KRIS KROSS”Da Bomb” Columbia* *Last year Chris...

KRIS KROSS

“Da Bomb”

Columbia

* *

Last year Chris Kelly and Chris Smith exploded onto the kiddie-rap scene with “Totally Krossed Out,” a thoroughly frivolous, 4-million-selling album bursting with youthful exuberance. Pseudo-gritty and somewhat suggestive, it was for the sub-teen set that likes to play at gangsta rap.

But now the Chrisses are 14 and, naturally, craving to be accepted as more grown-up rappers. So they make a more “adult” album--more street-wise swagger and gangster-rap posing and less giddy, kiddie rap. But it’s not nearly as much fun, falling in the twilight zone--a bit too tough for the kiddies and way too tame for hard-core rap fans.

The success of the great single “Jump” fueled the first album’s success. But nothing in the new collection, with Jermaine Dupri again producing, jumps out the way that did. However, “2 Da Beat Ch’Yall,” with its thunderclap beats, is rather riveting, as are the two versions of “Alright,” powered by potent dancehall reggae rhythms. The rest of the album, though, is just ordinary.

Chalk it up to growing pains.

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