As strong a buzz as {$Queen Latifah} created with her debut single of 1988, {&"Wrath of My Madness"} and its reggae-influenced B-side {&"Princess of the Posse,"} one would have expected the North Jersey rapper/actress' first album, {^All Hail the Queen}, to be much stronger. Though not a bad album by any means, it doesn't live up to {$Latifah}'s enormous potential. The CD's strongest material includes {&"Evil That Men Do,"} a hardhitting duet with {$KRS-One} addressing Black-on-Black crime and other social ills; the infectious hip-house number {&"Come Into My House"}; the rap/reggae duet with {$Stetsasonic}'s {$Daddy-O} {&"The Pros"}; and the aforementioned songs. Unfortunately, boasting numbers like {&"A King and Queen Creation"} and {&"Queen of Royal Badness"} aren't terribly memorable. Especially disappointing is {&"Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children,"} a duet with {$De La Soul} that surprisingly, is both musically and lyrically generic. To be sure, {$Latifah}'s rapping skills are top-notch -- which is why {^All Hail the Queen} should have been consistently excellent instead of merely good. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide