Up Close & Personal
On her debut album,Up Close and Personal, New York  radio personality Angie Martinez attempts to step outside her DJ role  and into that of an MC. But an unpolished flow and unsophisticated  lyrics will hopefully keep Martinez from quitting her day job.Up  Closeis not a complete flop, however. Martinez may not be a  wordsmith, but she knows what one sounds like and had the good sense  and connections to include some of hip-hop's biggest names on her  album. Martinez is at her best on songs like the capricious  Latin-music-inspired "Coast 2 Coast" withWyclef Jean, and  the flirtatious "Mi Amor" withJay-Z. And to her  credit, Martinez holds her own on the independent woman's anthem  "Breathe" featuring the lulling vocals ofMary J. BligeandLa India.Up  Closeprobably won't be nominated for hip-hop album of the year,  but Martinez's obvious love for the music and intelligent choices in  collaborators give the album a level of integrity that cannot be  denied.--Felicia A. Wilks