"U.N.I.T.Y." (Queen Latifah)

I'll admit, I listened to my fair share of gangsta rap in the early 90s.  (Who didn't own The Chronic and Doggystyle?)  But every time I heard Dr. Dre, Snoop, 2Pac, Ice T, or their cohorts being derogatory towards women, it turned my stomach.
Yeah, I heard the argument over and over that they were simply chronicling the hard knocks culture of gang life.  But I never really bought that argument.  It seemed pretty clear to me that they were denigrating women and making lots of money off it.  And that didn't sit well.
When Queen Latifah's "U.N.I.T.Y." from the album Black Reign came along in 1993, it was like an antidote to that poisonous way of thinking and a respite from West Coast g-funk.  Not only did it have a feel that was indebted to jazz and soul, courtesy of a smartly sampled clip from The Crusaders' "A Message from the Inner City", the track showcased Queen Latifah's ability to flow.  She delivers her socially conscious message with a wit and fluidity that proves she wasn't just one of the best female rappers but one of the best emcees of the 90s, period.  (Side note: as much as I enjoy hearing her sing jazz and pop standards, I really do miss hearing her rap.)