Both
R. Kelly and
Jay-Z were flying high around the time of The Best of Both Worlds, so the idea of a collaborative album was a reasonable one, following up the success of
The Blueprint (2001) and
TP-2.com (2000). Unfortunately, Jay-Z's contributions (interjections and verses, mainly) sound like filler on The Best of Both Worlds, although
Kelly fares better, supplying some potent hooks and co-producing the tracks with
the Trackmasters (i.e.,
Poke and Tone), but he can't carry the album alone. Still, there are some moments where the collaborations click, particularly on the album's singles, "Get This Money" and "Take You Home with Me." ~ Jason Birchmeier