Album Reviews : In Brief

** 1/2 Various artists, “The Show” soundtrack, Def Jam. Method Man’s “Headbanger Boogie” is merely a sound bite about cannabis, but it’s an important highlight because it reflects this album’s pot-celebrating tone. You have to weed through Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s laughable “Everyday Thang” and the Notorious B.I.G.’s pedestrian live version of “Me and My Bitch” to unearth such gems as 2Pac’s heartfelt “My Block,” and “How High,” a stony duet by Redman and Method Man.

New albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).