Amil
Album: All Money Is Legal
Release Date: September 19, 2000
Label: Roc a fella

Review:
Haters take note. Despite having easy access to ghostwriter extraordinaire Jay-Z on All Money Is Legal, Amil pens some rugged rhymes that would make Lil’ Kim proud. Most would recognize Amil’s distinctive little-girl flow from her cameo on Jay-Z’s "Can I Get A...." Interestingly, despite the album’s title, much of the subject matter doesn’t really revolve around materialism. In fact, Amil reveals herself to be a staunch street-styled feminist. The release opens up with the autobiographical "Smile 4 Me," where she reflects on what it was like feeding her child while on welfare, as suicidal thoughts crept into her head.

"I Got That" (featuring Destiny Child’s Beyonce) may read like just another moola-centric song but she’s actually declaring her financial independence from men. In fact, most of Amil’s lyrics deserve repeated listens. All Money Is Legal’s beats are all over the place, as she sings over loud guitars on "Get Down" and complements R&B crooner Carl Thomas over spacey beats on "Quarrels." The album’s finest moment comes on "Any Day," where Amil prefers to stay loyal to an incarcerated hubby ("...ain’t nobody tapping this, I’d rather tap my own / watching tapes we made while I’m resting alone"). Foxy Brown fans desperately need to buy this album and take notes. Dalton Higgins

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