La Bella Mafia

That Li’l Kim is crediting Notorious B.I.G. as Executive Producer some half a decade after his death could indicate the high regard in which Kimberly Jones holds (the memory of) her late mentor. A more cynical view would be that she’s milking their association for all it’s worth. But then who am I to judge?

The opening track samples the assassinated rapper, the number of name-checks littered throughout is unhealthily high, and by the time La Bella Mafia’s over, you feel like sending her for counselling. And not just for her obsession with B.I.G.

La Bella Mafia is the sort of lazy, over-hyped, soft-porn nonsense that gets hip-hop a bad name. On her 1996 debut Hardcore, Kim grabbed headlines for her use of explicit sexual lyrics – until then, the exclusive provence of her male peers.

In contrast, on much of LBM, Kim’s too busy rapping about expensive perfume and bedclothes to have time for sex.

Musically it kicks off far too late, despite a plethora of big name guests and super smooth production talents, including Timbaland. It’s track ten before the first highlight, Missy Elliot’s presence on ‘Can You Hear Me Now’ perhaps pushing Kim to try just a little bit harder. The remaining two outings, ‘Thug Luv’ and ‘Magic Stick’ are both better too, owing much of their appeal to respective guest vocalists Twista and (surprisingly) 50 Cent.

Swizz Beats is Kim’s partner on ‘This Is Who I Am’, but it isn’t a patch on ‘Gone Delirious’, their collaboration from his recent album Ghetto Stories – an infectious old skooler with Roxanne Shanté-esque charms, which outshines this entire album.

Go buy that instead.