Gang Starr might not have gold and platinum plaques on the wall, but they have gold and platinum respect, and in hip-hop, respect is everything. On their fifth salvo, Moment of Truth, Guru and DJ Premier continue their crusade for hip-hop's Holy Grail: realness. Like on 1994's rock-solid Hard to Earn, the ever-consistent duo updates its sound on Moment of Truth in a quest for mass appeal, but on their own terms. Even obvious radio anthems like "Royalty" (featuring K-Ci and JoJo from Jodeci) and "B.I. Vs. Friendship" (featuring M.O.P.) are blessed with that unmistakable street-wise essence.

One major factor is Premier, a master craftsman of neck-snapping beats, who has carved notches on the charts for Nas, Biggie Smalls and Jeru the Damaja. His winning formula keeps it simple with deft loops and deadly drum programming brought to life by his turntable skills and great attention to detail. Check the technique on "The Rep Growz Bigga," where he builds a hook out of six different vocal scratches.

On Moment we see a more mature, reflective Guru. The king of monotone comes off like the voice of reason on tracks such as "What I'm Here 4": "A lot of shit has happened since I started rapping/There's enough beef and enough gat clapping/There's been mad signs for a brother to heed/And while some choose greed, I choose to plant seeds." He's still got plenty to say about sucker MCs, and he gets lyrical assists from the likes of Wu-Tang's Inspectah Deck on "Above the Clouds," Scarface on "Betrayal" and a host of underground MCs. Despite a few weak performances – such as the corny vocal hook on "The Mall" – Gang Starr have met their moment of truth with the tightest, most consistent album of their career. Just as hip-hoppers expected. (RS 785)

S.H. FERNANDO JR.