Moment of Truth

Equal parts street smarts, intellect, and spirituality, Gang Starr's much-anticipated fifth album, Moment of Truth is pop-free, two-turntables-and-a-mic music with an underground bent (read: real hip-hop). Guru's gravel-mouthed admonitions to wannabe MCs and first-hand insight into court battles are as evenly matched to DJ Premier's coveted turntable orchestration as Satchmo's voice was to his horn. Although the rote ''The Mall'' doesn't elevate, the overall effect is still strong. Cameos by artists like K-Ci & JoJo and M.O.P. help hold it down. B+