Pop

*** 1/2 Brand Nubian, “Foundation,” Arista. Few rap groups could manage what Brand Nubian has done here: recording a reunion album that matches its previous work. Rappers Grand Puba, Sadat X and Lord Jamar focus on issues of respect, pride, love and struggle with a credible, street-smart, relatively profanity-free presentation. Expertly executed, the set’s delicate subject matter and hard-hitting production reestablish the New York crew as premier hip-hop spokesmen.

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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.