Artist: ANGEL B. Song: “Catch Me If U Can” Review by: Jason Randall Smith History will show that the ladies have held it down for all aspects of hip-hop culture since its inception, but most wouldn’t know this from examining rap music’s present-day landscape. Being behind the microphone or the turntables is clearly a male-dominated space with only a few female faces allowed their due exposure. However, every now and then a woman comes along whose voice can’t be ignored. Angel B. could very well be one of those voices, and this Washington, D.C. rhyme slinger certainly possesses a certain swagger within her flow. “Catch Me If U Can” proves to be a fun listen not only because of what she says, but how she says it. The production is a tug-of-war between rap and hard rock consisting of Dirty South style programming and abrasive guitar riffs. It’s a track that’s designed to be on blast in the low rider and Angel B. vocally grabs the beat by the horns and never lets go. There’s a cool demeanor to her voice even in the midst of aggressive lyrical content (“Heavy metal and no, not rock ‘n’ roll / but there’s still Guns ‘n’ Roses for those who want war.”). What she may not possess in lyrical intricacy she makes up for in verbally shaping her bars to fit a rhyme structure. Words that wouldn’t usually rhyme sound good together by the time she’s done reciting them, and there’s a lot to be said for language manipulation within the context of rap music. Angel B.’s confident presence and personality on the microphone embodies her raps and envelops the track from start to finish. Staying relevant to the streets while also achieving a certain commercial allure, “Catch Me If U Can” is a solid first impression. Review by: Jason Randall Smith Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)