If any rappers deserve to be called poets, Treach and Vinnie of Naughty By Nature do. They fire off line after line chock-full of internal rhymes and alliterations, conjure detailed scenes, drop allusions, and display a reassuring knowledge of the world beyond hip-hop. If any poets deserve to be called rap stars it's this powerful trio (with DJ Kay Gee) from East Orange, New Jersey. On their third album, 1995's Poverty's Paradise, Naughty strikes up enough hard-edged partying in their smart lyrics and sharp beats to keep on top of the hip-hop core, while a handful of radio-ready tracks throw them into wider pastures just to remind everyone else they're also making marks on the pop charts. --Roni Sarig