Other notable moments include the reggae flavored “Weekend Love” in which Latifah flexes her vocal range and the jazz-laced closing tune “Winki’s Theme,” a dedication to her brother Lancelot who died in a 1992 motorcycle accident.īlack Reign’s centerpiece, of course, is the anthemic, Grammy Award-winning “U.N.I.T.Y.” propelled by Latifah’s inspired call-to-resistance for her sisters to confront chauvinism and domestic abuse head-on, which unfolds atop an unforgettable horn-blessed sample lifted from The Crusaders’ 1972 gem “A Message from the Inner City.”
Over groove-laden soundscapes that intriguingly reside somewhere between quiet storm atmospherics and boom bap beats, Latifah once again showcased her proven penchant for no-nonsense rhymes and relatable narratives across the expanse of Black Reign’s 15 tracks.ĭevoid of filler and consistently listenable throughout, Black Reign boasts plenty of standout tracks, including the rolling bass of album opener “Black Hand Side,” the soothing, Herb Alpert indebted ode to neighborhood fidelity “Just Another Day,” and the rugged posse cut entitled “Rough…,” featuring Treach of Naughty by Nature, KRS-One and the late Heavy D. A commanding extension of the pro-black, alpha-female platform that had defined her first two albums (1989’s All Hail the Queen and 1991’s Nature of a Sista), Queen Latifah’s third long player solidified her right to bear the crown of hip-hop’s underrated and often marginalized female contingent.