Queen Latifah: Nature Of A Sista : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

With her 1989 debut album, Queen Latifah quickly became the first lady of hip-hop. All Hail the Queen proved not only that a woman could rap as fast and hard as a man, but that audiences would respond to her Afrocentric, feminist teachings. The challenge for her second album was to meet the expectations created by the seminal single "Ladies First," from All Hail the Queen – a challenge Nature of a Sista' isn't quite up to.

Latifah is still feisty, exploding stereotypes and defining womanhood for a generation of sisters and the brothers who disrespect them. She lashes out at racists, critics who accuse her of selling out and lame men who try to sweet-talk women into bed. Clearly, Latifah hasn't lost her political edge; the problem is she hasn't sharpened it much, either. "Love Again" doesn't really go much beyond saying racism is a bad thing, and "Give Me Your Love," a smoky, R&B-influenced track that shows off Latifah's smooth vocals, is just another love song.

But there are terrific moments on Nature: "One Mo' Time" features her signature liquid delivery; the jazzy "How Do I Love Thee," recalling "Justify My Love," shows the Queen at her breathy, sultry best; the reggae-flavored freestyle jam "That's the Way We Flow" is full of feminist wit and dance energy.

Nature of a Sista' samples a wider range of the Queen's prodigious talents and musical styles than did her first album, and while that in itself is a good thing, it also proves to be something of a problem. In a seemingly forced effort to capture the broad pop audience she deserves, Latifah enlisted five producers, which is ultimately more than this record can bear. Unfortunately, Nature of a Sista' proves that even for the Princess of the Posse herself, Queen Latifah is a tough act to follow.