Respect is currency in the hip-hop nation, and since crashing into the territory with her husky roar, MC Lyte has been making dollars – even though she took a pay cut for her smoothed-out last album. This around-the-way girl gets hers without the benefit of a gimmick, game or pose. She's a sister who'll put a brother in check, pronto, but she doesn't have a chip on her shoulder. Unlike other women rappers, she doesn't overcompensate for the fact that she's female or expose flesh in exchange for approval. Fly? You bet. But as she asserts in the pride anthem that kicks off Ain't No Other, "Never did I say I was good-lookin' ... just one badass bitch from Brooklyn."

The only missteps on Ain't No Other are "Ruffneck," which drops wack Zappa-isms as she describes the type of guys that turn her on, and "Steady F-King," an overbearing round in Lyte's already tired feud with Roxanne Shanté. The rest of the set features cool braggadocio, no-bullshit attitude and heated discussions of sexual politics. There are also freestyle turns by chums like Lin Que and Milk Dee.

The tracks with the most going on are "What's My Name Yo," with rocking rhythm and big-band blast carrying locomotive lines about Lyte's skill; "Lil Paul," wherein Lyte instigates an "OPP thing" with a lover's friend; and the title track, which includes the quotable quip "Gotta get a crowbar to get you off o' my tip!" Patter like that deserves fair compensation. (RS 668)

HAVELOCK NELSON