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Thread started 10/07/11 12:53pm

SEANMAN

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14th Anniversary of Janet's Critcally-Acclaimed "Velvet Rope"

Today marks the 14th anniversary of the release of Janet's most critically-praised album--the introspective, dark "The Velvet Rope". Widely considered her masterpiece, topics covered on the album ranged from sexual bondage, domestic violence, bisexuality and homophobia to the examination of self-worth, depression and the celebration of loved ones who've passed away. Janet stated that she was exploring the need she feels we all have to feel special--that we belong--and likening it to the velvet ropes that seperate the "VIPs" at a club from everyone else.

The album came after a renegotiation of her Virgin Records contract (after a bidding war that included everyone from Walt Disney Co. to Polygram Records)--resulting in an historic $80 million deal, making her, for the second time in five years, the highest-paid recording artist in history. "The Velvet Rope" is listed on several All-Time Greatest Albums lists, including Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The album was banned in Singapore for its lyrical content depicting homosexuality--the first of Janet's albums to be banned there. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, charted in the top 5 of many other countries, was Janet's fourth consecutive #1 album in the US, and went on to triple-platinum status in the US, with total worldwide sales of over 10 million copies.

"If Janet Jackson made much ado of janet being the Let's Get It On to Rhythm Nation's What's Going On, then 1997's The Velvet Rope is clearly her I Want You, respectively Jackson's and Gaye's best and least-heralded albums...The Velvet Rope is a richly dark masterwork that illustrates that, amid the whips and chains, there is nothing sexier than emotional nakedness."--SLANT magazine--****1/2

Rolling Stone magazine--***1/2

"The Velvet Rope picks up where janet. left off, in both its themes and its textures; this new collection of songs and "interludes" addresses the social, emotional and sexual politics of relationships, peppering the wistful, spirited pop melodies and sinuous R&B rhythms that are fundamental elements of the Jackson-Jam-Lewis sound with compelling jazz, folk and techno nuances."--Los Angeles Times

"In the end, the most daring thing about The Velvet Rope isn't its sex talk but its honesty. Tempting as it may be to compare the album to similarly sultry stuff like Madonna's Erotica, it's much closer in spirit to the unabashed emotionalism of Joni Mitchell's Blue. That's because the most revealing moments here have to do with loneliness and vulnerability, not sexual preference."--Entertainment Weekly

"...her most daring, elaborate and accomplished album"--New York Times

"Jackson shows once again that she can compete against any of the lightweight, mega-selling pop divas and hang them out to dry".--Craig S. Semon of Telegram & Gazette

"Twisted Elegance" was Janet's mantra about the need we all have to feel special...

The atmospheric first song on the album, "Velvet Rope", which thematically encompasses the examination of self-worth and the need to belong, sampled Malcolm McLaren's "Hobo (Scratch)" and Mike Oldfield's eerie "Tubular Bells", and features Vanessa-Mae on violin and the United Children's Choir in the background

"You", the second song on the album, samples War's "The Cisco Kid" and was widely rumored to be about Janet's brother Michael. She debunked the rumor in an interveiw with MTV's John Norris, saying "Is he the only man with a mirror?...'You' is about me." It's a tale about introspection set to a funky beat

The third song is the somber lament "Got 'til It's Gone". It was a US radio-only single, and in it, Janet sings woefully about wanting her lover back, set against a Joni Mitchell sample and a dope verse by rapper Q-Tip (someone Janet would later be rumored to have dated). Some controversy came with the track when the late rapper J-Dilla claimed to have actually produced it with the hip-hop trio The Ummah, and singer Des'Ree would later win royalty and credit rights, claiming the track sampled her own song "Feel So High". The iconically artistic video, set in South Africa during Apartheid, was helmed by music video auteur Mark Romanek, and won several awards, including a Grammy for Best Music Video-Short Form and a VH-1 Fashion award for Most Stylish Music Video, beating out the likes of Lenny Kravitz, Madonna and Brian Setzer Orchestra. Joni Mitchell said that the video was "full of humanity...Janet herself was lovely [in it]..."

The nasty (no pun intended) "Speaker Phone Interlude" brought about the most analyzing of all the album's interludes (including a witty story from comedienne Sandra Bernhard in her act "I'm Still Here...Dammit!"). In the interlude, Janet appears to be masturbating while speaking with a friend on speaker phone. The friend in question has been rumored to be either Shawnette Heard (a former Janet dancer that Janet was once romantically linked to) or Janet's former sister-in-law, Lisa Marie Presley. You decide...

The sultry "My Need" samples Diana Ross's "Love Hangover" and Marvin and Tammi's "You're All I Need to Get By"

The funny "Fasten Your Seatbelts" interlude mimicks two iconic Bette Davis quotes..."But ya are, Blanche, ya are!" from "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" and "Fasten your seatbelts, it's gonna be a bumpy night..." from "All About Eve"

"Go Deep" came with a quirky video helmed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris--known for directing The Smashing Pumpkins' "Tonight, Tonight" and "1979" videos--and sampled One Way's "Cutie Pie"

The funky, jazzy "Free Xone" weaves a story of homophobia and lyrics that make a play on the saying "boy meets girl, boy loses girl..." with a beat that sampled Lyn Collins's "Think (About It)" and Archie Bell & The Drells's "Tighten Up"

Janet's biggest-selling single worldwide, "Together Again" was the second single released from "The Velvet Rope". It was a #1 US hit on both the Hot 100 and Dance charts, and was top 5 hit in most European countries. The song, compared by Vibe magazine to 70s'-era Donna Summer, is a joyous celebration of friends Janet has lost to AIDS, and was originally written as a ballad. In recent years, with the passing of her brother Michael, the song has taken on new meaning, and Janet uses it to close out her latest shows with images of herself and her brother on the screen behind her. A video shot by French photographer Seb Janiak featured Janet on an expansive African plane, surrounded by many exotic animals and cultures. One brief moment in the video shows two Janets embracing, an image inspired by a Frida Kahlo painting. The single remains one of the bestselling singles of all time, with over 6 millions copies sold worldwide.

A video was also shot for the "Deeper Remix" of the song, helmed by Janet's ex-husband Rene Elizondo. In the clip, Janet is apparently arriving home from a funeral, and throughout the video a caterpillar emerges from its cocoon as a butterfly--a symbol of new life

The futuristic "Empty" was ahead of its time in several ways, with its use of Electronica and lyrics touching on the way the World Wide Web is utilized in current everyday life. In the song, Janet rushes home everyday to log on to her computer and connect with a person she's fallen for over the internet

The powerful "What About" continues the themes of the janet. album's "This Time", but takes things a step further. Thematically touching on domestic abuse and rape, Janet's vocals explode over a pulsating track as she uses profanity and oftentimes crude language to express the rage caused at the hands of a less-than savory lover. The track takes on an almost schizophrenic tone as segments of it are calm and serene with sound effects of crashing waves and chirping seagulls, while the other segments contain full-on bass and guitar with Janet telling her man off in no uncertain terms. Janet performed "What About" at the 1998 VH-1 Fashion Awards, moving the entire audience to a raucous standing ovation. VH-1 had initially wanted Janet to perform her current single, "Go Deep," but she refused to do so, saying it was either "What About" or nothing at all. They relented, and the result was arguably one of her most emotionally-stirring performances to date...

"Every Time", a tender ballad about Janet's fears of falling in love, was the final single released from the album. The only known time Janet has performed the song live was during the Japanese leg of the "Velvet Rope" tour. The accompanying music video was shot during the "Velvet Rope" Tour at Switzerland's Therme Vals Spa, by director Matthew Rolston. In the clip, a toned and blue-eyed Janet stalks dark, watery corridors and swims through deep waters. A body double was reportedly used for the underwater sequences.

Janet's remake of Rod Stewart's bedroom classic "Tonight's The Night (Gonna Be Alright)" set tongues wagging as she sings the lyrics exactly as they were written, without changing the sex of the person she's singing to. Indeed, the "loosen up the back of your pretty French gown" line held a different meaning coming from a female perspective. Further dissection of the track surmises that Janet is singing about a threesome. As the song opens, she says "This is just between me and you...and you." And later, she sings "'Cause I love you girl..." and "'Cause I love you boy..." It's hot stuff...

The scorching R&B track "I Get Lonely" (described by Vibe magazine's Danyel Smith as being vocally like "Honey butter") was another Top 5 Hot 100 hit for Janet (and her 12th R&B #1), and came with an equally sexy video of a red-haired, mega-cleavaged Janet walking a runway, caressing a male mannequin and performing in a futuristic airplane hangar with several female dancers. She performed the track at the 1998 Soul Train Awards--a performance that was recently paid homage to by Kelly Rowland at the 2011 BET Awards. Janet also sang a stripped-down version of the track on The Rosie O'Donnell show that same year. The talk show host presented Janet with her Grammy Award, and Janet let her know that she skipped out on the Grammys just so she could appear on her show.

BLACKstreet version

"Rope Burn" is a bondage-themed bedroom groove--another in the long line of Janet's self-described "baby-making" songs. In the track, she instructs her lover to "tie me up, tie me down--make me moan real loud..." to great effect. Her performance of the titillating track on the "Velvet Rope" tour is still being emulated today by the likes of Britney Spears and Rihanna, and was captured for her 1998 HBO special. The guy in the video is more than elated at being this close to the Queen...

The album's bedroom suite of songs is continued with the mellow "Anything".

The following interlude "Sad", in which Janet states that "There's nothing more depressing than having everything and still feeling sad," along with the disc's last track "Special", touch on Janet's struggles with self-esteem and depression, which culminated during the making of the album. In "Special", Janet sings about making peace with her sometimes painful past in order to heal, feel worthy and, most importantly, move forward. She performed the song on the "Velvet Rope" tour while images of herself as a child floated on a screen in the background.

A hidden track called "Can't Be Stopped" sampled Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler)" and spoke on self-pride

The Japanese release of the "You" single contained the B-Side "Accept Me", a track about a woman asking for acceptance from the people in her life.

Janet took her show on the road in the spring of 1998, opening in Europe before coming back to the States (a first for her). The "Velvet Rope" concert was a 9-month trek that touched down on 5 continents, and sold out shows from Europe and Africa to Japan and Australia, amassing a worldwide audience of approximately 1.6 million attendees in total. It grossed $78 million worldwide, and garnered praise from critics and fans alike for its Broadway themes and high-tech special effects. Opening acts for the tour included N'Sync, Usher, Boys II Men and 98 Degrees. The tour was filmed live at Madison Square Garden, and shown on HBO to the tune of over 15 million viewers, ultimately winning an Emmy Award. The last show was held at Hawaii's Aloha Stadium in January of 1999. The capacity of the stadium had to be expanded to accomodate ticket demand. This made Janet the only artist in the stadium's history to fill the venue over its intended capacity-- a record she still holds today.

Janet sported two seperate looks for the tour--bangs and a ponytail for most non-US shows

and long, black curls for the US shows

Her look for the album was drastically different than anything from before, proving Janet's knack for the art of reinvention. She was now sporting a mass of crimson curls, multiple tattoos including several African tribal symbols, piercings (nipple, tongue, septum, clit) and dramatic make-up. Themes of bondage and S&M were prevalent throughout the initial photographs.

Janet promoted the album on MTV's Total Request Live the day before its release, and signed autographs for a massive crowd the following day across the street at the Virgin Megastore in Times Square

Posing with Naomi Campbell and Lisa Marie Presley at the New York "Velvet Rope" listening party. Other celebs in attendance included Marilyn Manson, Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins, actor Michael Douglas and singer Beck.

Describing the album on MTV after the world premiere of "Got 'til It's Gone"

All-star tribute to Janet at the 1997 Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards

[Edited 10/7/11 17:22pm]

"Get up off that grey line"
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Reply #1 posted 10/07/11 1:37pm

Timmy84

worship

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Reply #2 posted 10/07/11 1:45pm

Shaolin325

I agree Timmy! bow

This cd was awesome!! I still listen to "Rope Burn" like it's brand spanking new.....

-

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Reply #3 posted 10/07/11 2:03pm

silverchild

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A pop masterpiece indeed! Out of all her albums, this is the album that hasn't aged or gotten dated. Like Shaolin325 stated, it sounds like a spanking brand new album. music worship

Check me out and add me on:
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"Truth is, everybody is going to hurt you; you just gotta find the ones worth suffering for." -Bob Marley
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Reply #4 posted 10/07/11 2:45pm

just1lousydime

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heart heart heart

One of my favorite albums ever. There's never a time where I can't hear Free Xone or I Get Lonely.

time flies.
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Reply #5 posted 10/07/11 3:01pm

alphastreet

I know there is a reason that today I was remembering the day I bought this album during lunch break on the day it was released. I didn't realize today was the day though then....and exactly half my life ago! So many wonderful memories with this album and seeing her and going to her concert for the first time, and I started my Janet wall that stayed up for a few years (only had one mj poster, I couldn't find any and had to wait around until they started showing up for no reason). Left michael behind briefly for janet, that's how much I loved her and still do, though once VR died down, I was gravitating back. She was sooo amazing! I think this album has aged the best of them all, and it was my teen angst album. I wanted the red hair and curls so bad then too. I eventually got the red but it wasn't as nice as hers smile

[Edited 10/7/11 15:03pm]

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Reply #6 posted 10/07/11 3:18pm

rialb

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This was my first Janet cd. I think I got it and Design of a Decade at roughly the same time. It's a good album but I always thought it was slightly bloated and a victim of the "cd's can hold eighty minutes of music so let's fill the whole darn thing up" mentality that was popular in the nineties. Chop off roughly twenty minutes and I think you would end up with a stronger album.

Janet fans, you guys are hardcore. Please don't lynch me. wink

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Reply #7 posted 10/07/11 3:33pm

bboy87

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This album I bought on cassette when I was 9 at Sam Goody for $9.99 during the week of it's release. I didn't really like it aside from a few songs, and although it's still not my favorite Janet album, I've grown to really appreciate it biggrin

"We may deify or demonize them but not ignore them. And we call them genius, because they are the people who change the world."
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Reply #8 posted 10/07/11 3:42pm

alphastreet

I used to love it start to finish, now I love most of it if not all. So many tracks are underrated, and I wished it was selling more. Kids around me were more into hip hop and teen pop, and they preferred janet era. It was my third janet CD, I had gotten janet. earlier that year and design of a decade in 96 though I started liking her in 95 and being more and more impressed with time. Now I have an uncountable number of janet cd's and records, at least 50 if not more

[Edited 10/7/11 15:43pm]

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Reply #9 posted 10/07/11 4:09pm

purplethunder3
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I'm glad for this celebration of Janet's excellent album, but I'm overwhelmed with all this audio-visual information! nuts lol

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." --Plato

https://youtu.be/CVwv9LZMah0
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Reply #10 posted 10/07/11 4:14pm

SEANMAN

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Thanx for joining the celebration, y'all! I've been jamming to this CD all day!

"Get up off that grey line"
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Reply #11 posted 10/07/11 4:15pm

purplethunder3
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SEANMAN said:

Thanx for joining the celebration, y'all! I've been jamming to this CD all day!

I've got Janet spinning on the stereo, too. wink

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." --Plato

https://youtu.be/CVwv9LZMah0
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Reply #12 posted 10/07/11 4:42pm

missfee

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Oh yessssss!!!!! I remember when they played the "Got Till It's Gone" video to death. That's when those rumors of her dating Q-tip starting rising up. lol I had just started high school. Lawd I need to dust this album off and put it in rotation. nod

I will forever love and miss you...my sweet Prince.
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Reply #13 posted 10/07/11 5:27pm

lavender1983

Definately my in top three fav Janet albums. In fact one of my favourite albums ever. It takes me back to a really nice point in my life everytime I listen to it.

Nice little tribute Seaman nod But of course who else would do the honours wink

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Reply #14 posted 10/07/11 5:32pm

dreamfactory31
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Wonderful thread. This album brings back a tidal wave of memories for me. I turned 18 when it was released in 1997.

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Reply #15 posted 10/07/11 11:34pm

SEANMAN

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dreamfactory313 said:

Wonderful thread. This album brings back a tidal wave of memories for me. I turned 18 when it was released in 1997.

I was 21 and it opened a floodgate of emotions in me. I remember opening the CD case and being in awe at the beautifully graphic photographs inside.

"Get up off that grey line"
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Reply #16 posted 10/08/11 12:31am

Gunsnhalen

To many damn interludes!, but besides that my 2nd fav album of her's cool

Pistols sounded like "Fuck off," wheras The Clash sounded like "Fuck Off, but here's why.."- Thedigitialgardener

All music is shit music and no music is real- gunsnhalen

Datdonkeydick- Asherfierce

Gary Hunts Album Isn't That Good- Soulalive
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Reply #17 posted 10/08/11 2:52am

xLiberiangirl

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Love this album!!! Together Again was the first song I ever heard of Janet(yes... I'm 16 so..) and I just loved so much. That is really one of the first memories I can remember about music. cool

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Reply #18 posted 10/08/11 3:12am

alphastreet

It was my first year of high school too when it came out, and I remember Together Again was the biggest hit among my peer group if I were to choose one from the set.

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Reply #19 posted 10/08/11 3:16am

JF81

Happy Anniversary! awesome album biggrin

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Reply #20 posted 10/08/11 3:26am

CHIC0

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Timmy84 said:

worship

co-sign

this album love dancing jig perfection!

heart
LOVE
♪♫♪♫

♣¤═══¤۩۞۩ஜ۩ஜ۩۞۩¤═══¤♣
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Reply #21 posted 10/08/11 7:33am

carinemjj

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Timmy84 said:

worship

That.

Favorite album, looks so beautiful, seen the concert... Happy b-day Velvet Rope!

Yeah, I love Graffiti Bridge movie, so what? ''Oooooooooooh Montreal, say it!''
If you can't be nice to someone on the net, you probably ain't worth much talking to in real life either.
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Reply #22 posted 10/08/11 8:03am

mjscarousal

I love EVERYTHING about this album. One of her bests no doubt! Happy Bday VR!

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Reply #23 posted 10/08/11 8:07am

smoothcriminal
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Love this album! headbang

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Reply #24 posted 10/08/11 8:18am

Dreamer2

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Shaolin325 said:

I agree Timmy! bow

This cd was awesome!! I still listen to "Rope Burn" like it's brand spanking new.....

-

The third song is the somber lament "Got 'til It's Gone". It was a US radio-only single, and in it, Janet sings woefully about wanting her lover back, set against a Joni Mitchell sample and a dope verse by rapper Q-Tip (someone Janet would later be rumored to have dated). Some controversy came with the track when the late rapper J-Dilla claimed to have actually produced it with the hip-hop trio The Ummah, and singer Des'Ree would later win royalty and credit rights, claiming the track sampled her own song "Feel So High".

Without question this is the best track on the album ....in fact it's Janets best work ... Q-Tip , Joni and of course the hidden sample of DesRee Feel So High makes this a classic in my eyes!

The rest of the album is well a bit Sh*t...... not that good to be fair .....hence the amount of remix singles ....so not Janet's best work but her best produced single since the TTWLG .....

wink

Eye Was Born & Raised On The Same Plantation In The United States Of The Red, White And Blue Eye Never Knew That Eye Was Different Til Dr. King Was On The Balcony
Lying In A Bloody Pool......Call me a Dreamer 2 - R.I.P - James Brown and Michael Jackson
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Reply #25 posted 10/08/11 8:24am

lavender1983

"I get lonely" remains one of the sexiest songs and videos ever to me. Lawd. lol

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Reply #26 posted 10/08/11 2:28pm

Timmy84

lavender1983 said:

"I get lonely" remains one of the sexiest songs and videos ever to me. Lawd. lol

Yes ma'am! cool

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Reply #27 posted 10/08/11 2:54pm

SEANMAN

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lavender1983 said:

"I get lonely" remains one of the sexiest songs and videos ever to me. Lawd. lol

lol

"Get up off that grey line"
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Reply #28 posted 10/08/11 3:45pm

lavender1983

SEANMAN said:

lavender1983 said:

"I get lonely" remains one of the sexiest songs and videos ever to me. Lawd. lol

lol

nod nod nod nod nod

mmmhmmmmmm

I swear Janet had a 14 year old girl questioning her sexuality. One of the few women with the ablity to make me moist...and I ain't ashamed nether hmph! . Tis a beautiful thing indeed.

*crosses legs*

lawd

lol lol

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Reply #29 posted 10/08/11 4:21pm

Timmy84

Janet's one of the reasons I know I'm still sexually attracted to women. wink

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