FEATURE:
Second Spin
Queen Latifah - Nature of a Sista'
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WHEN thinking of…
Queen Latifah’s second studio album, Nature of a Sista’, it is a classic case of critics wanting something similar to her debut and being disappointed with a slightly new musical direction. That 1989 debut, All Hail the Queen, is a hugely confident and wonderful album that gained a lot of great reviews. When Nature of a Sista’ arrived in 1991 there were quite a few who were hoping for something like Hail the Queen. The most marked difference between albums is Queen Latifah incorporating more sounds and moving away from a pure Hip-Hop sound – we can hear elements of Reggae, Jazz, and R&B. Whilst there is a broader sound palette – some felt Queen Latifah had diluted her sound -, the lyrics of gender politics and romance are effecting and stunning. I think the songwriting through Nature of a Sista’ is incredible and, whilst there are a few weaker tracks, this is an album that deserves more praise. Queen Latifah wanted to stray away from a more hardcore sound and experiment. Other acts like A Tribe Called Quest were doing it in 1991, and this was the golden age of Hip-Hop for that reason and many others (if you wanted something more intense and political, then you could listen to Public Enemy, say). I like that there were artists who had Hip-Hop at their heart, but they were broadening their sound and crossing genres. Maybe critics were hoping that Queen Latifah was going to be this hard-hitting Hip-Hop artist through her career and, when she took a detour on her second album, there was a degree of deflation in terms of reviews.
I really respect Nature of a Sista’ and the instrumentals, which were provided by live musicians, fuse elements of Reggae and Jazz. There are a lot of different styles mixing alongside one another and, whilst that could have been messy and unfocused, Queen Latifah makes it work. In terms of lyrical perspective, she was employing humour and self-assurance; encouraging women to take pride and respect themselves - rather than placing any stock in sex or money. The early-1990s was an interesting time for Hip-Hop, with artists like Queen Latifah and Monie Love (who Queen Latifah teamed up with on 1990’s Ladies First) among a wave of wonderfully diverse and amazing artists. Although her label, Tommy Boy, dropped her after the disappointing performance of Nature of a Sista', Queen Latifah delivered Black Reign in 1993 – that album contained the huge anthem, U.N.I.T.Y. I think that there are people who see Nature of a Sista' as a bit of a blip between her debut and third album; I feel Nature of a Sista' is the sign of a brave and curious artist not wanting to repeat herself. It is a shame that the album gained some mixed reviews. One such review came from AllMusic, who had this to say:
“Nature of a Sista isn't the outstanding album Queen Latifah is quite capable of recording. But even so, it's a decent sophomore effort that has more strengths than weaknesses. The North Jersey native tends to spend too much time boasting about her microphone skills -- something that can wear thin in a hurry -- but there's no denying the fact that she has considerable technique. As on her first album, Latifah indicates that she could hold her own in a battle with just about any rapper, male or female. And the positive image she projects is certainly commendable. But as likeable as much of this album is, it's obvious that she is capable of a lot more. Artistically, Latifah is selling herself short”.
There were not a great deal of feminist songs in Hip-Hop in the early-1990s. There was a lot of misogyny and sexism, so I think that albums like Nature of a Sista' are very important and inspired a lot of people. Maybe, at the time, there was some dismissal from critics…but one looks back on albums where sisterhood and self-respect are being discussed and wonders whether reviewers need to take another listen and reassess. If Queen Latifah turned her focus back to her community for 1993’s Black Reign, albums like Nature of a Sista' were a reaction to the culture of the time. In this article from Refinery29, we learn more about the sort of themes and attitudes prevalent in Hip-Hop during the early-’90s:
“The terms were used so often in 1990s hip-hop that they became colloquialism, rolling off the tongues of male rappers as easily as if they were describing the color of someone’s eyes. As hip-hop became the dominant (and most profitable) genre of the mid-to-late '90s, status rather than street cred became the primary bragging right of artists. Songs about struggle were replaced by anthems of excess. The setting moved from the street corner to the bow of a yacht. And one of the most coveted trophies of all was a woman.
But not just any woman. She was a fantasized fetish, disposable arm candy. In many music videos of the time, women like this wore as little as possible and gyrated or sulked in whatever way best pleased the alpha male rapping the lyrics (the point of view in hip-hop was still overwhelmingly male.) This wasn’t empowerment through sexual expression. It was sexist hate speech. Queen Latifah wasn’t having it, though”.
Maybe some critics and fans were looking for music that was as potent and driving as some of the lyrics – an idea that the messages seem a bit weak without an intense vocal or some huge beats in every verse. I think that people should check out Nature of a Sista' as it is a fantastic album with many highlights. Maybe Queen Latifah was aiming for crossover appeal with Nature of a Sista', and I guess one can see Black Reign as a more focused album where she cemented her reputation. In a more positive review from 1991, Entertainment Weekly noted the following:
“Three years ago Queen Latifah tore the rap world apart, slapping macho rappers in the mouth with her fast and furious feminist rhymes, hitting them below the belt with groove-heavy rhythms and hard street beats. She spiced up hip-hop with a fierce house-music tempo, infused rap with Jamaican-style chanting and toasting, and never sounded contrived. Now an established club and recording artist at 21, Latifah is staking out new ground. Nature of a Sista’ bounces with the Queen’s usual dose of feisty, fresh rhymes, but it also shows her softer, more feminine side.
She still keeps the brothers in check (”Latifah’s Had It Up to Here” and the album’s first single, ”Fly Girl”), but she’s toned down the sass and become more sensual and sophisticated. Here’s one woman who rejects sexism, but not sex. There’s more to Latifah than just gender politics; she purrs on some of the album’s slower tracks, then picks up the tempo on the ragamuffin-style ”Sexy Fancy,” which shows that Queen Latifah can be hard-line and playful at the same time. There’s something else special in the nature of this deep and resonant sista’: class”.
There are certain albums that you listen to and love personally that others do not rate it as highly. I have been listening to Nature of a Sista' this week and really getting involved with the album! It is not Queen Latifah’s best release, but I think that it is far stronger than its reputation suggests. It must have been hugely challenging and tough for women in Hip-Hop in the 1990s, so I do genuinely think that Nature of a Sista' is groundbreaking - and it is an album that needed to be released. One might say that certain tropes and attitudes in Hip-Hop have not changed – themes of excess; sexism and misogyny -, but I feel Nature of a Sista' inspired a lot of female rappers to follow in Queen Latifah’s lead (even if she was not the first to talk about empowerment and raise issues around sexism). If you have not heard Nature of a Sista', give the album a try as it is a really…
REWARDING listen.