^[8]:

The album was met with generally favorable criticism. The following are excerpts from editorial reviews and details of Chocolate City's ranking in top album lists^[9]:

Rating:
"...Chocolate Factory seems positively inspired....An impressively varied opus... - Mojo" (5/03, p.100)

Rating:
"...It's apparent that the troubled star has found a happy medium to create a release, the joyous screams are frequent; he doesn't sound like a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders, but a revived soul in spiritual euphoria" - BBC (4/03, pp.173-4)^[10]

Rating:
"...allegations of participating in child pornography against Kelly provide a distorting filter through which his music will be heard for years to come. That's too bad, because Chocolate Factory ranks among the best work of his career....as a singer, songwriter and producer, he's at the top of his game." - Rolling Stone (2/6/03, p.61)^[11]

• Included in Rolling Stone's "50 Best Albums of 2003" (Rolling Stone, 12/25/03, p.107)
• Ranked #12 in Blender's 2003 "Albums of the Year List"^[12]
• Ranked #44 in Village Voice's 2003 Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll (Village Voice, 2/20/04)

[edit] Track listing

All songs were written, produced, and arranged by R. Kelly himself. Track 17 was written by R. Kelly and Fat Joe.

[edit] Disc One - Chocolate Factory

1. "Chocolate Factory" - 3:50
2. "Step in the Name of Love" - 5:42
3. "Heart Of A Woman" - 4:31
4. "I'll Never Leave" - 3:45
5. "Been Around The World (feat. Ja Rule)" - 4:05
6. "You Made Me Love You" - 4:34
7. "Forever" - 4:06
8. "Dream Girl" - 3:57
9. "Ignition" - 3:16
10. "Ignition (Remix)" - 3:06
11. "Forever More" - 3:33
12. "You Knock Me Out" - 4:10
13. "Step in the Name of Love (Remix)" 7:12
14. "Imagine That" - 4:38
15. "Showdown (feat. Ronald Isley)" - 7:54
16. "Snake (feat. Big Tigger)" - 4:51
17. "Who's That (feat. Fat Joe)" - 3:33

[edit] Disc Two - Loveland

In special edition U.S. copies of Chocolate Factory, a bonus disc, the 6 track EP Loveland, is included.

1. "Loveland" - 4:27
2. "What Do I Do" - 3:35
3. "Heaven I Need a Hug" - 5:12
4. "The World's Greatest" - 4:37
5. "Far More" - 3:26
6. "Raindrops" - 3:55

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Rhythm Section

• Donnie Lyle - bass, guitar, keyboards, mando
• Henry Love - congas
• Gregg Landfair - guitar
• Percy Bady, Rodney East, Kendall D. Nesbitt - keyboards

[edit] Vocals

• R. Kelly - vocals
• Christina DeLeon - background vocals
• Joan Collaso - choir
• Yvonne Gage - choir
• Paul Mabin - choir
• Jeffrey Morrow - choir
• Stevie Robinson - choir
• Johnny Rutledge - choir
• Simbryt Whititngton - choir

[edit] Additional personnel

• R. Kelly - arranger, producer, mixing
• Carl Robinson - recording engineer
• Paul Riser - horn and string arrangements, conducter, orchestration
• Andy Gallas, Ian Mereness, Joe Donatello, Abel Garibaldi - programming
• Serban Ghenea, Tony Maserati, Peter Mokran - mixing
• Herb Powers - mastering
• Jackie Murphy - art direction and design
• Pamela Watson - stylist
• Ja Rule, Ronald Isley, Big Tigger, Fat Joe - guest vocals

[edit] References

Preceded by Get Rich or Die Tryin' by 50 Cent

Billboard 200 number-one album March 8 - March 14, 2003

Succeeded by Meteora by Linkin Park

v • d • e R. Kelly Discography Born into the 90's  | 12 Play  | R. Kelly  | R.  | TP-2.com  | The Best of Both Worlds  | Chocolate Factory  | The R. in R&B Collection, Vol. 1  | Happy People/U Saved Me  | Unfinished Business  | TP-3: Reloaded  | Remix City, Vol. 1  | Double Up Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop number one singles "Honey Love"  | "Slow Dance (Hey Mr. DJ)"  | "Bump n' Grind"  | "You Remind Me of Something"  | "Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)"  | "I Can't Sleep Baby (If I)"  | "Street Dreams"  | "I Believe I Can Fly"  | "Satisfy You"  | "If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time" | "I Wish"  | "Fiesta"  | "Step in the Name of Love"  | "Thoia Thoing" Other songs "Contagious" (Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single, Group, Band or Duo)  | "Ignition (Remix)" (ARIA number one)  | Trapped in the Closet (Best Long Form Music Video nomination)