The release of last year's anthemic single "Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)" gave Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz the props they've long deserved – Tariq had toiled for years on the New York underground mix-tape scene, and Gunz had appeared on records with DJ Quik, KRS-One and Ice Cube. Initially released on an independent label, the hit single – a celebration of rap's birthplace, the Bronx – spawned the duo's major-label deal and made possible its debut album, Make It Reign.

Unfortunately, with few exceptions, the songs on Reign are boring layers of drumbeats and crotch-grabbing references to sex, money, death, phat cars and alcohol. Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz seem to have fallen into the Naughty by Nature syndrome – that is, having to come up with one gimmicky track after another to command attention. They also show Puffy-ish tendencies: On "Starting Something" (featuring Black-street's Chauncey Black), the duo takes a huge bite out of Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'."

What's missing from the album is the pinpoint storytelling of that other Bronx native, KRS-One, or of fellow New Yorkers the Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z. Rather than describe their New York, Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz too often resort to tired catch phrases ("It's all about sex, money, life or death/You gotta make a choice – is it right or left?"). There should be enough on Make It Reign to satisfy fans and sell records: Tariq and Gunz shine on "Who Am I," a witty song about crack, guns and AIDS. "My Time to Go" is a lush spiritual epic that explores the narrator's relationship with God and the ghetto world. On "Precipitation," Gunz shows off his talent by borrowing the vocal style of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, and "We Will Ball" is a sure-fire summer jam driven by a slinky piano riff. Still, Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz owe it to themselves and to hip-hop to dig deeper into the crates – and deeper into themselves – next go round. (RS 789)

KEVIN POWELL