Sammie Albums (2)
What The Critics Say
Sammie recorded his first album, 2000's From the Bottom to the Top, at the age of 12. Between then and the recording of his second album, 2006's Sammie, he finished junior high and high school and stayed away from the music industry. Needless to say, the fans who spent all that time waiting for the singer's return shouldn't be surprised to hear a very different voice, one that couldn't possibly be recognized as the same one heard before. In fact, Sammie might as well be considered a new artist, not a returning one, despite his past success. On From the Bottom to the Top, he was a clean-cut kid with a squeaky voice. And though Dallas Austin remains heavily involved on his follow-up, he's quite different now -- which had to be expected, though he never dips into the raunchy territory populated by so many other male singers his age -- and even had a hand in writing almost all of the songs here. With the involvement of Austin, Jazze Pha, Dre & Vidal, and Bryan-Michael Cox, it's apparent Sammie aspires to go toe to toe with Usher, Marques Houston, Mario, and all the other R&B vocalists around his age. He does retain some boyishness, yet he never breaks into a Ray J-like whimper when he's feeling desperate. The album does begin to sag toward the middle and putters around after its front-loaded sequence of highlights, which features yet another electro rehash from Jazze Pha (who outdoes and possibly pokes fun at himself by proclaiming, "This is the greatest moment on Earth!") and top-notch contributions from Cox (which effectively samples Chicago's "Hard Habit to Break") and Dre & Vidal. Even some of Sammie's original fans should be pleasantly surprised by this impressive, assured, and fully developed return. Dropping out of music for six of his teenage years was a pretty big risk, but it should pay off. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
'From the Bottom to the Top'
Release Date 3/14/2000
Tracks 14
Label Capitol
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
There's no mistaking little Sammie for Sammy, the post-Pavement indie-rock combo of the mid-'90s. No, Sammie is an urban R&B singer. He's also a kid, not that you'd really be able to tell that from a cursory listen of his debut album, From the Bottom to the Top. At times, his voice does sound a little thin, but for the most part, it's surprisingly soulful and convincing -- not as stunning and assured as the young Michael Jackson, but certainly a lot better than most child singers. If he's not yet skillful enough to disguise the sometimes uneven material, that's still forgivable, because the tracks that do work, work really well. By and large, those are the songs written and produced by executive producer Dallas Austin, who keeps the beats fresh and light and the hooks strong and catchy -- particularly on uptempo numbers like the opener "The Bottom" and "Can't Let Go," featuring Lloyd of N'Toon. That's not to say that other producers and writers come up empty or that Sammie can't handle slower songs -- the midtempo soul of "Crazy Things I Do," produced and written by C. "Tricky" Stewart, is proof that he can -- but he sounds his most infectious when the beat is a little faster and the hooks are a little sharper. Perhaps that's due to the songwriting, which gets a little undistinguished as the tempo slows, or perhaps it's due to the fact that while Sammie is an impressive talent, he has yet to mature. Either way, the end result is the same: From the Bottom to the Top is entertaining, but not always engaging. Still, we have to remember that this is a debut album from a child singer. Judged on that basis, it's charming and, at times, impressive. Sammie does well this time out, and he'll probably do better next time around. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
