come to chaka's house

this is the best chaka khan album you've never heard. it came out ten years ago while she was signed to prince's npg label. i had always been hesitant to buy come 2 my house because i think prince has problems producing other artists. however, my real issue may be with the way he produced his proteges, e.g. vanity, apollonia and their respective "6" groups. it may not have been on purpose, but he made those groups novelty acts in lingerie. neither vanity nor apollonia were good singers and they were not self-contained musicians like wendy & lisa, the time or sheila e., all of whom have maintained their own longevity without prince being in the picture.

then, two songs from come 2 my house were played on prince's now defunct npg music club site. they were the title track and "this crazy life of mine." those songs blew me away. the lyrics for both are sexy, vulnerable and deeply personal. they are also very mature and extra-special because a post-i'm every woman/i feel for you ms. khan wrote them.

it's obvious on come 2 my house, prince stuffed his ego in his back pocket and let ms. khan woman the ship. someone unfamiliar with prince's work and sound could listen to this album and not have a clue he had anything to do with it and that's a wonderful thing for someone like ms. khan. she is self-contained and my listening to her music has absolutely nothing to do with who produces her.

Come 2 My House - Chaka Khan