Mainstream female rappers are few and far between, and underground female rappers are even less common. Add this to the fact that , or , doesn't only rhyme about her sexual prowess and her love of expensive things and you've got yourself something pretty unique, even rare. Over perfect underground beats -- melodic without being too poppy -- spits about growing up in Chicago ( ), wack MCs (including female ones, emphasized in and ), her previous day job as a scientist ("chemistry's feeding me, cuz I charge much less for my two EPs" goes the hook in also echoed in ), and or course, her love of ( ) with a smooth but punctuated flow, a bit like fellow Midwesterners and labelmates or , like any self-respecting rapper, makes sure to rep her hometown, but she makes sure she still maintains her own identity as well. "I ain't , I ain't ," she says in the excellent title song, which features a verse from producer, MC, and sound-alike , who uses cartoonish strings and crackling, quirky percussion to set the pace of the track. On the Chi's musical heritage is paid tribute to in 's guitar-laden beat (which, it must be said, is practically identical to the one on ) that meshes with cries and a smoky bassline. Here, the rapper uses a cadence (again similar to 's)that almost seems borrowed from the playground, which contrasts nicely with its more adult themes, and makes the track swing and swell. is a witty, talented lyricist who's not afraid to reveal personal information ("lost 60 pounds") as well as brag about her own skills ("my flow hits your po' brain like government cocaine/I'm propane, you no name"), which are certainly numerable. Trying to break into the world is never easy, especially when you're one of the few women in an extremely male-centric genre, but with , more than proves that she deserves to be there, and that all other MCs should watch out. ~ Marisa Brown