Come 2 My House, released on the Artist's NPG Records, was a return to basic soul for Chaka Khan. NPG Records positioned the album as containing the feel of Khan's former band Rufus. There were some really strong cuts on the album, including: the first single "Spoon," "Reconsider (U Betta)," a cover of Graham Central Stations' "Hair" and "Pop My Clutch," featuring Queen Latifah. There were also some surprises, such as the inclusion of "Don't Talk 2 Strangers," which The Artist himself originally performed on the soundtrack to Spike Lee's film Girl 6.
Like the Artist, Chaka Khan experienced artistic frustrations on Warner Brothers Records. When her contract ended at the label, her and the Artist collaborated on some new songs. This period in his songwriting featured collaborations with both Khan and idol Larry Graham, who was a key player in Sly & The Family Stone as well as his own band Graham Central Stations in the 60's and 70's respectively. Of course Khan is best known for singing the smash hits "I'm Every Woman," "Tell Me Something Good," "Ain't Nobody" and her smash cover of Prince's "I Feel For You."
Most of the tracks that eventually landed on Come 2 My House were composed musically by the Artist with lyrics by Chaka Khan. However, there were some other writers involved in the project. Perhaps the most interesting of these other collaborations were with 80's icon Robert Palmer, who charted high in that period with "Addicted To Love." Apparently meeting Khan at Palmer's Sound & Vision tour, he penned the album's first single, "Spoon" and "Come 2 My House" with writing partner Howard McCrary. The latter later featured some changes by the Artist, who takes a credit on the song.
The listener feedback on the album was for the most part positive, particularly among The Artist's listener base. However, there were some critical points made about the album. Some felt there were too many slower tempo songs while some journalists noted that the music sounded "dated." It is of note that the Artist's image was somewhat tarnished in the media in this period. Pretty much anything he wrote, no matter how current sounding, was considered passe. If R. Kelly (who dubbed himself "The King Of R&B") or Sean "Puffy" Combs, two hot writer/ producers in the late 90's, wrote the same material the reviewers would have had nothing but praise for the songs. With fairness to The Artist, he does not write for the sake of trends, but for timelessness. That will be evident when this review is read some twenty years from now and the reaction to the two so-called super producers above is "who?"
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