Last September, we met Baltimore rapper Al Rogers Jr. through his excellent single “SadeWithLove,” a dazzling intersection of go-go energy and jazzy atmosphere.
Over a year later, Rogers Jr. returns with Luvadocious, an ambitious 11 song album that restlessly explores a buffet of sounds—always rooted in the rapper’s Baltimore core, but expansive in the same way that “SadeWithLove” previously suggested the reaches of his imagination. Rogers Jr. cribs lovingly from Outkast and Funkadelic in philosophy, framing Luvadocious with skits and envisioning a utopian alternate reality:
“Luvadocious is world I made up where people believe God to be a woman and love isn’t feared,” says Rogers Jr. of the album. “When you think of everything good in this world it’s a sense of feminine energy to it; beauty and grace unlike power & greed which could be thought of as a masculine trait. Godina (God) is narrating the entire project voiced by radio personality Ladawn Black. It’s an album speaking on triumphs, falling in love, heart breaks, struggles, family, and faith. I wanted it to feel like God is talking to you and guiding you through my music so it feels as though you’re actually on a voyage.”
Luvadocious is that rare beast in an age of disposable, drive-by culture: A project from a lesser known voice that requires and deserves repeat listens and digestion over time. Produced entirely by Rogers Jr.’s collaborator Drew Scott, Luvadocious has a real cohesion and sonic richness that invite exploration more so than immediate satisfaction.
