Part 5 - The Fruit Fresh from the creative high of LSG, Gerald was ready to tackle his own issues of life and love. Personal and professional maturity had given him license to turn some of his most complex interactions into song. Love & Consequences, his third solo LP, is the product of this introspection. This time around Gerald deep-focuses on the inner workings of a relationship. There are no more frilly concepts of light and airy love. Gerald's love is dark, thick, and salty. Nothing is simple. His newfound respect for realistic portrayals of love over romantic portrayals could have been the result of a broken love affair. You could assume that he dogged or was dogged. Or, you could credit his natural progression as an artist into one who was no longer satisfied with skimming situational surfaces. With lyrical shovel in hand, Gerald was down to do some digging. Unfortunately, sometimes there's no digging allowed in the music business, even if all you're searching for is a little truth. A youth-oriented business such as this often demands that its suppliers keep it fun and simple. If an artist gets too deep, it's feared that his message will fly right by the listening public's tender ears. In Gerald's case, the fact that he was already considered to be an adult contemporary artist made the situation even more precarious. He could have A) caved in to executive pressure and made an album that was suitable for younger audiences or B) made an album that was suitable for him. Instead of stressing over how to make an album that appealed to the mind of a child, Gerald skipped the issue entirely. He compromised and made an album that appealed to the body. Gerald's position was that if you hit anybody with a groove they liked, they'd connect. Creating an album full of urban radio-friendly grooves freed him to lyrically speak volumes, and not necessarily on the ever-popular (though rather adult) subject of sex, sex, sex. Hence Love & Consequences was consequently lovely, despite the struggle that surrounded its conception. On the ominous "Point The Finger"", featuring Sean Levert, Gerald touches on friction-split relationships. He sits his little brother down for a heart to heart about the changes that love has put them through. The love they speak about is filled with losers and indo smoke, ghetto girls and cash money. Gerald wants his lady to remember that when she points the finger at him, the focus boomerangs right back to her. This is a souped-up soul version of the old adage that if a person is over-suspicious, they're usually the one with something to hide. On "No I'm Not the Blame" Gerald retaliates against the guilt his woman is laying on him. He wants her to recognize that he's the same man she met. He's the same man who gave her everything she wanted. His behavior hasn't changed, so why has hers? This is a tough question, and the possible answers are infinite. The worth lies in the fact that someone's asking the question, working both our bodies and our brains. On the intro to another rump-and-reason-shaker, Wyclef Jean asks, "What happened to the old records?" The answer is not a thing. "No Man's Land" is an intersection of past times and current impressions. The plaintive sounds balance on the cusp of hip-hop, blues, reggae and soul. Over quiet chaos, Gerald offers fragmented images of a cracked world, much like Marvin Gaye's musings in his classic "What's Goin on?" Gerald's whispery performance conveys the frustration that has sent him packing for no man's land, as the spoken refrain "what happened to the old records?" weaves strategically throughout the piece. At some points, we hear "what happened to the old days?" Once, we hear "what happened to the old prophet Marvin Gaye?" Then, lost in thought, we realize the words have never changed. The final cut on Love & Consequences is equally magical. "Humble Me" featuring Gerald's son Lemicah focuses on familial love. It's guaranteed to plaster a silly smile on every listener's face. The love between father and son radiates, warming everything within distance. Gerald sings of feeling humbled whenever he sees his son's smiling face, and we understand why. The boy is clearly charming. We hear snippets of their conversation; his childish candor is refreshing. The most touching part of all is when Lemicah imitates his father's adlibs near the end of the song. During the short call and response section, it's evident that the younger Levert has a great ear and a rapidly developing voice. He knows how to respond when his father asks him if he has anything to say to his fans. Thank you everyone for looooooviiiinnnggg meeeeee! Spoken like a true pro. The fact that Gerald shares something as precious as his son is endearing. Without even trying, the song contains the most moving moments on the album because nothing is more genuine than true life and love. "Humble Me" contains both. The maturity that allowed Gerald to seek new creative heights was as inevitable as the personal and professional trials he faced to gain it. He had to face those obstacles, so that he could grow stronger. The growth is the point. Everyone must grow, even 18-24 year old urban radio listeners. The earth's cycle demands it.