Give Eve credit for not succumbing to hip-hop's fickle feminine fetishization. While Foxy Brown and Lil' Kim have degenerated into scantily clad clichés, Eve (the self-described "pitbull in a skirt") has maintained her rougher edge without sacrificing a whit of her sexy energy. "Pretty with the heels on, or shitty with the Timbos," is how she puts it on "Gangsta Bitches," one of the standout tracks from this, her second, album. Eve's clearly progressed as a lyricist, though her flow is occasionally on-the-beat clunky. That aside, she switches easily from anti-hater anthems ("Cowboy") to bitter revenge fantasies (the power-guitar-driven "You Had Me, You Lost Me") to straight-up bragging ("Got What You Need"). Throughout, she's assured and poised, matching Teena Marie's manic torch-song energy on "Life Is So Hard" and outshining most of her Ruff Ryder partners elsewhere. But, secure as she may be, Eve realizes that the game doesn't always last: "I'm trying to make a quick flip, nigga. Can you dig this?" she asks on "Cowboy." Sexy and smart. What's not to dig? --Jon Caramanica