Personnel: Nivea (vocals); Lil Jon, R. Kelly, Rasheeda, YoungBloodz , The Dream. <p>After landing a hip-hop dream job, lending her voice to Mystikal's club jam "Danger (Been So Long)," Nivea followed up with a notable self-titled debut, marching down the rap-meets-soul trail that was first prominently blazed by Mary J. Blige in the 1990s. While Nivea's 2005 sophomore effort, COMPLICATED, features up-to-the-minute beats, high-profile guest artists (R.Kelly, the ubiquitous Lil Jon), and attitude to spare, there is something extra that sets her apart. Perhaps it's the sincerity of songs penned with her husband (Terius Nash), particularly the '80s-era title-track ballad (complete with expansive guitar solo) or maybe it's the retro nature of many tunes here, exemplified by the Stylistics-sampling hook of the engagingly sweet "I Can't Mess with You." <p>Nivea's voice naturally hits each note at the perfect angle without over-adorning her songs. She can take a requisite Lil Jon club banger like "Okay" and infuse it with a surprisingly delicate spirit, and just as easily turn a Jermaine Dupri beat into a smooth seduction, as on "Parking Lot." Blessed with both a strong voice and the wisdom to effectively use it, Nivea makes good on the promise of her debut with COMPLICATED.