**1/2 Def Squad

EL NIÑO

(Def Jam)

The hip-hop all-star line-up of Erick Sermon, Redman, and Keith Murray preceded this debut album with two killer singles: "Def Squad Delite," a gently tweaked cover of "Rapper's Delight," and "Full Cooperation," a jeep-beat showcase with awesome, super-spare, almost drumless production. No CD boasting those two tracks could be a total disappointment, but El Niño comes close, with nothing else up to that level, several pointless but hateful skits, and lots of filler (including a much less successful classic hip-hop remake, "Rhymin' wit' Biz").

There are a few other good tracks -- "The Game" has a solid old-school vibe, and "No Guest List" has weird-ass production that suits it well -- but not enough to kick up the storm the album title promises. Worse, there's very little chemistry among the three stars, and a paucity of memorable lines -- they all seem to be saving their real stuff for their solo projects. Sermon works best as a team player, and here as in EPMD he knows when to cede the mike as well as when to rock it, but the other two never quite find common ground.

-- Douglas Wolk