Framing private times ... and the Whole 9!,' the latest from Al B. Sure!, is a remake of "Hotel California." Yes, that "Hotel California" – and it is a bold play on young Al's part. The opening track is the straight remake, which turns the classic into a creepy combination of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous and Dark Shadows. It's not that it doesn't work; it's just that you can't help but...

New York is the capital of hip-hop, a factory town for the dance and rap records that are its musical identity. It is also the capital of black balladry: Dionne Warwick, her niece Whitney Houston, her musical heir Luther Vandross and his heir Freddie Jackson are all stylistically of the Apple. What seemed inevitable has finally begun to happen: the crooners, who seek to escape the rattle of subway...