Lil' Mo: Based On A True Story : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Lil' Mo is the mystery diva you've been hearing for the past three years going toe-to-toe with Ja Rule, Jay-Z, Keith Sweat, Next and, most memorably, Missy Elliott on "Hot Boyz" and "Five Minutes." Coming on the heels of her witty and heartily sung single "Superwoman," Based on a True Story is a largely down-tempo autobiography of messy private details and grand career aspirations that would provoke a thanks-for-sharing response for a lesser singer. From the grinding get-outta-the-ghetto groove of "SupaStar" to the slow-jam swagger of "She Could Neva Be Me," Lil' Mo's debut proves she's more than a mini-Missy. Despite the mostly subdued beats, this Long Island native's versatile voice asserts a point of view as provocative as her pen: A roof-raising rendition of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" makes that clear. Between the Bow Wows and the Kims, you may rightfully be sick of all the Lil' people, but Mo is the shorty with the something extra.

BARRY WALTERS
(RS 873 - July 19, 2001)