We live in a golden age of one-named, soulful lovemen. The radio is full of their heavy breathing: Seal (he wants a kiss from a rose), D'Angelo (he wants some brown sugar), Usher (you make him wanna) and Babyface (king of the world). All of these artists owe a lot to Prince. Back in the Eighties, when hip-hop was dropping the bomb, Prince showed everybody how to be a soulman in a hip-hop world,...

The concept is simple: let's get it on. But seduction is the art of bringing matters to a slow boil, and both Blackstreet, the New Jack schwing! quartet featuring contemporary R&B rajah Teddy Riley, and Maxwell, a cool new customer with a sharp ear for old-school sensuality, take all the time they need to hit pay dirt. Maxwell's exploding Afro and the gentle but resolute command in his...