** 1/2 VARIOUS ARTISTS “Nutty Professor II: The Klumps Soundtrack” Island/Def Jam

This 16-cut package features strong songs from some of rap and R&B;’s top-tier talent, but the music isn’t all at the same level. Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek and Amil triumphantly team on the perky “Hey Papi,” while lyrical heavyweights Eminem and Redman demonstrate their nimble wordplay on the pulsating “Off the Wall.” DMX also convincingly recounts his life of struggle on the somber “I’m Gonna Crawl.” Rapper Foxy Brown and R&B; sensation Sisqo ignite on “Thong Song Uncensored,” a raunchier version of Sisqo’s hit single.

On the soulful side, Brian McKnight’s mildly bitter “Thinkin’ ‘Bout Me,” Montell Jordan’s sentimental “Do You Remember (Once Upon a Time)” and R. Kelly’s pleading “Just a Touch” take you on an emotional roller coaster. Despite these choice cuts, generic R&B; pop from Janet and Shorty 101 and satisfactory cuts from Eve and Method Man drag the album down.

As a bonus, the collection features an eight-minute preview of the forthcoming LL Cool J album, which is due in late August. This stellar segment hits as hard as anything else on the soundtrack.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.