* MA$E PRESENTS HARLEM WORLD: THE MOVEMENT

(All Out/So So Def)

Does Ma$e drive a Mercedes? He probably does now. So the former Mason Betha takes his fancy car back home to Harlem, picks up a few friends, and takes them all to the studio to spend some major-label dollars. The result may prove to be as profitable as Harlem World, the Bad Boy debut by Ma$e that gives this crew their name. But this Movement's mostly a failure. For starters, it doesn't sound as if Ma$e had spent much time looking for the perfect beats -- he more or less just plugs his posse into found rhythm tracks with a passion normally reserved for plugging in night lights. And the posse manifest an equal degree of enthusiasm as they forge their individual personalities. There's Blinky Blink the hype man; Huddy Combs, the flashy one; Moe, the bundle of nerves; and Curly, the mean one. No, wait, wasn't Moe the mean one? Only twin sister Baby Sta$e provides a welcome relief from the testosterone overload. Next time, if there ever is one, Ma$e might serve his world better with more tracks like the scintillating, DeBarge-hooked "I Really Like It," which takes hits from the '80s -- yeah!, yeah! -- and makes 'em sound so crazy -- yeah! yeah!

-- Kevin John