Pop Beat

*** 1/2 Eightball, “Lost,” Suave/Universal. As the first group from Memphis to make national waves, Eightball & MJG ushered in a calmer, more controlled rap style. With tales focusing largely on life in the New South, their sometimes precarious relationships with women and the materialistic world surrounding them, the Tennesseans struck a chord with Southern rap fans. “On Top of the World,” their third major release, sold more than 500,000 copies, making them widely respected and recognized rap stars.

Last year, MJG’s more commercial solo project “No More Glory” temporarily abandoned their signature bluesy sound. But Eightball’s own debut recaptures the invigorating Southern-fried funk flavor that pushed Eightball & MJG over the edge. (“Lost” is billed as a triple album, but the third disc is actually a compilation featuring noteworthy selections from Eightball’s lesser-known label-mates.)

His 26 songs feature rap icons such as MJG, Busta Rhymes and Master P, but Eightball clearly emerges as the star. His view of reality creates powerful images of a stress-filled existence and a life lived in squalor, but his comforting, sometimes squeaky voice glides along as smoothly as his instrumentation.

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