Queen Latifah opens up her sound on
Order in the Court by adding old-school R&B and contemporary soul flourishes to her trademark hip-hop. Of course, she has never been reluctant to experiment -- even on her first album, she aligned herself with the Native Tongues instead of running with hardcore rappers like
Public Enemy. The difference with
Order in the Court is that she's trying to fit into the fuzzy post-Fugees world where the lines between hip-hop and urban are nearly invisible. She performs duets with Pras and
Faith Evans, letting them bring her closer to the urban-hip-hop fusion that she envisions. It's an intriguing blend that's occasionally successful, but it's hard not to yearn for the harder-edged
Latifah that dominated her early albums. There are some good moments on
Order in the Court, like the hard-hitting "Bananas" or the smooth "Paper," but they're a double-edged sword -- they're good but they reveal that she's capable of delivering something better than
Order in the Court ultimately turns out to be. [
Order in the Court was issued in a "clean" version with all profanity removed.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine