Latte D. Kyd

One might not expect it of the unassuming white woman within the artwork of debut album Meanwhile... but Latte D. Kyd shows she's more than capable of ripping both fast rap flows and sultry soul singing with "Married to the Mic," her comedic confessional to future suitors. It also serves as a perfect example of the fun, funky party raps and soulful singing that place Latte D. Kyd on similar ground as fellow Toronto nu-funksters God Made Me Funky. Her cover of Tom Jones's "Kiss" is a fairly faithful rendition of Prince's funk version but she also does soulful, bluesy ballads ("Mr. Money Bags") and sexy, Spanish-inflected soul ("Lose Your Soul"). Even her most hip-hop songs retain Kyd's sultry hooks, while production duo Robeter Productions capture the live band sound with their mix of rap, rock, pop, soul and jazz, resulting in a varied selection that includes soulful, OK Player-ready weed anthem "Red Mary Janes," the funky fantasy of "Regular Girl" and the Raggadeath-esque bonus track "Avant Garde." Likely to irritate hip-hop purists, Latte D. Kyd's Meanwhile... should appeal to hip-hop fans that enjoy a bit of variety and music fans unconcerned with genre boundaries.