SOUND CHECK.

Fabolous/``Ghetto Fabolous'' (Desert Storm/Elektra)

If pop music is going to embark on a new, more-enlightened post-twin towers world order, the violent misogyny, thug lingo and pointless boasts of hard-core rap will probably be rethought from the street up.

Already sounding like a throwback to an era left behind, 21-year-old New York rapper Fabolous' chart-topping debut is produced with bass-thumping polish and packed with enough star power to ensure radio play and strong sales. Suddenly, in fact, this rap rookie and DJ Clue discovery is everywhere at once - turning up on current hits from Mariah Carey, Macy Gray and Jimmy Cozier.

Despite lyrical concerns that often seem positively Neanderthal, Fabolous (he's a best seller not a best speller) gives the people what they perhaps once wanted with convincing gangsta fare including ``Get Smart,'' ``Trade It All,'' ``The Bad Guy'' and a trio of hidden tracks that for once don't necessarily deserve to be kept secret.

Cameos from Nate Dogg, Jagged Edge, Ja Rule, and Lil' Mo and beats supplied by Timbaland, DJ Clue and the Neptunes, to name a few of the project's many producers, add up to state-of-the-art street rap - it's just that the state of the streets suddenly feels mighty different. Two and one half stars

- Fred Shuster

Rodney Jones/``Soul Manifesto'' (Blue Note)

Lonnie Plaxico/``Melange'' (Blue Note) The names of these artists might perplex even some regular readers of ``Downbeat.'' For the uninitiated: Jones played guitar with Dizzy Gillespie, worked as musical director for Lena Horne and played in the house band for ``The Rosie O'Donnell Show.'' (Hey, the man has to make a living.) Plaxico played bass with Dizzy, too, as well as Chet Baker, Art Blakey and Dexter Gordon, and has been a key collaborator of chanteuse Cassandra Wilson. Bottom line: These guys have chops.

That's obvious from their latest offerings, connected by Plaxico's presence on ``Soul Manifesto.'' Jones' record is yet another great entry in this year's parade of groove-heavy, soulful throwbacks, anchored by the explosive organ playing of Dr. Lonnie Smith and the funky rhythm laid down by Plaxico and drummer Idris Muhammad. Covers include Bill Withers' ``Ain't No Sunshine'' and Mal Waldron's ``Soul Eyes.'' You won't hear a tighter band this year. (FYI: Jones will appear Oct. 12 at the Knitting Factory Hollywood.) Three stars

Plaxico's solo outing opens with his own soul manifesto, a blistering cover of Tower of Power's ``Squib Cakes.'' From there, he and his six-piece band hit all the bases, from Latin (``Paella'') to gospel (``Sunday Morning'') to a brooding Miles Davis-style ballad (``Darkness''). It's solid, a big step up from Plaxico's earlier easy-listening efforts. Three stars

- Glenn Whipp

Ryan Adams/``Gold'' (Lost Highway)

Here's a test: Will one of the best rock albums of the year (as ex-Whiskeytown frontman Adams' solo debut, ``Heartbreaker,'' was last year) suffer listener turnoff because of cuts with titles such as ``New York, New York,'' ``The Rescue Blues'' and ``Enemy Fire,'' not to mention a lyric about a plane going down?

Of course, this catchy collection has nothing to do with current events, but uses the above and other sharp turns of phrase as metaphors for wounded but resilient romanticism. Only the mildest traces of Adams' twang roots are evident on this wide-ranging assortment of rollicking rave-ups and sensitive singer-songcraft; emphasis is on percussion, keyboards and electric guitars, and there are more orchestral string and Memphis horn flourishes than pedal steel licks.

Ultimately, the ever-evolving Adams is turning into the best blue-eyed soul singer this side of Boz Scaggs. Four stars

- Bob Strauss

Ozomatli/``Embrace the Chaos'' (Almo/Interscope)

A better idea in theory than practice, Ozo's Los Angeles-inspired musical melting pot has its heart in the right place but lacks chops and originality.

The disc builds on the octet's well-received 1998 debut, a fusion of global rhythms, social activism and rap. Here, the ideas run thin and the messy, overexcited sound grates.

Hitting on familiar source material - Puerto Rican salsa (``Dos Cosas Ciertas''), Meters-style funk (``1234''), Brazilian beat (``Suenos en Realidad'') and Cuban son (``Timido'') - Ozo offers little new, while cameos from hip-hop acts De La Soul, Common and Medusa merely succeed in instantly dating the project. One and one half stars

- F.S.

John Hiatt/``The Tiki Bar Is Open'' (Vanguard)

Reuniting with his crack roadhouse rock band the Goners for the first time in a decade, Hiatt has produced an album of anthems steeped in clear-eyed nostalgia that boomers facing middle age will surely appreciate.

It's a sturdy effort, although not as commanding as his previous disc, the country-blues masterpiece ``Crossing Muddy Waters.'' That said, this one's sad, soul-searching ballad, ``Something Broken,'' is one for the ages, and the title track transcends novelty with impressively strong shots of social and personal insight. Three stars

- B.S.

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5 photos

Photo:

(1) no caption (Fabolous)

(2 -- 5) no caption (CD covers)