Angie Martinez: Up Close And Personal

In hip-hop, as in much of the entertainment world, celebrity generally talks much louder than talent, which is why profitable brands like Shaquille O'Neal historically outsell Aceyalone, The Coup, and Blackalicious by a significant margin. Angie Martinez has scored some high-profile guest appearances over the course of her career, but her spunky if unremarkable turns on Lil' Kim and KRS-One songs weren't what allowed her to record a debut album of Puffy-sized excess. Instead, she owes her head start to her status as a popular radio personality on New York's Hot 97, the powerful station where Martinez earned the clout and connections to snag guest appearances from Prodigy, DJ Clue, Wyclef Jean, Snoop Dogg, and Busta Rhymes for her big-budget debut. And that's just on the first five songs; then the album gets really guest-packed, with appearances from Fat Joe, Jay-Z, Big Pun, The Neptunes, Q-Tip, Jadakiss, and countless other superstars eager to curry favor with a hip-hop tastemaker. Alas, Martinez and co-executive producer Salaam Remi (whose work with The Fugees led to some of that group's early success) threw a star-studded party that never quite took off. Like the solo albums of the artist formerly known as Puff Daddy, Martinez's debut is so full of ringers, trendy production, gimmicks, and cheesy samples and interpolations—those who enjoy "Kokomo" or Sting's more maudlin work are in for a treat—that it collapses under its own inflated bulk. Martinez tries hard to carve out a niche as a spunky, neo-feminist smart-aleck who loves to party and bullshit while remaining sensitive and fragile, but her persona comes off as strained and calculated. Even during its most confessional moments ("Every Little Girl," the "You Oughta Know"-styled break-up song "Go!! [Muthafucka]"), Up Close And Personal still feels about as unpredictable and spontaneous as a corporate-radio playlist. With so much talent onboard, the album can't help but connect a few times, but never enough to build momentum. Martinez named her bloated debut Up Close And Personal, but it could use a lot less polish and a lot more intimacy.