Jason Weaver - Love Ambition (1995)

It's been rumoured that since Michael Jackson left Motown,the label has been trying to find a teenaged vocalist that has the same something the young Michael had.They came closes to what they were looking for (vocalwise) in Jason Weaver. On his debut Luv Ambition,it's clear that Weaver has the pipes.He portrayed a pre-teen Michael Jackson in the top-rated ABC-TV miniseries,The Jacksons:An American Dream,which is sometimes rerun on cable channel VH1.Weaver,a Chicago native,is best known as the singing voice of young Simba and can be heard on "I Just Can't Wait To Be King," and "Hakuna Matata," on the Lion King soundtrack. His other credits includes being a regular on the ABC-TV sitcom,Thea,seen in reruns on BET. The accomplished sixteen-year-old vocalist has a clear and disciplined voice that distinguishes him from the myriad of bubble gum singers that currently inudate the charts.The opener,"I Can't Stand The Pain," is a smooth atmospheric jam with a nice open mix whose spareness put emphasis on Weaver's vocals.On his cover of the Isley Brothers' "For The Love Of You,,"Weaver handles the lyrics well and the track has a mellow vamp at the end.Hakeem of The Boys produces the two most interesting tracks on the album with "Ordinary Guy, " and "My Love,." Both have a flavor reminiscent of The Jackson Five.As you might expect,the material is basically adolescent love songs. But what makes the album stand out is Weaver's way-above average vocal skills and some fresh production flourishes.~Luv Ambition Review by Ed Hogan