Brooklyn's Don Diva: Parental Advisory

Having been gone for 7 years, Foxy Brown had so much to prove with this album. Many regarded her last album, 'Broken Silence', as a hiphop/dancehall masterpiece. At the time, not only was Foxy Brown the hottest girl in the game, but she was also the rawest, and easily the most honest. It wasn't even hyperbole when she said, "basically, I'm the female 'Pac". So naturally, expectations were high, and finally, we got 'Brooklyn's Don Diva'.

The first thing I noticed about this album, was how unformed and sloppy it was. The title track, which is meant to announce Foxy Brown's return, has a beat so forgettable that, surely, it was only intended for use as a b-side. Foxy's lyrics aren't anything devastating either. The production on the next few tracks strives to be ominous and theatrical, but ends up just sounding dated (actually, it's hard to slot these beats into ANY era in rap), and the rhymes are just your standard gloating fare. Foxy sounds uninspired, and, what's worse, her voice is a little squeaky (this, one can only guess, is because of her recent struggle with hearing loss). I did however enjoy Mavado's chorus on 'We're On Fire', and 'Dreams of F**king a D-Boy' is just as street as it wants to be.

Things only start to get interesting come 'When the Lights Go Out'. It's funky, explicitly sexual, and loads of fun. The attitude conveyed is classic Foxy Brown, and with the right promotion, this song could be a big hit. 'Too Real' is great also, as is 'Star Cry'. The latter song is beautiful; an organic continuation of the confessional songwriting Foxy started on her last album. It's an intriguing mixture of vulnerability and strength. My personal favourite song on this album however, is 'Why'. It addresses a cheating lover of three years, and tells an interesting tale of Foxy 'upgrading' a loser guy, only to have him take advantage of her generosity, and pursue other women. Every woman, and perhaps men also, will relate to the honesty of this song. Cheating may be a familiar theme in hiphop, but this is such a vivid, articulate take on it. It's also an interesting song musically -- it has a vintage reggae flavour. 'The Quan', which features dancehall queen Lady Saw, is another terrific, well-executed track. It's bass-heavy, dance-worthy, and it easily stands out against the mediocre production of so many of the other tracks.

Still, it must be said. Even at their best, none of the dancehall tracks here are as infectious as 'Tables Will Turn' from the Broken Silence days. Grotesquely, 'She Want a Rude Bwoy', recycles the lyrics of 'Dreams of F**king a D-Boy'. This confused me, until I read about Foxy's displeasure with this album being released by her manager (now ex-manager as I understand it), without her consultation or consent, while she was in jail. So now you know why this album seems so haphazardly assembled. There are flashes of brilliance here and there, as I've said, but ultimately this album just feels half-baked. It also seems aloof to current trends in hiphop, which is both a blessing and a curse. It's cool that Foxy didn't just give T-Pain, or Plies (or whoever's 'hot' for two minutes) a call and ask them to feature just so she could sell, and it's very cool to hear her in the dancehall element in which she is obviously so comfortable. But the production on most of these tracks just sounds weird and incongruous in 2008, but as I've said, I don't know WHAT era is being channelled, if any.

Foxy Brown herself is truly fascinating. Her volatility, the controversy she courts, her intelligence, sex appeal, and considerable skill as a rapper. But you have to already be on board with the Foxy story to appreciate this curious entry into her discography. Obviously, it's hard to fully support this album knowing that it wasn't what Foxy herself intended. If you're looking for an introduction to Foxy, skip this, and check out the much more accomplished Broken Silence album.

I so badly wanted to love this CD but, I barely like it.I have loved Foxy since day one and own all of her CD's. I waited forever for this release to come out just to be disappointed. It's not all horrible but, most of it is. Foxy still has good rhymes and a huge presence but, it is lacking. It is lacking in the production. Almost all the songs sound the same and have very similar beats that make it hard to know when a new song has come on.

Another thing that bugs me with this CD is her constantly referencing her hearing problem. That subject shows up in about 3 or 4 songs. We get it.

Maybe it would have gotten a bigger boost and grabbed my attention more if she would have gotten a few mainstream producers on it to add that extra "uuummmmphhh" to the songs. It needs that boost.

There are a few "ok" songs on here but, I strongly urge a good sampling of this release before you purchase it.

~~~JAC 08'

This album was a BIG disappointment... She has always MADE amazing music but it's like this album lacks the creativity side of Ms. Brown! I know it was a RUSHED album so I won't blame INGA as she was locked away @ Rikers Island... HOWEVER, she still has it... I hope she comes out with new music for the upcoming year!