Ill Na Na (Explicit)

by Stephen Thomas ErlewineAfter appearing as a guest on a number of albums, most notably LL Cool J, Foxy Brown finally delivered her debut album, Ill Na Na, in late 1996. On her cameos, the teenage rapper rhapsodized about her three obsessions -- fashion, sex, and the mafia -- and all three dominate the discourse on Ill Na Na. Taken on their own terms, any of those lyrics could get rather tedious, but Foxy Brown has a sexy, assured delivery that makes her superficial preoccupations seductive. Furthermore, the album benefits greatly from the production efforts of the TrackMasterz, who give the music a sleek, contemporary edge that makes even the weaker tracks quite listenable. Foxy Brown is also assisted by cameos by Mobb Deep's Havoc, Jay-Z, Method Man, and Kid Capri, among others, which gives the album star power, but it doesn't necessarily need it -- she has enough charisma to steal the show.