*1/2 Heltah Skeltah

MAGNUM FORCE

(Duck Down/Priority)

For all its .44-packing pretensions, Heltah Skeltah's Magnum Force strikes more like a .22. This sophomore effort by the Brooklyn duo Ruck and Rock falls into a growing category of hip-hop albums that are perfectly decent but never great. Although Ruck and Rock are blessed with two of the more distinctive voices and flows in the rap world, the album is conceptually monotonous and the production uninspired. The best moments come during the short, between-song skits, as in the drug-seller parody "2 Keys" or the hilarious "Call Tyrone," which follows up on Erykah Badu's notorious song of the same name from the man's point of view. Unfortunately, those fleeting displays of wit don't carry over to the songs. From a half-hearted remake of Main Source's "Lookin' at the Front Door" to any of the numerous braggadocio tracks -- "I Ain't Havin' That," "Gunz 'N Onez" -- Magnum Force offers nothing you haven't heard done better before.

-- Oliver Wang