2000 Watts

Japanese edition of the R&B/soul vocalist's sophomore album. 17 tracks including two bonus 'Happy' & 'So Alone'. 2001 release.

"Singer, Model, MTV VJ, Actor = Superstar," reads an insert included in the press packet for 2000 Watts, the follow-up to Tyrese's self-titled 1998 debut. Since when did being mediocre at everything one does add up to superstardom? Granted, the 22-year-old from Watts, California, sports the chiseled cheekbones and scrumptiously rock-hard abs it takes to excel at the "Model" portion of his equation for fame. But as far as the other components go, it might serve Tyrese well to stay away from the endeavors that require talents in any departments besides the, uh, visual ones. 2000 Watts plays like an amalgam of all the things wrong with R&B today. It practically bursts at the seams with Tyrese's shameless self-promotion (which becomes painful on the audacious gospel interlude, "Lord You Control Me," as he sings, "Thank you Jesus / Out of all the people in Watts / You sent me out there to represent for my people") and banal references to flossin' and blingin'. Tyrese gets no help from ultra-blah beats provided by top producers like Rodney Jerkins, Babyface, and the Underdogs, who realize that anyone with pecs as toned as Tyrese's really doesn't need strong grooves to sell records. --Sylvia W. Chan