In Brief

The Westside Connection member’s first solo effort marries slick, funked-out beats with an unpretentious, silver-tongued flow--he sounds like a West Coast version of Queens MC Kool G. Rap. Gangsta essentials--George Clinton samples, jarringly uncouth boasts of sexual prowess and money-hungry rhymes--combine with trunk-bumping effectiveness.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor) to four (excellent).

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