In Brief

* * * 1/2 Masta Ace Incorporated, “Slaughtahouse,” Delicious Vinyl. This sophomore effort by Brooklyn’s Masta Ace--full of gangsta-funk melodies, thick bass lines and a plethora of guest rappers--brings a depth to gangsta rap not seen since Boogie Down Productions’ heyday. His explosive music and explicit language may come from the hard-core school, but this is basically a backlash against irresponsible gangsters and gangsta rappers.

New albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).