this one

nothing special

Puttin' It Down (Atlantic)

J. Little

By Kory Wilcoxson

There's definitely something wrong with J. Little's Puttin' It Down. It's not a problem with the music, which is fine. It's the fact that J. Little is not Boyz II Men or Toni Braxton. He's not produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis or Babyfaee. And he's from Cleveland, not New York or L.A.

The field of R&B music is overcrowded as it is with singers wanting to make their mark and their money. Doing so requires high-powered connections, a catchy gimmick or a high quality product. J. Little can produce on none of those three. His songs tend to repeat themselves both musically and lyrically and Little is content to build a song around a five-second hook.

His singing is average at best and is not really the kind of equipment that makes superstars.

Little gives it a good effort and Puttin' It Down is worth a few listens, but don't look for Little at the Grammys.