Notorious K.I.M.
TheMadonnaof hip-hop strikes again. But in spite of her blonde ambition (demonstrated on "I'm Human," a "Vogue"-esque tribute to the other material girl), the Queen Bee maintains her thug-ette aesthetic. Her beats (provided by an assortment of dance-floor-friendly producers) may be slick, but the rhymes are rough, rugged, and raw. Kim proved her post-Biggiemicrophone prowess with a take-no-prisoners cameo on Mobb Deep's"Quiet Storm (remix)". Here she continues her reign. Tracks like "Who's Number One?" where she reps for hometown Brooklyn, and "Notorious KIM," where she denounces ex-palFoxy Brown, demonstrate her lyrical skills, which transcend the sex-centric niche market that she dominates.Notorious KIMbuilds on the foundation created by her cheeky debut,Hard Core, with more freakiness thanPenthouse'sletters page. She also gets macho male rappers on their knees with "Suck My D**k," in which she turns the sexual tables on males like those fromN.W.A. The weak spots on the album are flaccid pop confections such as "How Many Licks" and "No Matter What They Say," which don't provide Kim with the support she needs.--Lizz Mendez Berry