"This Is Me... Then" (11/26/2002) R&B Lopez, Jennifer, Epic (USA)Personnel includes: Jennifer Lopez (vocals); Jadakiss, Styles, LL cool J (rap vocals); Reggie Hamlet (acoustic guitar, bass); Renee Toledo (acoustic guitar); Kamil Rustaru (electric guitar); Verdine White (bass); Omar Hakim (drums); Troy Oliver, Dan Shea (programming); B-Money (vinyl scratches); Lakindra Pierce, Natasha Ramos, Billy Lawrence, Tavia Ivey (background vocals). Producers include: Rick Shelton, Troy Oliver, Cory Rooney, Focus, Reggie Hamlet. Recorded at Hit Factory, New York, New York. Personnel: Rene Toledo (guitar, acoustic guitar); Reggie Hamlet (acoustic guitar, bass guitar); Kamil Rustam (electric guitar); Omar Hakim (drums); Dan Shea, Davy Deluge (programming); Troy Oliver (keyboard programming, drum programming); B Money (scratches); Corey Rooney, Makeba Riddick, Natasha Ramos, Shelene Thomas, Tavia Ivey, Billy Lawrence (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Jean-Marie Horvat; Peter Wade Keusch; Bruce Swedien. Audio Remixer: Lawrence Fordyce. Recording information: Criteria, Miami, FL; Hit Factory, New York, NY; Record Plant, LA; Sony Music Studios, New York, NY; The Studio, Philadelphia, PA. Don't pay attention to the title, which is absolutely nonsensical and bewildering -- it suggests that This Is Me...Then is a compilation, which it isn't, and it also suggests that this has some sort of theme, which it doesn't -- and concentrate on the music, which is the strongest, sultriest, best music Jennifer Lopez (who has abandoned the moniker J-Lo) has recorded for any of her three albums. This, of course, doesn't mean that it's a radical musical departure, though there are differences here -- the glitzy dance-pop has been phased out, there's a stronger urban soul vibe, particularly on the lush surfaces and sexy grooves -- but it does mean that the album has a solid set of songs and a sharp production pitched directly at the mainstream of 2002, yet with nice allusions to classic soul and early-'80s pop-funk and soft rock. Since Lopez is a celebrity and a regular feature on gossip pages in the early days of the 21st century, and since she's unabashedly mainstream -- her only attempts at street-cred are on the laughable lyrics to "Jenny From the Block," where she insists that success hasn't spoiled her yet and she's the same ol' Jen she's always been (if so, why the paparazzi on the back cover?) -- it's easy for some listeners to dismiss her, but it's harder to make to make a pop album as easily enjoyable as this. Sure, there are some flaws -- as mentioned above, "Jenny From the Block" is silly and no matter how much you love Ben Affleck, "Dear Ben" is unbearably mawkish -- but all mainstream pop albums stumble through filler. What counts is the overall feel and the highlights. Here, the feel is sexy, stylish, and fun, and there are numerous highlights, all feeling effortless. And if you think that's easy to do, take a listen to a few other pop-R&B albums from late 2002 (Stripped and Charmbracelet come to mind) and hear how good this record is. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine In the titles of both her debut, ON THE 6 (as in the NYC subway to the Bronx), and her 2002 release, THIS IS ME...THEN, Jennifer Lopez makes the assertion that in spite of her mega-successful movie career and her high profile, paparazzi-fodder dating life (from Puff Daddy to Ben Affleck), she is still just "Jenny from the Block," as this album's first single proclaims; a simple girl from the Bronx. That your average non-movie-star from the Bronx could probably not obtain a record deal so readily is a moot point, since Lopez can indeed sing and is undeniably a presence both visually and sonically. Despite the unshakeable dance bounce of the aforementioned single, most of the record grooves with an almost '70s-sounding mellow vibe, including a faithful cover of Carly Simon's 1978 hit "You Belong to Me." Perhaps this smoothness is due to the one facet of J-Lo that belies her larger-than-life mystique; the love she wears on her sleeve. Even if you'd taken lodging in a cave during 2002, her courtship with fellow movie star Ben Affleck is apparent on thi