** Shyne, “Shyne,” Bad Boy/Arista.

More known for his alleged involvement in December’s New York nightclub shooting that made headlines for Sean “Puffy” Combs and Jennifer Lopez, this Notorious B.I.G. sound-alike finally delivers his debut album, and it’s a ho-hum effort at best. Shyne sounds congested when he’s rapping.

This quality, coupled with his snail’s-pace delivery, creates a distinctive style that works well on the brutal “Whatcha Gonna Do,” in which a haunting backdrop from Dee Trotman creates an intimidating atmosphere. But when the production falters or is as relaxed as Shyne’s voice, the results are bland. In fact, even when both the beat and Shyne are more animated, the songs sound forced and unnatural.

Shyne raps about such staples as drugs, crime and violence, but he adds little to these well-worn topics. He seemed more energized on his guest appearances with 112 and some of the other artists whose recordings he has contributed to. Once hailed as the second coming of the Notorious B.I.G., Shyne doesn’t live up to the billing.

** 1/2 Lil Bow Wow, “Beware of Dog,” SoSoDef/Columbia.

Producing mogul Jermaine Dupri hopes to hit pay dirt with the same formula twice. In the 1990s, he had millions of fans following preteen Kris Kross’ mandate to “Jump.” Now it’s 13-year-old Lil’ Bow Wow asking listeners to “Bounce With Me.” Bow Wow shows surprising polish on his debut collection, but it checks in at less than 35 minutes, ultimately just teasing listeners drawn to Bow Wow’s charismatic raps.

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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.