In Brief

The Laker star’s fourth album features party-oriented lyrics and a decidedly nonconfrontational aura. O’Neal, joined by at least one guest performer on nearly every track, writes decent rhymes, but his celebrity far exceeds his microphone prowess. By sampling rap staples from Eric B & Rakim and Above the Law and enlisting production from DJ Quik, O’Neal keeps the music fresh and bouncy.

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