Last year's Princess Superstar Is reminded everyone how fun hiphop can be, taking us back to the days when artists like Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick, Biz Markie, Too Short, and even the Fresh Prince made us laugh our asses off with the absurdity of their boasts while endearing themselves to us with the humility of their comedy. Is combines melodic, Prince Paul-worthy beats and bass lines (much of which she produced herself) with superb lyrics (all of which she writes) and ballsy forthrightness. The album's ultra-kinky slow jam with Kool Keith, "Keith 'N Me," gave her a boost of underground credibility that will probably last her longer than Keith's legendary libido, and the track "Bad Babysitter" proved to the world that she could write radio-ready hiphop hooks about dirty little encounters.
Sexual hijinks and Prada bags aren't all there is to the NYC-born Princess (a.k.a. Concetta Kirshner), who's been hard at work for the past seven years, independently releasing a total of four albums. Her latest foray into hiphop is focused on building her reputation as a DJ: she's released tracks of raw, bootleg-style mixes that pit Lynyrd Skynyrd against Ludacris ("Hollaback Skynard"), that showcase Rush vs. Redman and Method Man ("How High Tom Sawyer?"), that have Black Sabbath battling Jay-Z ("Can I Get a... Sabbath"), and that introduce the frightening combination of Mariah Carey and Fugazi ("Reapeatermotions").
Mix Master Mike she isn't, but Princess has embarked on a DJ tour that, much like her rap game, centers on showing people it's okay not to take yourself too seriously, even if you are serious about your music. She's got the beats, the flow, and the attitude. I'll admit, any woman who sings, "Creatin' spawn at the salad bar, grab the salad tongs, deliver our new baby boy!" is going to see an attentive young man on the dance floor. NICOLAE WHITE
Princess Superstar w/ Michael Antonia and Cherry Canoe, Sat Sept 14 at Chop Suey, 1325 E Madison, 324-8000, 9 pm, 21+, $10.
