in the motherland.

Although the jungle they come from is made out of concrete, the Brothers profess a unique brand of naturalism. On the title track, they reveal the source of their inspiration – "I put these words in a special order/Because I was overcome by the forces of nature" – then decry an artificial world where "they don't use lemons to make lemonade."

But for all the philosophizing, the Jungle Brothers also know that "the name of the game is rapture," and so this is also a dance record, most unabashedly on "What U Waitin' 4?" It's no accident that "Acknowledge Your Own History," an ode to black cultural consciousness, is sandwiched between tracks titled "U Make Me Sweat" and "Belly Dancin' Dina."

The group had a Number One dance hit with the first hip-hop/house fusion, "I'll House You," and continues to expand rap's musical range with deft scatting on "Feelin' Alright"; an "Iko, Iko" groove on "Sunshine"; the dense poly-rhythmic cross talk on "Tribe Vibes"; and even a hip-hop instrumental, the brilliant "Good Newz Comin'," which turns the "ooga-chagga" vocal line from Blue Swede's "Hooked on a Feeling" into a hearty jungle chant, then mutates into a Zairian soukous coda. DJ Sammy B trades in mechanical drum machines for soulful, funky, often downright African grooves, making for some of the most musical rap around.

The steamy "Black Woman" means well, but lines like "With every great man, there's a woman behind him" reveal an unenlightened attitude. That's the only lapse – elsewhere, the Jungle Brothers' positive, spiritual vibe (a direct descendant of Earth, Wind and Fire's) is as hip as their music. On "Sunshine," rain is a metaphor for ignorance; the Jungle Brothers "fight back with a native dance/Sing my song and chant my chant." And for the length of an album, they make you believe such a thing is possible. (RS 571)

MICHAEL AZERRAD