Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

On the heels of her Top 10 collaboration with Jagged Edge singers Brian and Brandon Casey, "Don't Mess with My Man," Nivea’s debut CD is a groove-filled funkified pleasure and, luckily, she did not turn out a project akin to the disappointing first CD appearance from Ashanti last year.

Like Whitney, Nivea has pipes and is a former church singer. Unlike Whitney, this 20 year old Atlanta native has tons of sober confidence and apparently a plan for some respectable longevity as the disc is chuck full of possible chart climbers and is very scarce on filler.

Nivea will most likely garner more radio play on Top 40 and Urban stations with feisty tunes as "Don't Mess with the Radio" and "Run Away." But, she also has apparently taken notes from Mary J. Blige – and her slow jam "No More Drama" - and harks upon her softer side for the soulful ballad "No Doubt."

With lots of early promise and recognition (Don't Mess With My Man" has been nominated for a Grammy for best R&B performance by or duo or group), lets just hope Nivea stays grounded and doesn’t get lost in the "short term memory" and disposable world of Hip-Hop.