Virgin Records
2005
Can'tneverdidnothin'
About This Album
It's not often that the liner note "thank yous" on a record offer much insight to the album itself, but with Nikka Costa's second album, Can'tneverdidnothin', her four shout-outs help define exactly where she's at. First, there's a thank you to Justin Stanley, her co-writer and producer, who functioned as her chief collaborator. Then, there's Randy Jackson, the American Idol superstar and Nikka's manager, who "fight[s] everyday for the artist I want to be." Then, Lenny Kravitz gets acknowledgements for "the stinkiest groove that whooped my a** everytime," with Prince getting the final tip of the hat for "support, advice and inspiration." Good thing Costa gave credit where credit is due, since Can'tneverdidnothin' bears the imprint of all four inspirations: it plays like an update of a mid-period, mid-'80s Prince album, punctuated by a couple of Lenny's fuzz-drenched retro rockers and given a slick, savvy show-biz presentation that's smart enough to have a couple of stylish, artsy touches like cameos by Jon Brion, Wendy Melovin, and Roots drummer ?uestlove. While it's easy enough to play spot-the-influence here, Costa pulls off a nifty trick by defining herself through her idols, finding her personality within the parameters of Prince and Lenny Kravitz.
Track List (try tracks 1,4,7,9 and 10)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.