Rope a Dope Style (1990)

LeVert's fourth album, Rope a Dope Style, is pleasingly schizophrenic. The trio — brothers Gerald and Sean Levert plus Marc Gordon — alternates between sexy funk grooves and dreamily romantic ballads. These two styles derive from a pair of profound influences: Gerald and Sean are the sons of Eddie Levert, a founding member of Philly Soul masters the O'Jays. The ballads here owe much to the O'Jays' tough-but-tender style of crooning. LeVert's funk, by contrast, suggests a thorough knowledge of George Clinton's work over the past two decades. On its best songs, LeVert makes these disparate influences its own. B+