Leon Haywood - Naturally (Expanded) 1980/2014

Leon Haywood is known for 1975's "I Want'a Do Something Freaky to You" and his 1967 hit "It's Got to Be Mellow," and the soul man wasn't doing badly in 1980, when he enjoyed a number two R&B hit with the funky "Don't Push It, Don't Force It" and followed it up with the equally funky, equally infectious "If You're Lookin' for a Night of Fun." Both of those hits are included on Naturally, one of Haywood's strongest albums. Those who acquired the vinyl LP for its singles also found a lot to admire about the songs that weren't played on the radio, which range from the gritty "That's What Time It Is" (a James Ingram song) to the insistent rap gem "Lover's Rap." Haywood doesn't do any singing at all on "Lover's Rap" -- he raps all the way through the tune, which was unusual for an R&B artist back in 1980. At the time, many R&B singers considered hip-hop a passing fad and doubted that it would last more than a few years; little did they know that it would be going strong 20 years later. Haywood's rapping on "Lover's Rap" indicates that he had been paying close attention to early hip-hoppers like Kurtis Blow and the Sugarhill Gang, and he deserves credit for acknowledging hip-hop at a time when many other R&B vocalists refused to take it seriously. However, "Lover's Rap" is the only tune on Naturally that has anything to do with hip-hop. This is a soul/funk LP first and foremost, and it's a record that Haywood should be proud of.