See if you remember this MTV hit from 1997:

Signed to Columbia Records at 19, Imani Coppola released “Legend Of A Cowgirl” (and her debut, Chupacabra) the very same year. But as these things go (or as any casual viewer of VH1’s Behind The Music would rightly guess), her label desired a pop puppet and the Long Island, NY native refused to relinquish creative control. So in the end, Columbia shelved Coppola’s follow-up, Come And Get Me…What?!, dropping her in 2000.

Young and undaunted, Coppola took the change in stride, mounting her metaphorical horse and riding on to the next town. Taking the independent route, she’s since issued seven self-releases, from that once-shelved sophomore disc through last year’s The Black & White Album. Dabbling in alternative rock, funk, punk, and hip-hop, the 2007 set showcased Coppola’s near-schizophrenic approach to music. One can’t imagine a major label releasing such a patchwork disc today, or allowing an artist to explore such extreme genre-hopping. So without the major-label dollars necessary for promotion, the album went largely unheard.

But witnessing the drawing-outside-the-lines success of Gnarls Barkley and Amy Winehouse, Coppola sensed an opportunity for a musical misfit like herself. Capitalizing on changing pop tastes, she could reintroduce herself to the masses while staying true to her mix-it-up style.

Hooking up with programmer Adam Pallin, the duo signed with indie label S-Curve as Little Jackie. Backed by Pallin’s beats, which echo Motown’s “Sound of Young America” (horns, too), Coppola has served up some wry, witty, and biting lyrical commentary to create The Stoop, released last month. And proving that life often comes full circle, The Stoop was produced by Michael Mangini, who produced Coppola’s Chupacabra.

Take a look at first single, “The World Should Revolve Around Me”:

While she calls Amy Winehouse “brilliant,” Copolla has recorded a sharp criticism of the troubled singer, addressing her directly in “Cryin’ For The Queen.” The intro clearly quotes Winehouse’s “Rehab,” in case the track’s target wasn’t made obvious by the lyrical content. Hear here:

In a recent UK interview, Coppola says she “would kill to be in [Winehouse’s] position… to be making music exactly the music I wanted and winning Grammys for it. Now I worry she’ll die and I’ve dissed her. I was angry, but I can see she’s just sick. Besides, who am I to judge? I don’t know how I would cope with that level of fame.”

Coppola may soon find out just what’s it’s like to be a female legend with more than a song. Because as more folks listen to The Stoop, Little Jackie is likely going to be the buzz of neighborhoods near and far.

Purchase Little Jackie – The Stoop from iTunes, Amazon.