Record Rack

Aiming to return to his hard-core roots on his second album, the New York rapper abandons the happy-go-lucky musical attitude that made him a star. Before teaming with Sean “Puffy” Combs’ Bad Boy Entertainment, the Harlem resident was known as Murder Ma$e, and while the new album (due in stores Tuesday) includes a few potential radio hits (primarily “Get Ready” and “If You Want to Party”), most of the 18 songs contain a musical and lyrical grit that was scarcely present on his hit debut, 1997’s “Harlem World.”

Even though these are the same ingredients that made DMX and others superstars, Ma$e sounds as if he’s trying too hard to convince listeners of his earnestness as he outlines his felonious exploits. His voice has hardly any semblance of menace, and his threats will ring hollow to listeners familiar with his previous, radio-friendly work.

Producers Ron Lawrence, Deric Angelettie and others provide lean instrumentation that pales in comparison to their dramatic work with the Notorious B.I.G. and Puff Daddy. Sounding somewhat incomplete, the harder beats found on “Double Up” lack hip-hop’s usual edge, while the smoother offerings arrive less polished than Bad Boy’s normally super-slick sounds.

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

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