RECORD RACK

*** Lone Catalysts, “Hip Hop,” B.U.K.A. Flowing over moody, jazz-inspired backdrops primarily from partner J. Sands, rapper J. Rawls rocks with polished precision on the duo’s debut album (due Tuesday). The smooth-voiced Rawls focuses on his love of hip-hop, but his best work comes when he addresses police brutality and relationship challenges. Thought-provoking guest Talib Kweli adds star power to a collection already jammed with substance.

*

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.