PaceWon and Mr. Green

Newark, N.J., rapper PaceWon is bitter that Eminem, his former Outsidaz groupmate, didn't bring him along when he blew up. He airs out his antagonism on "The Joker," the last track on his new album with producer Mr. Green, The Only Color That Matters Is Green. ("If you were right here ... I'd get Michael Jackson to touch you/Get Tiger Woods to putt you.") Pace has gone at Shady before, and "The Joker" is a fairly uninspired diss track, but Pace is much more effective on the album when he sticks with discussing his own evolution. "Four Quarters" and "Children Sing" are heartfelt explorations of his psyche and tell the story of a rapper who has probably missed his shot at the big time but hasn't given up. ("I'm getting clever/I'm getting things right in my life/I'm getting better.") It helps that Mr. Green's soaring, immediately accessible production is first-rate throughout. 4 stars