Reviews (page 7 of 7)
i dont think it will be good
Tunes and bops
This sounds dated in the same way that pretty much all 80s hip-hop sounds dated now, but Latifah is on fire throughout the whole album, constantly changing her flow and just floating over the beats in a really engaging way. The opener and Ladies First are the highlights but it’s a really solid record
First track: this sounds very much like the big alternative hip-hop acts of the time... Second track: oh look it's De La Soul! Makes perfect sense. I didn't realise Queen Latifah made music like this, and that it was a match for anything her male peers did. Very fun and funky to begin with, though after half an hour I started to lose interest. I don't think that's all on me either - the beats towards the end of the album definitely seem to become a little slower, sparser and less inventive.
Old school hip hop. Very fun. Different to hear a woman hip hop artist.
A lot of fun but very dated
Yeah. Fuck no.
not for me
All respect to Queen Latifah, this album did not age well.
I'm sure this sounded great at the time. It feels a bit dated and just didn't do much for me.
Great album, she took what was good about hiphop in the 80's and 90's and added to it.
The Queen does great work
Not a hip hop or rap fan at all, but I liked this better than most. I think that's mainly because most of the songs had some musical element to it, even if mostly sampled from other stuff. Why are rappers so full of themselves though? It's like every other word on this album is "Queen Latifah". 3 stars.
Not looking forward to this. Even those who grew up with it can't give it 5 stars. I'm guessing I'll start pressing skip after the first "song." It was a boring and predictable as I expected.
An album with some nice classic hip hop sounds mixed with soulful jazz instrumentals makes this album thoroughly enjoyable for the most part, paired with Queen Latifah’s rhyme schemes and confident lyricism this really displays hip hop at its roots. I particularly enjoy how well the collaborating artists on this project pair with Queen Latifah, there’s some real chemistry throughout and makes those particular songs a great listen. The only thing letting this album down I’d say is the last 2 songs, they’re not bad by any means but the instrumentals are a bit plain and Latifah isn’t being as much energy as in the rest of the project
Highlights: "Queen of Royal Badness," "Come Into My House," "Latifah's Law" At the end of the 80s, this hip-hop album is still coming across stereotypically stiff most of the time, but there's been plenty of development; Latifah pulls out overt house and reggae, cheesy cinematic samples prescient of Wu Tang, some rap rhythms that we still hear today, and some surprising, offset rhyme schemes that you could imagine coming from Andre 3000. What really dates this more than the sounds is what passes for a progressive message; besides incessant self-promotion as emancipation, something we know all too well, Latifah's interpretation of African Zionism mostly has to do with invoking great figures of the continent's ancient history, but the celebration of femininity is sometimes at odds with it. Actually, it's worse -- explicitly subordinate, even misogynistic: "Queen Nefertiti, the Mother of civilization will rise...secondary but still necessary for reproduction..." The most backhanded compliment anyone has ever given *themselves.*
Too 1980’s hip hop for my tastes and some laughable lyrics.
Sunday at Miki and Piero’s 19th of March.
Classic - want to revisit
Jak stracic wiare w codzienny albumowy seans, nic prostszego wystarczy trafic na all hail the queen i czlowiek zmieciony z planszy
I enjoyed this album, I like hip hop/rap from the 80s and 90s so this fit the bill.
Some good stuff here and there, but it gets old and starts to feel like she's out of ideas by the end.
Pretty good. I wasn't the biggest fan back in the day but she's got some solid skills
fire
It’s a decent rap album. Not as good as things to come, but I enjoyed it.
Lekkere oldschool rap, wel veel van hetzelfde uiteindelijk.
Really good! She deserves to be a rap legend. How is this a debut album from 1989?? Outshines many others from this time period of rap.
I thought it was miles better than LL Cool J recently. Still sounds very 80s rap but some of the beats were good and she's a better rapper than I realised
Old school, clean hip hop, but redundant
Kinda vibey
Only knew her as a (terrible) actress so thought I would hate this, but it's a nice slice of 80's hip hop
Wow, how did this make anyone's top list? This wouldn't even make my top 50 albums of 80's rap. Not even the collaborating with De La Soul could lift this up past meh. I've seen her perform and she was fantastic, but this album has nothing special on it. I see why she had to go into movies.
I don't "get" Hip Hop/Rap etc. It's almost certainly a culture thing. I've tried to listen to every album of these genres that have appeared on my list, and while I've rarely rnjoyed them, I can see why they are included. I have no idea what makes "All Hail the Queen" in any way special - to me it seemed nothing by samples and trite, meaningless lyrics. I made it through 5 tracks before deciding "Life is too short".
wild samples. very interesting to see a modern pop culture icon in her starting steps
3.75
4/5. A fun and energetic rap album from a creative artist. Crazy that she’s 18 years old here. Some misses but gosh darn are there some bangers on here.
Just a fun little nugget of information: when I was very young (think 6-7 years old), I used to think that Queen Latifah was the queen of Africa. I know there is a fair bit to unpack there, but thankfully I’m ever so slightly smarter now than I was back then. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Princess of the Possee, Ladies First I’ve said it before in other reviews, but I miss this era of rap music. Plenty of content in the lyrics and rhymes rather than mumbling about some nonsense, or otherwise just trying to cram in as many words as possible. This was a simpler era of hip hop, so just sounded so much better to my ears. I’d very happily listen to this before modern rap. Overall, quite enjoyable.
slayyyyyyyyyyyyy queen
As someone who mainly knows Queen Latifah from movies this was cool. She got some bars. Solid listen.
A right royal scam.
When I started this I thought it just sounded like De La Soul. Then De La Soul turned up on it. It's fine, I didn't not enjoy it but I wouldn't listen to it again. Fairly generic rap/hip hop with 80s sound.
Not my thing
Behold the Queen. Highlights: The Pros
Great fun. Not heard most of these tracks before. Such a contrast to all the misogynistic shite coming out of hip hop/rap at the time. Up there with De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest.
Some nice old school rap
3.75
Another golden age of rap/ hip hop record, and another I haven't heard before. Nice.
Like #5 Wrath of My Madness
I've only ever heard Queen Latifah's records from the 90's. This was pretty good, nice bridge between the 80's hip hop rap sound and the style that became popular in the 90's.
I generally don't care for early hiphop (89 isn't that early, but it's not that..late either). I liked this more than most, though. I would choose to listen to this again. 3.75/5
I usually forget that Queen Latifah was a rapper before becoming an actress, but she’s quite good here! A lot of these tracks are of their time, but her flow is practically ageless and there are some great features as well. Think I’ll just do a B, but it could earn the +
Not bad, actually. Pretty interesting hip hop. And honestly, her lyric work is pretty good. Standouts: Dance for Me, Ladies First
This production is great
A 'meh' album from an amazing artist and actress.
So bad.
Before she was commanding audiences and scenes on the silver screen, Queen Latifah was commanding the microphone and audiences on wax. Her appropriately apt All Hail the Queen is the most perfect document of a time period where women were beginning to experience their rocky ascent up the rap ladder after years of stop/start trajectories. Queen Latifah more than holds her own, this is her album after all, weaving back and forth between rap, house and dub reggae with the likes of De La Soul, Daddy-O from Stetsasonic and Monie Love; a very worthy addition to the rap canon. Favorites: Dance for Me, Come Into My House, Latifah's Law, Wrath of My Madness, The Pros, Ladies First, A King and Queen Creation, Inside Out.
really enjoyed! made pasta whilst listening
3. Not sure I'd listen again, but I enjoyed it while it was on. Good vocals and backing tracks. A few hidden gems too.
Annoying 90s hip hop. 1/5
Nice production, great sound and Latifah goes hard AF on this. I thought she was an actress in comedies!
норм!
Bängäävämpi kuin mitä uskalsin odottaa.
I admit I wasn’t thrilled at first but the album won me over through its course. Some really funky beats. 7/10 Fave: wrath of my madness
Wow. Worst rap I can remember hearing in a long time.
It's a pretty nice record for the genre of that time, but nothing extraordinary.
I didn't realise, but this is a proper old-skool sound. Some quite funky beats in here, and some properly weird bits. It sounds very dated which goes against it a lot, but I'm more on-board with this than I thought I would be. It's still way too much though, I gave up after 8 tracks. In small doses... it's alright.
Hated this one.
"Give it to 'em, Queen!" Brings back memories of cross colors, guess jeans and wearing solid red Reeboks. Coincidentally those are the same memories I try to keep buried.
I respect the Queen for her place as a pioneering female in the rap industry. One thing that irks me about mainstream rap in the late 80s/early 90s is the narcissism of it all - I'm the best rapper, nobody raps like me, blah blah blah. And Dance for Me as the opener just tapped right into that irritation for me. The album generally felt pretty simplistic, like the Run DMC album did for me. Just middle of the road for me.
Queen Latifah has a great voice, but much of “All Hail the Queen” feels pretty dated, including Latifah’s flow.
Oh my 1989 sounds like a century ago. The beats are ancient. The rapping is basic. The album is like one of those prehistoric lizards captured in a glob of amber. Cute. Nostalgic. But ultimately ancient.
I dig this late 80s/very early 90s rap sound, it has a fun vibe. I hadn't heard this before (tbh I had no idea what Queen Latifah did before she became "generic annoying black woman #1" in movies) but it's enjoyable enough. That being said, she can't rap at all really, and going for over an hour? Fark, learn some restraint. 3/5.
2/12, 17%
its okay
I knew Queen Latifah had a rap career before her career as an actor but had no idea what it was like. This wasn't bad. It's very dated in the sound, but it's a sound I like. Plus it has really relevant lyrics and I'm sure a female voice at the time was a good thing in a very male-dominated music.
Confirmed: I still can't stand hip-hop. But I'll still add I fail to see why this particular album merits inclusion here (regardless of my lack of appreciation for the genre).
Solid album - it is not my go-to 80s hip hop album and I had not listened to it for quite some time but still like it.
Has some cool beats and raps, but overall quite disappointing.
Okay, I'll admit it: I have had only a very small number of celebrity crushes in my lifetime, and Queen Latifah is on that short list, including at present. There's a bias right there, not much I can do about it, so there we go. Anyway, that fully and fairly disclosed, I enjoyed listening to this album. Her voice is wonderful and engaging, the music is infectious, there are some interesting layers of instruments (not all synths, thank heavens), and this album is fun.
Sounds old.
Listened to on 10/20/22 2/5 Favorite song: dance for me I liked Queen Latifa much more as an actress this album was not it for me
Meh
Surprisingly good. Had never heard this early QL before and I felt it was the best I have heard from her. 3/5
actually not that bad - decent 80s rap, was surprised
Some parts are pretty messy, but the rapping is good. Best song: A King and Queen Creation, Worst song: Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children.
I’ve been woefully uninitiated to Queen Latifah’s work. She’s definitely great but it loses one star just because I don’t think there’s a single to tie the album together, the production feels a little dated (especially the mix is a bit weird), and finally the album is just a bit too long to not have a nice arc between the songs Very witty lyrics with great delivery, both of which definitely hold up
lyrics and flow are truly excellent. production is mid to bad, mixing is terrible. makes sense that this is a debut album, but with some better choices this could be a strong 5. it missed a bit
So this is a nice nostalgia throwback to 80's and early 90s rap. While it does feel a bit outdated, I can still appreciate it after all these years.
canzoni belle, coinvolgente, mi piace perchè dice un sacco di volte il suo nome nelle canzoni ahah
bello, rap non omogeneo ma melodie semplici e retrò
Trash flows decent beats
i mean i see the appeal but felt a little cringe at times, i don’t feel as though i need to revisit low 2.5
Queen can spit, beats are banging
Admittedly I went into this one with very low expectations. For starters, I don't view Queen Latifah as a prolific rapper, moreso just a TV personality and actress. Secondly, this album peaked at number six on Billboard hip hop charts? And it was #124 on Billboard top 200? Neither of those seem remarkable enough to warrant being on this list. So with that in mind, I was somewhat impressed when I first started this album. There's some good beats, albeit very obviously a product of the late 80s/early 90s, and she's got a decent flow. I can't say she goes toe-to-toe with some of the best from that era, like A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul (the latter of which was a guest on arguably the best track on the album). But eventually this album lost me. It's a lot of the same schtick: she's a female rapper and we should call her Queen. I get it. If this album had stopped at Ladies First (or shortly thereafter), I could probably give it a 3 or 4 star rating, but when it was all said and done, I was just so over this sound.
Very important to hip-hop culture/women in hip-hop/Chicago culture. Good if not a little bit repetitive outside of the first and last few songs here. Definitely an important entry on the list. 3.5/5
Enjoyed more than i expected to!
09/15/2022 I’ll probably say this hundreds of times throughout this project, but I am not an 80s girl, and late 80s/early 90s dance hall/house music is one of the genres that I hate the MOST, so this album was really tough to get through. So much so that I didn’t even do it. No disrespect or anything, but this album is not for me whatsoever. — Today sucked fat ass, I cried on the phone to Luke about how I hate school and I want to quit 🤣🤣🤣 I’m trying to force myself to stick with it and not give up so easily, but holy fuck is it easy to get discouraged. I fucking hate computers, ever since I was a child I’ve longed for a time other than this one, yet I have to be stuck in this hellhole of a world that just keeps driving itself further and further toward a bottomless pit of despair. I find it really hard to find a will to live sometimes.
Ok
Nice old school raps with Funky instrumentals
Don't know her, but the music is good. It reminds me of Neneh Cherry.
What a talent
Listening to this "old-school" style is a little comical now that I'm in my 40s. This was such hard-hitting, scary stuff back in the day, but now it sounds so basic. But - it's still awesome, and Latifah did it just as well as her male counterparts.
OK - not keeping any of it to come back to
I recognize Queen Latifah much more for her TV/movie career. But, even knowing about her music, I never took the step to try it. That said, I enjoyed this album a lot. This dancing hip-hop, with some reggae influences, really pleased me. Quite a long album, and the lyrics are a little repetitive, but I'll give her a try to her other albums someday. PS: she wants that everybody knows her name and also that she is a queen 😂
She's great fun and very charismatic, but I'm not sure why all hip hop albums of this era needed to be so long.
Lyrics are pretty weak for a rap album
Nope
Kind of a cool album. 6/10
Really disappointed, bland, lyrically kinda dull
Some of these tracks are fantastic and really get a groove on, musically, socially and politically. There are a few filler tracks but my main problem with it is that I get a bit bored overall as it is very similar throughout. But each time I think I've has enough the next track is great.
Eh, it was alright. Instrumentals were pretty good but not a big fan of Queen Latifah's rapping.
Decent vibe, but not an album I'd likely listen to again
I generally view rap of this era pretty positively but this just wasn't it for me. Some okay beats, her rapping is certainly not bad but it didn't excite me. I understand this album was probably very important to many female MCs in particular, but I'm just not feeling it. I feel guilty giving a 2, I think it's a 2.5 as it's just okay, but I was bored more often than not.
Not good
-Choruses in "Wrath of My Madness" and "The Pros" are catchy -It's like, fine...
Este disco me sorprendió. Incluso a pesar de lo anticuado que a veces se escucha con esa producción que suena tanto a fines de los 80, me gusta el ritmo de Queen Latifah.
Rhythm-wise matriarch raps. DJ Mark is steady on the decks, Latifah able to supplement his medium tempos with a full-bodied voice that's never going to make the beat speed up but at least doubles up on bounciness. Proudly female Afrocentrism with added buoyancy is a mix I find impossible to resist. And why would I even want to?
This album was a ton of fun. I knew she had a respected music career but I'd never heard any of Queen Latifah's music before today. Overall I loved the 90's east coast influence, her vocals landed well and the production was tight. Definitely going to add a few of these songs into the rotation The Pros stopped me in my tracks. I love that dub intro and that rolling bass introduced 30 secs in filled me up. Super into Queen reggae inspired jams and that 808 cowbell sample is classic 90's hiphop. Standout Tracks (stealing Webers format here) Dance for Me, The Pros, Ladies First, Princess of the Posse
Hip-hop is a genre that I rarely explore, but I was pleasantly surprised with this one! I had no idea Queen Latifah had such good flow (I'm more familiar with her as an actress than a musician) and I really enjoyed the upbeat energy coursing through the album. There's a nice variety of samples and collaborators keeping the sound fresh from track to track, though the album is immediately identificable as having been released in the late 80s / early 90s based on the generic style of beats & line delivery that was so commonplace during that era. The album loses a bit of steam and creativity towards the end, and despite a handful of songs sounding a bit dated ("Come into My House" in particular), this was still so much better than I was expecting going in. I can definitely see myself revisiting this album if I'm in the mood for some throwback hip-hop. Standout tracks: "Dance for Me", "Wrath of My Madness", "Ladies First"
I have listened to this album before Her flows are incredible throughout almost every track Artists like Queen Latifah, Big Daddy Kane, etc really pioneered certain sounds that segued into later 90s rap like Big L, Lauryn Hill and others Samples on this album are well executed De La Souls feature on MGBTTSC has a good flow and overall the track just has interesting sounds you dont always hear Ladies First is an incredible song Just the influence this album has on future classics is incredible The saxophone and bass instrumentals across the album are so good I really enjoy this project 7/10
2, boss bitch
Some solid late 80s rap. Good beats. 3.5 rounded down
I grew more impressed as it went... At first I thought 3-3.5 but now I feel 3.5-4, so I'll be true to form and round up
Didn't mind this, had some good rhythms and nice background music. I'll admit, wasn't paying too much attention though.
It's OK a little light-weight. 2.5 stars
Pretty generic
Never really listened to QL before. Definitely a great example of late 80s hip hop. Loving the Prince Paul / KRS One production here. Also pretty cool the feminist lyrics at a time (is that time past yet...?) when hip hop was brutally misogynistic. Glad I got this one
Veel hiphop doorstaat de tand des tijds maar moeizaam, dit is geen uitzondering.
Ik hou wel van die 80's rap.
Ik ga ook een album maken dat van A tot Z over mezelf gaat.
A hip hip artefact (meant in a positive way). Funny to think that once, there were next to no female MCs. (The conversation about the job specification for female rappers is for people wiser that this writer.) Production credits are a veritable who's who of late 80s hip hop – De La Soul, KRS One, Prince Paul, with Fab Five Freddy lurking in the wings. Happy days...
I'm a bit "meh" about this one. She's good in The Equalizer, though.
I got about 3 seconds in and noped outta there.
Undeniable for its place in history, and the energy, lyrics, and production are high. That early hip-hop sax/horn section! But I’m not going to be listening to this very frequently… 3 stars (ugh, want to make it at least 4 for the Grammy win, but I just don’t love this album.)
Totally fine Golden Age hip-hop, I recognized a lot of the samples but not a lot of the tunes. Enjoyed listening, but don't think I'll be returning any time soon.
Liked it! Not as great as I imagined though
Not bad at all, just not for me. I was surprised by all the horn samples (in a good way).
I think this one has aged well. Classic hip hop beats will never really go out of fashion, and the overall style falls just the right side of being too cheesy, although I'm sure for some hip-hop heads this style just the wrong side, Good variety, doesn't feel samey all the way through, and good range of features for that matter. Overall, while lacking in straight bangers, this is enjoyable all the way through, and fits nicely into my love of feel-good hip hop
This has aged better than the Ice Cube album from last week, even if it feels very dated 33! years later. It's not outstanding but it is very decent in places. Could lose a few tracks and tighten the whole thing up. Ladies First a highlight.
This is really fun, great beat and energy to it, little bit corny but not too much. Bit too long, could've stripped it back a little and pushed it higher, but 3/5 seems fair.
Nope
I appreciated this, but I didn't love it I guess. I thought it was fun and it was great to hear female lyrics in a rap style that I can only really think of male artists that are similar
Really enjoyed this, it could really bop!
Very 90’s in a positive way.
Good 7/10
Dance negro + Rap
Fun album by the queen
I dig it but wow it sounds very dated now. Still a fun listen probably the first time listening to the whole album.
Very enjoyable, from a weirdly innocent period in time
mais um de rap que não é pra mim.
She really is the queen when it comes to flows, especially for the late 80's. Unfortunately, not every song hits hard, with some inconsistent production and some bloat on the songs really dragging it down for me.
The QUEEN. She absolutely nails her debut, but the album does suffer from a lot of the cheesy 80s tropes when it comes to rap.
Wow, I wasn't expecting All Hail The Queen to sound like it did. OK I wasn't sure what to expect but it certainly wasn't a mix of house and soul and the best of the Native Tongues collective. I had heard a few tracks off this before I just that were Queen Latifah guesting with others not out the front. I have to give this some more listens
Meh, ihan vekkulia biittiä ens alkuun, mutta muutaman biisin jälkeen motivaatio laski kuin ruplan kurssi...
Erittäin viihdyttävä levy. Loppua kohti vähän alko kyllästyttää, mut kantoi loppuun asti
I was old of dreading listening to this but there several tracks I enjoyed. Yes, much of it is dated sounding but it’s still pretty OK for some of it. Good messages in the lyrics.
This is a weird one for me. The production reminded me of De La Soul. None of the songs really stood out but it wasn't bad. Latifah charisma reminds you why she became an actress. Probably won't listen again.
Didn't do anything for me and completely faded into the background after two or three songs.
good female rapping :P nice album Ladies first is the highlight imo
All hail the Queen. What fun music. Lots of great memories
Hip hop. Jazzy riffs. Catchy, upbeat. Kept realizing that I was tapping my feet along with the beat. Would listen again.
The sounds of the very late 80s. Some of those sounds and the production sounds so dated now. But it's fun in a weirdly nostalgic way
I pledge no allegiance to such dated backing tracks.
Way more pop style production then I expected.
Fantastic beats, original
Pleasantly surprised
This is just one of the albums that didn't age well.1989 was top loaded with crap. Millie Vanilla, New Kids on the Block, Bobby Brown and Obviously Queen Latifah. There is not a good song on this album!
Not bad, just not my jam.
Долбит нормально, но не моё
Good funk but fuck the rap
Franchement c'est chiant à la longue
les remix c’est pour nous achever
A nice fresh listen for a Sunday evening.
I had always enjoyed Queen Latifah's acting but had never checked out her albums. She's got some big names producing and performing on this album, and I tended to prefer the tracks that were collaborations. Ladies First, Evil that Men Do, and The Pros were my favorites. I liked the beats but the lyrics were pretty generic late 80's hip-hop and didn't really grab me. 3.5/5 stars
Good
Yes! All hail the queen
Happy Hiphop suitable for Kinderzimmer. 2.3
Very impressive to see that her work goes as far back as 1989, considering our generation knows her more for her acting. Great album of non-vulgar boasting, good flow, strong production from legends. I enjoyed the fact that she sings and raps. A bit lengthy, but overall a good album.
Not bad and definitely one of the more easy listening rap albums
I guess I'm a sucker for '80s/'90s beats when they're done well. This was a pretty good one. 3.5
The 'Mama gave birth' song is so irritating that I almost gave up on this, but I'm glad I stuck with it. The rest is some solid hip-hop, nice instrumentals
the bars have not aged super well and there are some garbage features, but she gets it right on some of the songs and I really like the beats. 7/10
4/10. I thought some scattered songs were pretty good, but didn't really like the album overall, which is always rough on these relatively long ones.
Some cool beats on here. 7/10
I can't say I loved this album but I'm glad I listened to it. I'll come back to a couple of songs, but I don't know how often I'll revisit it in its entirety. I appreciate Queen Latifah so much more after listening to this, though.
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I really enjoyed the creativity on display in many of the songs and also a bonus star for achieving success in what must have been an extremely male dominated (and misogynistic) genre
I was surprised to see Queen Latifah released her first album in the 80s. Not my favourite genre, but I didn't mind this. Liked the prominent brass in the backing tracks. 2/5.
progressive 90s hiphop, lots of Queen Latifah talking about herself. beats range from frustratingly 90s to kinda catchy. overall it feels kind of dated
The evil that men do
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this album. This is the energetic classic hip hop that I like over the slower, darker stuff.
When she's on, she's on, but there are too many tracks that don't work. This did not age well at all. Best track: Dance for Me
No album is more 1989. It's frozen in a block of 100% pure 1989. It's produced by George H.W. Bush on the deck of the Exxon Valdez. So yes, it's all dated to buggery, but that is not that bad in itself; listening to this has some of the joys of archaeology. However, it's also very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very repetitititititititititititive. All the house beats sound exactly the same. All the raps sound the same, with the sole theme that of Queen Latifah being a good rapper. That makes one good song, but this is meant to be a bloody album. A second listen proves more appealing than the first, but it's still one fine song done 12 times. Yes, one fine song done 12 times. Indeed, one fine song done 12 times. Truly, one fine song done 12 times. In frankness, one fine song done...
Feels ahead of it's time, but also dated. That said it's got great vibes and I starred a few tunes.
A grower - and it gets funkier as it progresses. It’s Jamaican tinged tracks are my favourite.
Pretty good
Good classic hip hop. I forgot how great Queen Latifah was as an MC. 3.5/5
This is one of those albums that you really WANT to be better than it is. Latifah is technically very good, but she has that late 80s lyrical style that feels very dated in hip-hop. From memory, I feel like Monie Love (who features here) had a more interesting lyrical style on her debut record. Some of the production and features here are really good. The track with Daddy-O from Stetsasonic is the highlight track with great vocals and production. Mark the 45 King does the majority of production, and some of it is great but some is boring. He also raps on one of the stronger tracks. De La Soul make an appearance which is pretty enjoyable, but Prince Paul's production is frustrating as always. On the one hand, he's an amazing producer with incredible samples and loops. On the other hand, his stuff from this period has these "goofy" irritating skit elements which ruin whole albums. KRS-One produces a mediocre track but doesn't rap which is a shame. Overall, some of the production and vocals are pinnacles of the period. But the two components are not always strong in the same tracks, and sometimes they are both weak. The house track "Come into My House" is the low point of the album which deducts at least half a point by itself. 3*
Good pick from the Golden era of hip-hop. Favorites: Come into My House, Ladies First, Princess of the Posse
4.5/5. Essential early hip hop. Nothing else to say.
Good stuff
It's not as awful as Kanye's "The College Dropout", but still, hip hop isn't my cup of coffee.
It's easy to imagine how impenetrable and male-dominated hip-hop must have been in the late 80s, so Queen Latifah entering the equation with force and persuasion must have been a real game-changer. Even if I found some of it repetitive and overlong, I had the feeling she was rewriting the rule book with this album and laying down a lot of enjoyable tracks to boot. I'm a sucker for brass sampling and this album has it by the sousaphone load, from the opening "Dance for Me" to the excellent, De La Soul-featuring "Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children" which zips around all over the place. Proceedings begin as infectious, feel-good, sunshine sampling and energetic, affirming, violence and profanity-free rap. As the album unfurls, Latifah balances "foot" and "head" music: social commentary "Evil that Men Do" makes a powerful statement and "Ladies First" is an addictive, career-defining manifesto. On paper, it all sounds excellent: my main issue as I listened was the length. Many of the songs play all their cards within the first couple of minutes and don't leave themselves anywhere to progress: a lot of them come off feeling repetitive. "The Pros" is far too long, and the house-influenced "Come into My House"- with its synthesisers and programmed beats, is an interesting experiment but gets a little monotonous, and has aged more than the rest of the album. "A King and Queen Creation" is another weak link: while I enjoyed 45 King's production in general, I wasn't crazy about his vocals in this one. The sequencing is frustrating as well- "Princess of the Possee" and "Inside Out" are two of my least favourites and end the album on a bit of a nothing note. While there are a few songs that didn't do anything for me personally, this is still a fun listen and brings another perspective on this era of hip-hop, which has remained fresh and vital. Most of my highlights are in the front half: "Ladies First", "...Soul Children" and "Wrath of My Madness" in particular deserve to go down as classics.
Very much of its time. Maybe a higher rating if I’d gotten to listen to lyrics more.
This album was actually excellent. A little dated but still strong. Inside Out was my favorite song
Always knew she had a hip hop background but had never heard a song before. She has some outstanding rhymes on this album. Some random uncredited (at least on Spotify) guest spots that take over the song that took me out of it a little but overall was impressed!
Refreshingly gangster-free, although still posturing about ability. Good use of "daisy-age" jazz-funk samples alongside big beats. Dig the Sly and Scot-Heron samples and what about the additional remix sampling The The!?! Pretty dated, but pleasant to hear.
Yes.
WTF is this shit?
Not bad, but it hasn't aged super well. There's a lot of early hip-hop on this list that feels very dated. Some of it is important from a historic perspective, but compared to the amount of more recent hip-hop inclusions, it's pretty overloaded.
Hip-hop femenino. No está mal.
Rating: 6/10 Best songs: The pros
Early De La Soul Sighting! This album compelled me to listen to some early De La Soul, which then somehow took me on a Soul II Soul dive. So I guess it has that going for it. That's just a long way of saying I prefer to Soul II Soul to Queen Latifah. You could say Queen Latifah is a better actress than she is a rapper and you wouldn't be wrong. It's perfectly OK to not like this album.
Good old-school rap. I recall when this album was released , and at the time QL seemed to be the only woman rapping in the “traditional” style of the day. The times they have changed, and she gets a lot of credit for opening doors for the many successful acts that have followed. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dang I only really knew Queen Latifah as an Actress. I knew she started in music, but never really listened to it. This is some solid stuff!
So incredibly 90s... I loved this for purely nostalgic reasons. Queen Latifah can sure rock a rhyme though.
It's OK a little light-weight. 2.5 stars
some top samples, and good for its time
Une couverture piégeuse… Si j'avais voulu un album d'Ice Cube dissimulé sous une perruque et un turban, j'aurais directement demandé à Robert (je le connais personnellement). Non, non et non.
Il n'y a absolument rien a retenir de cet album, je le considère comme un simple test de fidélité au generateur, qui nous propose juste derrière un album de Cat Stevens. Et un album de Cat Stevens, ça se mérite, ici en s'infligeant une heure de rap minable.
Fair play to her breaking into the male dominated hip-hop world. Some good production and flow - surprisingly sounds less dated than some of her contemporaries. Best Track: Dance For Me; Mama Gave Birth To The Soul Children; Wrath of My Madness
I liked a few tracks. Not gonna go back anytime soon
Coñazo hip hop
Meh
Pretty dated but she does well as any emcee from the era. She reminds me of the female Ice Cube just not as aggressive
Absolutely mint, no idea she was this good. Better than, or at least as good as, a lot of the greatsnfrom this era, Tribe, De La Soul, etc. Easy a 4 maybe a 5
Pleasant surprise
Very entertaining.
3rd August 2021 Listened on my phone in the morning and on the way to meet Andy for bowling before he leaves for China. Really enjoyed this, 90s hip hop is brill
2.5
Great beats, great lyrics and wordplay. She is the Queen for a reason.
This album has all the dressings of early 90's hip-hop and proves groundbreaking for establishing the tone of the genre - especially as a female MC. That being said, the album lacks any major tracks that stick with you past the listening experience.
Rap femenino sin muchas complicaciones. No excesivamente intenso. Bases muy sampleadas y bastante parecidas. Curioso de escuchar, pero sin destacar
The sound is of a time, both production and flow. But there's a sense of play throughout, with the music, features, and words. The wordplay will be more appreciated by fans of this era of hip-hop, and I'm not really one. However, the parts add up to something more than their sum, and the LP grows not just forward but backward.
I remember driving along the Glenavy Road more than the album itself - Come into My House in particular. Think I finished it; did I definitely?
Great old scholl hiphop, feels a bit lacking regarding the actual contents but fun flows and good beats.
hips hop
Awesome
SLAY QUEEN
Great stuff. I enjoyed the trumpets alot, they really added to the jazzyness of the boom bap beats.
Very much a good example of late 80s/early 90s style of hip-hop. I'm not that into the beats/vibe personally. But the album picked up as I got into it a bit more later on. Appreciate Latifah's strong female presence in a male-dominated genre. Fav tracks: The Pros and Ladies First
Queen latifah paved the way for female rappers. Lyrically she’s pretty good but the late 80s rap style is a bit bland in comparison to what’s been made sense. The album has some good moments and a few songs are worth a replay but overall it’s nothing amazing. 6.5/10
Pleasantly surprised by this, don't think I ever heard a Queen Latifa song before. Cool track with De La Soul. Wouldn't say it held my attention too long after the first couple of songs though.
Interesting mix of early rap (with requisite cringe lyrics), reggae vibes, some dance/house stylings, etc. A few toe tappers, but not going to make regular rotation.
Fun album with some jams
i really liked the sound but some of the songs were really repetitive and it got annoying after while but i did like it
This album is great from start to finish.
Never listened to her before, and not really my genre, but I enjoyed this.
I like this old-school hip-hop; emphasis on aggressive and rhythmic vocals, with some great samples (e.g. Sly and the Family Stone right off the bat) before copyright law caught up with the new artform :) Some of it sounds a little dated at this point ("Princess of the Possee" [but *huge* props for the "Barney Miller" bassline in the remix on the extended version!] or "Come Into My House" where the drums sound like wet paper and are distracting) but a. i'll still prefer it over the dull/uncreative "modern" trap beats and b. for every sound that's meh she comes back with tracks like "Latifah's Law" and "Ladies First" which are too great to ignore. It's a great document of the golden age of hip-hop when women especially were seen as more of a novelty instead of a force like Queen Latifah is here. 8/10 4 stars
Shit
Queen Latifah is inspiring! This is the first time that I have listened to her first album and it was pretty good. She can 'rap as well as any of the other brothers' - as she lyricized in one of these songs!
Pretty good
all of the genres. hip hop ,dance, dub, pop, comedy acting, serious acting, talk show host. there is no end to the skills of queenie. jack of all trades master of none, it was an alright album, probably not gonna listen to it again.
So fun! I remember hearing Queen Latifah when she first hit the radio and her flows really stood out. The production on this album is awesome, with contributions from names like KRS-One and Prince Paul.
No topaba esto. Uno de los mejores discos de hip hop de todos los tiempos.
Haha Queen Latifah though. I don't throw the term 'anal chaos' out often, but today it seems right.
A classic debut containing a bonafide anthem in Ladies First. Some say this was the pinnacle of Latifah's career. Those people have obviously not seen Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade.
Pretty catchy. 0RS
2/5
Hijole... la segunda canción... OMEGALOL. Aunque Come into My House y Wrath of My Madness y Princess of the Posse están a gusto. Sinceramente ya ni me acordaba que Queen Latifah hacía discos. Mood: sí algunos skips porque es más de una hora, no mamar.
A ratos llegué a sentirlo repetitivo, pero sin duda tiene sus buenos beats y sus rimas ok. "Come into My House", "Wrath of My Madness", "Evil that Men Do" e "Inside Out" son mis favs y claro, "Ladies First" suena muy lo que ahora dicen empoderante. Por las fechas, supongo que sí tuvo su influencia en raperas subsecuentes. Y pues ya, no sé qué más decir. 7/10
It's a very good album. One of the classics from the old school era.
This record still bangs. Besides the great lyrical content I'm really digging the old school beats.
The queen of latifah
I had this CD. I don’t think I realized how star studded this album was. But age hasn’t been kind. What a disjointed mess. Although Monie Love nearly saved it. Born in L-O-N-D-O but sound Americ -N.
Girl power
The only reason this doesn't get five stars is because it not timeless. The beats and delivery style absolutely peg this as a rap album from the late 80s-early 90s. But, for the time, this album is absolutely head of the class. The lyrics are so sharp they draw blood just brushing against them. It's rare for a debut album to be such a great indication of an artist's legacy but, with "All Hail the Queen" Latifa made it clear that she was here to stay and ready to rumble. And she has. Her impact on music (and film) in America is undeniable. And it's all on display here. Great album.
Lol
3.75/5. I know Queen Latifah was in the naive tounges, so I was pretty confident I was going to like this album. Most songs on here were good, however, there were a few that did not work for me. 'The Pros' was very unenjoyable. Most songs fell right in line with the native tounges sounds, so I like most of the album.
Better than I thought.... some good tunes and worth a revisit!
This album is a great debut from Queen Latifah. I absolutely love it. Every song on this album is a great one, but my absolute favorites are: "Princess of the Posse" and "Inside Out".