Queen Latifah

Not a whole lot is made of Queen Latifah's discography anymore, but I've noticed that, after a few spins of each of her discs, her discography is pretty strong. None of her albums are what I'd call required listening, but they rarely ever disappoint. Of all the albums she has released over the years, Black Reign is easily my favorite. The production, the rhymes, the overall vibe and presentation is spot on. It's that album where everything comes together perfectly. Every artist worth their salt has that one peak album. This is Latifah's "peak" album in my humble opinion. Be sure to check for some dope production from the highly underrated S.I.D. and also look for classics like "Just Another Day", "Black Hand Side", and "U.N.I.T.Y." The high point comes at the end when Latifah dedicates "Winki's Theme" to her deceased brother (who had recently died from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident) -- she doesn't do a whole lot of rapping on it and her singing is pretty flawless there. Black Reign is just short of classic for this listener, but it's pretty damn close. Enjoy, people.

Black Reign [Motown 1993]

1. Black Hand Side
2. Listen 2 Me
3. I Can't Understand
4. Rough... feat. Treach, Heavy D, & KRS-One
5. 4 The D.J.'s (Interlude)
6. Bring The Flavor
7. Coochie Bang...
8. Superstar
9. No Work
10. Just A Flow (Interlude)
11. Just Another Day...
12. U.N.I.T.Y.
13. Weekend Love feat. Tony Rebel
14. Mood Is Right
15. Winki's Theme