Jeannie Ortega

It’s a crowded field of pretty girl thugettas trying to make a mark on the hip-hop world, but Jeannie Ortega might actually have a shot. With her debut release, No Place Like Bklyn, Ortega proves she’s no junior J. Lo; she’s more than just a blow-up doll with a standard-issue big ass and perky tits, who some producer can tell, “Stand here, sing that.” She actually has a voice. Deep, husky, smooth. She easily moves from ballads to up-tempo dance tunes, handling hip-hop, pop and R&B with equal ease. Ortega takes co-writer credit on ten of the 11 tracks, and it’s noteworthy that the one tune she didn’t co-write, “Can U,” is the weakest in the lineup.

The video for her first single, “Crowded,” shows all Ortega’s strengths and weaknesses. She’s strong, talented, beautiful and tough (admittedly, it’s that cleaned-up tough, with $300 sweatshirts and $70 pink lipstick, but hey). While Ortega sings and dances well, she mugs for the camera a little too much, twisting her lush lips into an exaggerated sneer too easily. And there’s a noticeable drop in quality when rapper Papoose takes over for a few bars. His only halfway decent contribution is the line “Since your name is Jeannie / Can I make a wish?” The CD suffers from the same afflictions: Ortega can oversing, adding unnecessary drama to an already effective line; it’s especially noticeable on “What I Need.” And every time a featured performer (there are five on No Place Like Bklyn) takes over, it brings everything down a notch.

Online downloads include a well-done Spanglish version of “So Done,” set to be the CD’s second single. Future releases will likely make the most of Ortega’s ability to draw from both hip-hop and Latin audiences. She’s on the road with the McDonald’s Lo Maximo de la Musica tour with Frankie J and Luis Fonsi, and after her recent big-screen debut in Step Up, she’s already signed up to do an indie flick. Ortega might be the real deal. (Let’s just hope she sheds those pesky featured artists soon.)