Order in the Court
Order in the Courtcould just as easily have been calledAll Hail the Queen 4.0. Latifah (Dana Owens to her friends and family) has done more to diversify her career than broaden her core themes. She still offers smoothly rapped odes to self-respect, doing the right thing, and having good, clean fun. What has changed since her debut--almost a decade prior to this offering--is her wherewithal; Latifah's multimedia success as a TV and film actor has granted her substantial clout.Order in the Courtreveals more about her recording budget than what's on her mind, but it's money well spent: the album is immensely entertaining and thoughtfully paced. The guest spots are unobtrusive, and the samples are fun. The surreal art in the inner sleeve alone almost makes this worth the purchase.--Martin Johnson