08:13 AM CST on Tuesday, December 27, 2005

By LORRIE IRBY JACKSON / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News

For Terrell native Jamie Foxx, it's all about the art of the flip. The actor-comedian has already turned an impulsive open-mike comedy club appearance into successful sitcoms and silly film roles into Oscar-winning ones. Now he's parlaying his jones for music into his J Records debut, Unpredictable, moving past the choruses he provided for hip-hop cuts such as "Slow Jamz" and "Gold Digger."

As his second album proves, he didn't earn a piano scholarship back in the day for nothing; Mr. Foxx co-wrote six of Unpredictable's songs. And unlike other actors, he can actually sing, with sleek vocals that oscillate credibly from passion to player mode. His inclusion of top R&B producers Mike City, Timbaland and Babyface doesn't hurt, either.

He's got a lil' somethin' somethin' for everybody here: old-school flavor (a cover of the time-tested R&B staple "Love Changes" with Mary J. Blige), mack daddy cuts (the pulsating midtempo "Warm Bed" and salacious ballad "Can I Take U Home") and heart-tuggers dedicated to his daughter and late grandmother ("Heaven" and "Wish U Were Here," respectively).

Mr. Foxx surrounds himself with talent while keeping top billing. Snoop Dogg and the Game add street cred to "With You," but it would've packed a dance floor without them. And Kanye West adds wicked humor to the player's hangover nightmare, "Extravaganza," without downplaying its, er, sobering message.

Unpredictable's title is a misnomer, as he's never too far from his R&B and hip-hop roots, and it fits only if you haven't seen Ray. But as an album, it proves that his abilities as a musician are no act.

E-mail lorrieirby@dallasnews.com

Jamie Foxx

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Unpredictable (J Records)

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