When interviewed for Oxford American in 2018, the writer and filmmaker asked the rapper -- coming off two Grammy nominations, her profile still on the rise -- if she felt part of the same cultural lineage as and . The exchange fired 's imagination to conceptualize the follow-up to the celebrated . Each one of the LP's tracks is named after a black woman, with the reach extended to consider not just artists but also boundary-shattering activists and businesswomen, athletes and models, and even a character from the film (portrayed by , who's actually on the track named after the Egyptian pharaoh Hatshepsut). For the album's title, refers to the Book of Genesis, thereby uniting and honoring black womanhood, herself included. The concept doesn't overshadow the content. The funky-wobbling production "Whoopi," for instance, could just as naturally be titled "Sister Act Up," and like all the other cuts, its references to the title figure are placed beside nods to many other inspirations (in this case, the likes of , , and ) amid irreproachable self-praise ("Playin' big Goliath when my team got the rock/Been groomed for the throne, I ain't have to tie a knot"). There are layers within layers, like when and producer pay tribute to 's 1995 classic "Liquid Swords" -- on "Ibtihaj," named after the Muslim American Olympic fencer -- and get forceful and ghostly , who broke that year, on the track together. There's also the gem named after the revolutionary , which samples her son , as and poet comfort and guide black men. Predominant beat suppliers , joined frequently again by on keyboards, give the album a sound that is a little more urgent and boisterous than , complementing 's spirit of celebration and gratitude. While nothing here is quite as creative as standout "Jesus Coming," the MC's lyrical marksmanship, top-tier mike command, and service to her people and culture are indisputable. ~ Andy Kellman