The 4 Play EP

Released in April 1995, The 4 Play EP serves as a bridge between R. Kelly's early success with Public Announcement and his ascent to solo superstardom. While it features the hit 'Your Body's Callin'' from his 1993 album '12 Play', the EP is notable for its inclusion of specific remixes that emphasize a more soulful, stripped-back, or extended groove. The 'Nobody's Home' and 'After the Party's Over' mixes showcase the artist's burgeoning talent for vocal arrangement and his ability to reinterpret his own material for different late-night contexts. Critics often point to this era as the moment Kelly perfected his signature 'vocal stack' technique, which would go on to influence a generation of R&B and pop performers. The EP captures the transition from the rhythmic rigidity of New Jack Swing into the more organic, 'neo-soul' adjacent textures that would dominate the late 90s.