Rappers who look at both sides now

Czar-Nok

“That One Way” (Capitol)

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RAPPING about the glory of being a drug dealer is all the rage in hip-hop today, but on the stirring “Can’t Get Out the Game,” the upstart Cincinnati rap duo of Hayczar and E-Nok takes a stark look at the challenges, trappings and shortcomings of the financially rewarding but often fatal career.

The contemplative, organ-driven cut is one of several highlights of this strong debut album, a 16-cut collection that deals with the contradictory, complex layers of a life in which right and wrong aren’t clearly delineated.

On “Pimpin’ and Gangsta,” for instance, the pair celebrates both pastimes with such glee and polish that you have to wonder what they do when they’re not rapping. This duality -- alternatively championing and examining the downside of an illicit lifestyle -- makes “That One Way” a compelling work.

Unlike most rappers, who look at one subject from one perspective, Czar-Nok examines a topic from many angles with equally satisfying results. So Hayczar and E-Nok may use pimpish rhetoric to admit that they are susceptible to a striking woman, as they dreamily document on the lively “She Walked My Way.”

Talk about reality rap.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor) to four (excellent), and have already been released unless noted.