There’s a buzz in the air, it’s a swarm of killer bees and the misses in charge is the Queen Bee herself, Lil’ Kim.

Kimberly Jones is back, the surgically enhanced black Barbie is here to stake her claim as one of the illest female MC’s on her third LP., “La Bella Mafia.”

Kim is still busy trying to put rumors to rest that her late mentor and hip-hop heavy weight, the Notorious BIG is responsible for penning her rhymes. She immediately addresses this on the album’s introduction which features BIG speaking on Kim’s skills and validating for us that she is indeed the author of her lyrics.

The third time around, the Queen Bee cites her ex-lover as her executive producer. “Doing It Way Big,” is an ode to Mr. Wallace, she states in the hook, “Anything we do, we do it B-I-G. Every move we make is always B-I-G, and the number one rule, think B-I-G. And the best rapper still B-I-G.”

Of course, there’s the party anthem that no CD would be complete without. For Kim that track is “The Jump Off,” featuring Mr. Cheeks, which borrows and modifies the beats from The Lost Boyz smash hit Lex, Coupe, Bimaz, Benz.”

Perhaps one of the worst tracks is “This is a Warning,” which is the remake of R.Kelly’s, “A Women’s Threat.” The lyrics are actually tight, as Kim is expressing her angst about all the pressures of the industry that are being placed on her petite shoulders. Everything seems to be going fine, that is, until Kim makes an attempt to sing. It dilutes the message behind the song and leaves the listener to wonder if this is a slight attempt at humor. The little one starts to sound more like a wounded animal than a vocalist.

Thankfully, there are other songs on the album that compensate for “This is a Warning.” Kim is saved by 50 Cent on “Magic Stick,” a melody about 50 Cent’s love muscle and the pleasure it can bring women.

“Heavenly Father,” which is an intimate look into Kim’s personal life, is one of the better selections. She addresses what was eventually the undoing of Junior M.A.F.I.A., she also gives herself props for opening up doors for current female rappers.

The disc is concluded by “Came Back For You,” a dedication to her fans and is also said to be targeted towards Eve.

There are many tracks on this album that are worth listening to. Although Kim stays true to form with her usual sexual innuendoes in this album she is less lascivious and talks more about her life as a celebrity. Kim sounds like her confident self, she has proven that she is indeed the Queen Bee.