Body Kiss

1	Superstar / Ronald Isley 3:54
2	Lucky Charm / Ronald Isley 4:31
3	What Would You Do? / Pied Piper 3:47
4	Body Kiss / Lil' Kim 4:02
5	Busted / JS 3:58
6	Showdown Vol. 1 / Ronald Isley 4:59
7	Keep It Flowin' / Ronald Isley 3:09
8	Prize Possession / Ronald Isley 3:58
9	Take a Ride / Ronald Isley 4:15
10	I Want That / Ronald Isley 4:16
11	I Like / Pied Piper 3:03
12	What Would You Do? Pt. 2 / Pied Piper Remix 3:20

Barnes & Noble

Since he made his debut in R. Kelly's gangster-inspired video for his 1995 hit "Down Low," Ronald Isley's "Mr. Biggs" alter ego has become larger than life -- so much so that the legendary soul singer has assumed a pimped-out style and referred to himself as the fictional mob boss ever since. Thankfully, Isley's midlife crisis role playing hasn't overshadowed his falsetto brilliance, and Body Kiss picks up where 2001's platinum Eternal left off. This time around, however, instead of working with several producers, Isley and his guitar-playing brother Ernie enlisted Kelly to write, arrange, and produce all but one track. Like Kelly's 2003 classic soul love fest, Chocolate Factory, Body Kiss strikes the right balance between seductive slow jams -- such as the Marvin Gaye–esque "Prize Possession" and the "Who's That Lady"–reminiscent "Superstar" -- and naughty midtempo grooves, such as "Lucky Charm" and the steamy title track, featuring rap siren Lil' Kim. Throughout the disc, the Isleys continue to enchant fans young and old with their timeless, irresistible brand of R&B. Tracy E. Hopkins

All Music Guide

Body Kiss is one of those Isley Brothers recordings. Feeling more like a return to the T Neck years than anything else, Body Kiss is an album of the prime seductive variety harking back in terms of tempo, song structure, production, and pace to releases like The Heat Is On and Harvest for the World. Produced and almost completely written by R. Kelly, Body Kiss features Ron and Ernie Isley taking the soft soul approach to decidedly urban love songs. Kelly understands the dynamics inherent in the Brothers' approach and has constructed a set of songs that plays to those strengths. While Ron's voice has lost none of its deep emotional expressionism, Ernie's guitar playing is more restrained here, though no less imaginative. There's less Hendrix and more Isley. On the title track, his dovetailing lead lines tie off the ends of Ron's sung lines and open up on to the next one. On "Superstar," his lilting tone is affected just enough to add to the rich textural palette of the vocal and basslines. "What Would You Do?" features his Stratocaster painting the vocal just enough. If seduction is the M.O. for these tunes, they flower not only in steamy eroticism, but also in honest and deeply moving romanticism. Isley makes even the most suggestive love song seem like a paean to commitment and endurance. Kelly's particular ability to write for the strength of conviction in the grain of his voice also turns back the clock on urban soul tropes but simultaneously brings the Isleys' signature sound into the 21st century. The shimmering, laid-back funk in "Prize Possession," with its tapered flute fills, is the kind of song Aaron Hall would have given his right arm to record. And in Ron Isley's silky tenor, every word is believable, no matter how macho. Body Kiss is a better Isleys record than listeners had any right to expect and it is a signature collaboration between the band and Kelly; given that this is a first outing for the team, one hopes that the creative field that exists between will be further explored. Thom Jurek

Vibe

1/2 No one knows how to turn a song into a saga like Mr. Biggs. Laura Checkoway

New York Post

With Ronald "Mr. Biggs" Isley at the mike and R&B master R. "Kiddy" Kelly writing, arranging and producing, this album rarely misses its smooth groove target. Dan Aquilante