Silkk

Silkk the Shocker's "Made Man" debuted at No. 1 nationally last week, but on the Southern California chart the New Orleans rapper got stuck behind a six-album blockade topped by the unflagging Offspring album. Meantime, the median age of the performers on the singles chart was lowered with the appearance of new entries by Monica and the Backstreet Boys.

The New Orleans rapper, who happens to be Master P's younger brother, shows dramatic growth with his fourth album (in stores Tuesday), easily the strongest of his career. Each of Silkk's various rapping styles has evolved from erratic to confident on this collection, as has his lyrical focus. His subject matter remains centered on life as a ghetto celebrity, but it's his polish, along with the strong production, that makes this album shine.

Silkk covers the familiar themes of street hustling, guns, money, power and respect with less wit and insight than label boss and older brother Master P. Nevertheless, his explosive vocals race with the double- and triple-time percussive flourishes now popular in Southern rap to unique effect. The result: infectious hardcore gangsta tales strengthened with memorable cameos by Snoop Doggy Dogg and a host of No Limit labelmates.

Silkk the Shocker's "Made Man" debuted at No. 1 nationally last week, but on the Southern California chart the New Orleans rapper got stuck behind a six-album blockade topped by the unflagging Offspring album. Meantime, the median age of the performers on the singles chart was lowered with the appearance of new entries by Monica and the Backstreet Boys.

The blockbuster "Titanic" soundtrack was the nation's top-selling album for the seventh consecutive week, scanning nearly 563,000 copies during the seven-day period that ended Sunday to push its total U.S. sales to 4.2 million. But the most surprising number of the week was turned in by New Orleans rapper Silkk the Shocker, whose album "Charge It 2 Da Game" debuted at No. 3 after selling about 248,000 copies.

Andrew Shack has been promoted to the newly created post of executive vice president at EMI Group's Priority Records, home to such acts as Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube and Silkk the Shocker. Shack previously was senior vice president of artist and repertoire and earlier launched EMI's soundtrack division.

If gangsta rap is dead, as so many pop commentators suggest, no one has informed No Limit Records. The New Orleans-based label produces thug life parables with such single-mindedness that one wonders whether the numerous reworkings of reformed street hustler accounts are actually reflections of the infinite sadness of urban reality or merely shrewd commercialism. There are traces of both motivations at work in C-Murder's solo debut, which entered the national album charts at No. 3 this week.

STACKING UP SALES Total album and single sales of CDs and cassettes for the week ended Feb. 7, compared with week-ago and year-ago levels, in millions of units: Latest Week: Albums: 12. Singles: 1.7 Week Ago Albums: 11.7 Singles: 1.6 Year Ago Albums: 11.6 Singles: 2.1 Atop the Charts Weekly and year-to-date record company market share as of Feb. 7, based on current albums sold. This is an indicator of music company performance. Figures do not include catalog sales.

The blockbuster "Titanic" soundtrack was the nation's top-selling album for the seventh consecutive week, scanning nearly 563,000 copies during the seven-day period that ended Sunday to push its total U.S. sales to 4.2 million. But the most surprising number of the week was turned in by New Orleans rapper Silkk the Shocker, whose album "Charge It 2 Da Game" debuted at No. 3 after selling about 248,000 copies.

SMALL FACES: Guests are lining up for sessions on Naughty by Nature's album-in-progress, titled "Nature's Fury" and due in March. Among those on board so far are Mystikal, Silkk the Shocker and Big Punisher. . . . Silverchair turned to an interesting fellow Australian to add a piano track on its upcoming album--David Helfgott, the prodigy whose story of mental illness was told in the Oscar-winning movie "Shine." The song, "Emotional Sickness," also features a string arrangement. . . .