0736. Queen Latifah
All Hail The Queen

I think I'm getting too old. Exibit A is that I'm not as aflame by Native Tongues associated hiphop from eighty nine as I was back when I first discovered it.

The nonsense called hiphouse is of course represented (it is a Native Tongues album from '89 after all), but restricted to Come Into My House, while Mama Gave Birth To The Soul Children gives us an early appearence of the rapping chipmunk/smurf, who gained serious notiriety in the hooks of many a later nineties/early 2k rap song.

So in theory this could actually be the swan song for the raps of my youth, but then just looking at the cover shot is a rescue. Latifah looks like serious royalty and you can't deny that she brings the attitude to the tracks. This isn't just someone claiming the throne, but someone who actuallt gave the competition a verbal beatdown proving it.

A bonus is the reggae elements that pop up here and there, but The Pros sadly gets shafted by Daddy-O's just plain stupid verse, he's that guy who you bring onto a track to make yourself look good. But the team ups get far better when it's the queen and Monie Love in Ladies First and the aforementioned Mama Gave Birth To The Soul Children, where De La Soul gets some mic time.

Kickass!