So So Def wisely held back the release of
Jagged Edge's second album,
J.E. Heartbreak, originally scheduled for the fall of 1999, into early 2000, by which time advance single "He Can't Love U" had become a major hit, thus setting the album up to best the gold-selling success of their debut album,
A Jagged Edge. That said, the group's slavish obeisance to current R&B conventions continued to be its aesthetic stumbling block. As producer/writer
Jermaine Dupri's answer to
Boyz II Men,
Jagged Edge turned out another set full of slow jams indistinguishable from what was already all over urban radio. Their one attempt at something actually edgy came with "Girl Is Mine," but it was marred by one of those drop-out-laden clean edits of what was no doubt a vulgarity-laced rap by
Ja Rule (Why even bother to bring in a rapper if you are only going to cut his rap to ribbons?). Mostly, the group was much more tasteful, with twin brothers
Brian and
Brandon Casey contributing lyrics of romantic devotion culminating with "Let's Get Married." It could only be hoped that, having made their commercial breakthrough,
Jagged Edge would aim for an artistic breakthrough next time. ~ William Ruhlmann
![V Layover 3 [Barnes & Noble Exclusive]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0196922462498_p0_v3_s90x140.jpg "V Layover 3 [Barnes & Noble Exclusive]")
