R&B

Chris Brown, "F.A.M.E." (Jive)

When Brown opens his new album with "Deuces," a sleek kiss-off that sweeps aside an ex as "nothing but a vulture," he's not hiding any bitterness. With the release of his fourth album, Brown, after being reviled for beating up then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009, is enjoying a slew of radio hits. How did he do it? By nearly abandoning Michael Jackson circa "Off the Wall" and instead attempting the outre unapologetic genius of R. Kelly. With a mild flick of contrition here and there, Brown is full-steam ahead as a Lothario whose appetites know no bounds.

As a lover and an artist, Brown will wear any mask to get what he wants -- sex, street cred or radio redemption. Overall, the album leaves not an impression of one singular style but of the great effort required to mix and match so many times. "Beautiful People," with its powdered-sugar synths and dance-floor positivity, is almost a Kylie Minogue song. With a few shifts in production values, "All Back" could have easily found itself in the coffers of Taylor Swift.

All of it is done capably, even superbly sometimes, though "F.A.M.E." also feels strained and sometimes downright desperate. Still, there's no denying he pulls off some coups. "She Ain't You" is carried on a gussied-up sample from Jackson's "Human Nature" and the sentiment of the song is refreshingly complex. "Look at Me Now" is a hit because it's built around a hypnotic toss between bass thumps, alien effects and rapid flow from Busta Rhymes and Lil Wayne.

MARGARET WAPPLER, LOS ANGELES TIMES

HIP-HOP

Gucci Mane, "The Return of Mr. Zone 6" (Warner Bros.)

Gucci Mane's toughest follow-up may not be the sequel to his last full-length "The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted," but what to do after getting an ice cream cone tattooed across his face. His offstage antics have become so inscrutable that even the notoriously loopy rapper had some folks worried. So it comes as a great reassurance that his new formal mix tape finds him in his best setting -- spinning daffy yarns atop spooky minimalism.

For a rapper with such a singular voice, Gucci's success often hinges on the quality of his beats. Zone 6" is a fine sweet spot: "Reckless" is essentially a fussy snare trill; the minimal "I Don't Love Her" features just a horror show organ and church chime. His notoriously screwball wordplay takes a back seat to a more sedate menace, but Gucci's inimitable rasp is where it should be -- as prominent as, well, a frozen snack tattoo on your cheekbone.

AUGUST BROWN, LOS ANGELES TIMES