Cleveland BOYZ

Hip-hop duo Cleveland BOYZ wastes no time calling out rivals on its debut, Volume One. "Ask yourself: Are you a wolf or a sheep?" asks rapper Wise Supreme on the very first cut. For the next hour, Supreme and MC Brandon Bishop chime in with a resounding "Baaa!" Nearly every track on Volume One copies the sound of mainstream hip-hop — from cheesy keyboard synths and slowed-down vocals to a gazillion lines about getting paid. Apparently, irony is lost on Supreme and Bishop, who declare, "All I hear is niggas rapping 'bout they whips and chicks," which is followed by a bunch of rhymes about . . . whips and chicks. Bishop's production is technically solid, but it's not very inspired.