Record Rack

With his recent No. 1 single “Westside,” this L.A. native has written what is perhaps the first power ballad to wax nostalgic about the West Coast gangsta rap movement. It’s odd indeed to hear him rap wistfully about the days when “Ice-T had power / hearin’ gunshots lickin’ by the hour.” Unfortunately, nothing else on TQ’s debut matches the loopy poignancy of “Westside.” If you’re looking for more songs about money, power and booty set to skittery, Timbaland-like beats, check it out.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.

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* Excerpts from these and other recent releases are available on The Times’ World Wide Web site. Point your browser to: https://www.latimes.com/soundclips