Seven & Seven
MC Lyte's career has proved uneven. When she sticks to her root sound--hard--she's at her best, but that hasn't always turned out to be the most commercially viable path. Besides, as De La Soul once rhymed, "Fuck being hard, Posdnuos is complicated!" OnSeven & Seven, Lyte takes all of this to heart, rhyming with attitude and working with producers that update the backing sound to fit into the times. It works best when the producer lets Lyte be hard and keeps the music interesting, as guest vocalist Missy Elliott does on the opening "In My Business." Not all of the producers here have the skills--or the taste--to pull it off, and Lyte's bevy of guests ensure that the album is uneven, especially when she follows their lead. Still, there are some real winners here, including "In My Business," "Want What I Got" (also featuring Elliott), a cover of Audio Two's classic "Top Billin'," and, surprisingly, the relaxed R&B; jam "It's All Yours."--Randy Silver