“Dreams are hopeless aspirations, in hopes of coming true, believe in yourself, the rest is up to me and you.” These words were written on Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes’ grave as 30,000 fans mourned the loss of the critically acclaimed artist after her death on April 25, 2002.

The-30-year-old had aspirations of creating a solo album and left behind lyrics and journal entries she had written while a member of the R&B group TLC. The Lopes family, in collaboration with Mass Appeal Entertainment, have put together a posthumous album, Eye Legacy. Combining the talents of artists such as Chamillionaire, Lil’ Mama, Missy Elliott, Bobby Valentino and TLC with Lopes’ original vocal tracks, they were able to grant her final wish.

There were concerns, however, if these artists would be able to meet the high expectations Lopes created with her previous work. There were also worries of tarnishing Lopes’ legacy by throwing anyone’s name on the album and capitalizing on her death.

Yet these worries have been dispelled by the great lengths the producers went to incorporate a sense of musicality that is not necessarily found on traditional rap albums.

Unfortunately, there are some sour notes. In particular, “In the Life” returns to the stereotypical “I’m from the hood” style of rap we’re familiar with. Additionally, Lopes was an artist who earned her right by being unique compared to other artists, and this song does not play into her favor.

However, the album is redeemed by “Let it Out,” which easily comes out on top. The song showcases her storytelling skills — in this case, her ability to explain the tragedies of reality. Better still, she does it in iambic pentameter, which clearly conveys what she wanted each set of lyrics to express.

Lopes definitely changed her approach and rap style with each song, and those changes give a new meaning behind her lyrics. By carefully enunciating her lyrics and using syncopated accents, she makes her stories clear and powerful. That’s the thing about Lopes, just by listening to the intensity and passion within the lyrics, she proves herself more than just any rapper or R&B celebrity. She makes her music worthy of being called art. She challenges herself by incorporating gospel choirs, electric guitar and piano accompaniments to her raps and melodies. There’s even a little glockenspiel piece in the “Let’s Do It” remix (which just might be the first time little bell tones have been added to an aggressive rap).

Continuing with this aspect of changing musicality, the featured artists further enhance the album with beautiful harmonies and smooth vocal transitions — they brought their best.

There were a few disappointments, such as “Listen,” in which some nasally vocals ruin the meaning of the song completely and sound like a Jessica Simpson song gone R&B, as well a few other songs which didn’t seem like Lopes’ best work. But then again, fans were relying on artists other than Lopes to create epic work.

There’s a huge topic range found on this album, with themes ranging from child abduction to going to a club, which should offer mass appeal to a wide genre of fans. And you’ll find songs flooding music libraries, such as the first release, “Let’s Just Do It,” along with “Crank It” and “Bounce,” which features high energy beats and lyrics that will quickly become second nature.

With a portion of the albums proceeds going to Lopes’ charity, Hogar de Amor (Home of Love), this album clearly does Lopes justice, as any artist or musician could applaud the pieces found on this album.