Writing for Mary J. Blige has given Faith Evans the résumé; marrying Biggie Smalls (the Notorious B.I.G.) has given her the street cred. Now having released the debut Faith packed with sensual, smoky R&B torch songs and titanium-hard hip-hop beat she seems set to take her place at the top of the mountain of young soul divas. Rightfully, soulfully so. A-

