Animal House
Martinez's debut,Up Close and Personal, flaunted so many high-octane collaborators (Mary J. Blige,Jay-Z,Snoop,Wyclef) that many interpreted it as a way for Martinez to obscure her middling mic skills. This time around, she trims her guest list down considerably and goes for herself on "A New Day," which displays how women in the testosterone-filled rap business endure daily sexist attitudes.Animal Houseneeds more tracks like "We Can Get It On," where Martinez distinguishes herself from most of the femme fatales in hip-hop by flipping some fly "Spanglish" rhymes alongsideNoreaga. Instead, most of the album features borrowed concepts (the chorus of "Animal House" is a take on "Murder Was the Case") and beats ("Waitin' On" sounds much like 80 percent of the bounce tracks in the South). "If I Could Go," featuring hook-crooner-du-jour Lil' Mo, almost saves the day, butNasmay have been on to something when he suggested that this Hot 97 (New York) radio disc jockey stick to her day job.--Dalton Higgins