Scorpion

When debuted in 1999, she surprised many as one of the few female rappers capable of attaining both popularity and respect without having to take on a sleazy role or sacrifice any of her muscle. In fact, her muscle seemed to be what impressed the community most. If anything, brings even more muscle to her follow-up album, . Her rhymes flow just as smoothly here as they did on her debut, and she sounds even more confident than before. Given her ensemble cast of producers and guest rappers, she probably should sound confident. When you have and handling the better part of your album, along with a few other tracks handled by producers , there isn't need to worry -- you know the beats are going to be cutting-edge. In terms of guests, ( , , and ) make their expected cameos. On paper, everything looks great -- more muscle, top producers, and top rappers. And the results are just that: great. A few songs really stand out here: the lead-off single a track with a quick tempo and an extremely catchy chorus; / track with an unmistakable sound and a smooth chorus featuring on backup vocals; and a unique soulful moment late in the album with contributing a diva chorus and dropping some heartfelt lyrics. At 16 tracks, this album doesn't overreach and really doesn't have too many surprises. There are a few flawed moments where the choruses aren't as catchy as they intend to be, but for the most part plays it safe. If you liked her first album, you'll like this one even better. ~ Jason Birchmeier