Hip-hop fans first got to know Angie Martinez as the sexy ruler from the hip-hop/R&B airwaves of New York radio station Hot 97, emerging in the late '90's as rap's most beloved voice. The Latin icon turned the love affair up a notch last year by releasing a long requested solo album, the aptly titled Up Close And Personal, which featured the boriqua star and a host of world-renowned rhymers eager to support the acclaimed debut.

Now - her much anticipated sophomore effort, Animal House, revolves around Angie's new production team of the same name and her new approach to music. Animal House showcases the multi-talented superstar's blossoming writing talent, as well as the unique position she now plays as THE female role model in what is still for the most part a man's game. "One of the reasons we're called Animal House is because we eat, drink, and sleep this stuff," she says. "It's such a rewarding feeling to be able to go into the studio with a group of people who are on the same page, who are pulling for you because you're on the same team."

The "team" consists of producers Rick Rock ("If I Could Go"), Cool & Dre ("Take You Home"), Salaam Remi ("So Good") and Dirty Swift ("Never") and guest appearances by Fat Joe, Lil' Mo, Kelis, Missy Elliott, N.O.R.E and Petey Pablo to name a few.

Angie is also putting her knack for discovering talent to the forefront, launching the charismatic newcomer, Sacario, on the new disc. He rises to the occasion, throwing down mesmerizing masterpieces like the album's first single "If I Could Go" (also featuring label mate Lil' Mo). "I heard him rhyming on a mix tape and I just knew he had a tremendous ability to come off," recalls Angie. "We hit it off and the next thing you know we're in the studio."

In fact it was legendary rapper KRS-One, who first inspired Angie to put down rhymes in the studio, after seeing her flow at a party one night. "He offered to hook up with me and work on a project together," she says. The song was "Heartbeat," with Angie also sharing duties with another one of her idols, Redman. "It was a dream come true."

With her radio career in full bloom, Angie knew it was a matter of time until she laid down a whole album of tracks for her own debut solo disc. Along the way, she collaborated on a host of underground mix tapes, appearing on songs with superstars like Mary J. Blige, as well as performing on the Grammy-nominated single "Ladies Night" with Missy Elliott, Lil' Kim, Left Eye and Da Brat.

When Angie started getting offers to pursue a solo career, she says she "took a few meetings just to gauge the opportunities that were out there." She hit it off with Elektra Chairman/CEO Sylvia Rhone, and the next thing she knew, she was in the studio. "I've learned so much just making my first album," she says. "It gave me a platform to touch on a lot of personal things my fans didn't know about me."

Tracks like "Mi Amor," "Suavemente," and "Live At Jimmy's" were emblazoned with Angie's provocative style, as production and guest-artist credits read like a who's who of the hip hop world: Jay-Z, Wyclef, Snoop Dogg and Mary J. Blige, to name a few.

The impressive gathering didn't keep critics from noticing Angie's own ability to roll, however. She was recently nominated for a BET Award for Best Female Rap Artist and none other than Rolling Stone raved: "The reason for her ascent is her voice, throaty, Latin tinged, it's the sexiest thing on the radio."

To put it another way she's got a way with the microphone. Now she plans to flex what she's learned behind the scenes as well. It's precisely that kind of commitment to her craft that has enabled Angie to go from gal-pal to the rappers to one of the preeminent female hip hop forces in the business. "On this album I'm wearing my artist/businesswoman/entrepreneur hat and providing exposure to a whole new group of talented people at the same time."

Not bad for a Brooklyn girl who once said about the famous borough: "Brooklyn is where I became me." The question now is, will the Animal House project be cited in years to come as the moment Angie became a mogul. "I don't ever think about that stuff when I'm in the studio or working on a record. Maybe when I'm 70 I'll look back and say: 'Damn I did that?'"