R U Ready

For Salt-N-Pepa's first single in four years, the queens of the female rap scene appear to be studying the competition a bit too closely — ''R U Ready'' resembles Foxy Brown's smash ''I'll Be'' in more than a few ways, from the instrumental hook and mid-tempo groove down to the male-rap cameo. It's hard to resist their good-timey strut, though: When they chant, ''Everybody make way/party people comin' through,'' you obey gladly. B

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