Welcome to Our World is one of the better rap debuts of 1997, establishing Timbaland & Magoo as gifted hip-hop musicians in their own right.

The pair had previously written or produced tracks for such stars as Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott and Ginuwine, and the spare, kinetic beats of "Supa Dupa Fly" and "Pony" are a good indication of what's available on Welcome to Our World.

Without relying too heavily on samples, producer Timbaland has created a distinctive sound that is funky in an edgy, creative way -- these beats are modern yet timeless, as the hit "Up Jumps da' Boogie" illustrates.

Furthermore, Timbaland is clever enough to keep shifting the tone of the album, balancing the up-tempo party numbers with ballads and menacing, mid-tempo crawls.

Magoo is generally up to the challenge, delivering fluid freestyle raps and only occasionally lapsing into cliché.

There are still a few slow spots on the record -- like most modern-day hip-hop albums, it simply runs way too long -- but at its best, Welcome to Our World is a welcome change of pace.