La Bella Mafia
Now that Lil' Kim's third solo outing is upon us, it's fair time to pose this question: is this fly Brooklyn female a legitimate MC or just another media sensation? Well, probably a little of both.La Bella Mafiais a refreshingly uncommercial album that demonstrates Kim’s hard-earned mic skills, but the set never really hits its stride. Kim seems to be a woman who favors strong musical partners, yet many of the album’s collaborations fail to inspire.Swizz Beatsis at his abysmal worst (as both rapper and producer) on "This Is Who I Am" while Kim’s cookie-cutter rhymes blindly follow his lead. "The Jump Off" features a hot, bhangra-accentedTimbalandtrack that loses momentum when guest starMr. Cheeksjumps in. But when it works,La Bella Mafiashines. Just check out "Hold It Now," where Havoc ratchets up the temperature with judicious use of the always-funkyBeastie Boyssample "Paul Revere" and Kim rises to the occasion with a performance worthy of her Queen Bee title.--Rebecca Levine