If you thought that the introduction of lady rappers Shunda K and Jwl B, better known as Yo! Majesty, would finally answer the male chauvinist trends in rap music, keep waiting. Instead, the Tampa-based duo's debut album is more a reflection of current elements of rap music — club-friendly party beats and sexualized lyrics objectifying women — performed by female emcees. Their aim is not to stand up against male rap attitudes that objectify women, à la Salt-N-Pepa or Queen Latifah. Instead, it is to allow females a chance to objectify other females. If you're able to look past Futuristically Speaking...Never Be Afraid's lack of depth, this is a high-energy, party-perfect album that is sure to entertain on the dance floor, even if it does not stimulate the mind.
Yo! Majesty's sound is unmistakably influenced by rap legend Missy Elliott. This accounts for the heavy use of bass, synths, and confident demeanor that permeates the album, courtesy of production from Hard Feelings UK. Rarely are there moments of vulnerability in tone or lyrics, similar to Missy. The result is an unapologetically assertive sound that is both tough and fun. Yet Yo! Majesty stop short of merely replicating past female emcees' styles, as the two add an explicitly sexual twist, from a female perspective, to the genre.
Despite this interesting perspective, their lack of creativity does not help their cause. The tracks "Club Action," "Grindin' & Shakin'," and "Booty Klap" are essentially the same songs played at clubs, involving boisterous lyrics about dancing up on other women. They respectively declare, "Bust a move, bounce back and forth," "If I had a whip, I'd tear that ass up," and "Shake that ass, ride the floor," etc. Add "Party Hardy," "Leather Jacket," and "Get Down on the Floor" to this category, and you're left with nearly half an album containing songs that deal with the exact same subjects. Futuristically Speaking grows progressively more stale as it moves through 14 painfully similar tracks.
Whatever the record lacks in creativity, it more than makes up for in sexuality. The opening track has Shunda K shouting, "I can't stand the way you look, but I like the way you fuck." Needless to say, this line from the first song sets the tone for the rest of the album. Fast-paced sex situations are also portrayed on "Don't Let Go": "Let's spend the night/ You feel so right/ So what if they call it a sin/ We both satisfied." Most of the lyrics of "Hott" are so deeply sexual that it would be impossible not to blush when hearing them, and it even seems inappropriate to repeat them in this review.
The lyrical content of this debut is hardly impressive. Futuristically Speaking's reliance upon such banal subject matter is enough to overlook the fact that these are two talented female rappers. The genre of sex-infused party rap is already so ubiquitous within hip-hop. Nevertheless, you can add this record to the pile of fun, entertaining albums that is sure to get people moving at any party, although it offers little else.
1. Fucked Up
2. Night Riders
3. Blame It On The Change
4. Never Be Afraid
5. Don't Let Go
6. Booty Klap
7. Buy Love
8. Get Down On The Floor
9. Hott
10. Leather Jacket
11. Grindin' & Shakin'
12. Party Hardy
13. Club Action
14. Take It Away
More about: Yo! Majesty
