Amazin'

Trina stepped up her game for her fifth album, Amazin’, which sounds as well-crafted as it does luxurious. With “I Want It All,” “Always” and “Make Way” she proves how potent she can be when paired with an R&B singer. Trina and Monica make the perfect complementary team. In “I Want It All” Monica plays it soft and gentle, while Trina backs her with fire-breathing force, but through it all both women manage to express strength and vulnerability in their own way. It’s a fantastic performance. Elsewhere, Trina shows she isn’t just about rapping anymore. Amazin’ is proof her versatility, from the dazzling disco of “Million Dollar Girl” and “White Girl,” to the confessionals “Capricorn” and “By Myself.” Who but Trina could pull off a strip-club anthem like “Currency,” fully controlling a song that would normally objectify women? Best of all is “Dang a Lang,” which unites the rapper with her younger peer Nicki Minaj and Lady Saw, “the First Lady of Dancehall.” It’s an all-star combination, knife-sharp and fearless.