** Blackstreet

FINALLY

(Lil' Man/Interscope)

It used to be that a rapper looking for mainstream success had to reckon with the reactionary forces of R&B. Usually he would negotiate a compromise -- an extravagantly sung chorus here, a dedication to a special lady there -- and hope his rap fans wouldn't accuse him of going soft.

These days, it's R&B groups who are learning the merits of inclusivity. So in a blatant (and quite successful) attempt to stay current, Blackstreet start their new album with four hip-hop tracks in a row. Listening to Finally is a lot like listening to contemporary pop radio, as the program moves methodically from rap to soul to gospel. There's no sequel to Blackstreet's career-defining 1996 smash "No Diggity," but "Girlfriend/Boyfriend" -- a battle of the sexes between Janet Jackson and the young rapper Ja Rule -- is almost as catchy. As on pop radio, there are tons of slow songs, and they get tedious quickly. Yes, the radio-friendly "Take Me There" has been rescued from the Rugrats soundtrack (without Ma$e's rap, strangely enough). And true to radio form, Finally even ends with a commercial: a plug for Blackstreet's Web site.

-- Kelefa Sanneh