For some of the younger or at least less-informed generation, LL Cool J isn't known as a rapper, he's an actor. But it's not their fault they didn't grow up in the 80's. I'll always associate the man with "Radio", his debut album, which was a massive success. Either way, we know the man can act, but he can also rap quite a bit as well.
Following his electric 1985 debut, he released "Bigger and Deffer" two years later, which again was a critical and commercial success. His third album, "Walking with a Panther", released in 1989, while a well-selling album, it was criticized by many fans and critics alike for being too materialistic and "commercial". Simply put, it was a dud compared to his previous efforts.
Increasingly dismissed by hip-hop fans as an old-school relic and by some as a pop sellout, the rapper was fueled by the desire to regain some of those same fans back. With all that coming at him, LL Cool J headed back into the studio to work on his fourth album, which would become "Mama Said Knock You Out".
The album was released in August of 1990 and went on to become his biggest-selling album ever. Producer Marley Marl helped LL Cool J get back some of the hard-edged attitude he had seemingly lost, and did an excellent job of striking a balance between attitude and accessibility.
"Mama Said Knock You Out" is a consistent and entertaining record, with some great tracks littered throughout. The album produced four hit singles, and, while the title track is as good as advertised, "The Boomin' System", "Around The Way Girl", "6 Minutes of Pleasure", and "To da Break of Dawn" are all excellent as well.
"The Boomin' System" was the first single released from the album, and is one of the rapper's best. The track is a nod to all the bass-loving boys with car stereos that were riding around shining when this album was making the rounds. It reminds me of his original debut, "Radio", which is a welcome comparison, especially after his so-so previous album.
LL Cool J is one of the most skilled rappers at setting the scene, and he does it perfectly here as he raps: "You know it's funky, funky, funky cos you heard it from hear-say/A jam that you love that don't be gettin no airplay/Strictly for frontin when you're ridin around/12 o'clock at night with your windows down/Headlights breakin cos your batteries drain/Armor all on your tires and a big gold chain."
"Around the Way Girl" is a track that shows how LL Cool J learned from his mistakes on his last album. This track could easily have been part of his previous effort, since it's a ballad to the ladies, but this time around the track is a winning formula of a slick beat, and solid lyrics.
LL Cool J knows how to be smooth and cocky all at the same time as he raps: "I want a girl with extensions in her hair/Bamboo earrings/At least two pair/A Fendi bag and a bad attitude/That's all I need to get me in a good mood/She can walk with a switch and talk with street slang/I love it when a woman ain't scared to do her thing."
"Mama Said Knock You Out", while one of the most popular on the album is also one of my favorites. The track has one of the all-time great inspirational stories behind its creation. LL Cool J's career was in a downturn before this album, so his grandmother told him to "knock out" all the critics. The rest is history.Produced by Marely Marl, with some help from Shadman Kaiser and LL himself, the track reached number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100, and won the Best Rap Solo Performance at the Grammy Awards of 1992.
The opening line of the track is legendary all by itself. When you hear LL Cool J spit: "Don't call it a comeback / I've been here for years", it's impossible not to realize that he did not enjoy being criticized for his last album. He is more keyed up here that on any track, and his lyrics come at you full force. You can hear how personal to him this all is as he raps: "Don't u call this a regular jam/I'm gonna rock this land/I'm gonna take this itty bitty world by storm/And I'm just gettin warm/Just like Muhummad Ali they called him Cassius/Watch me bash this beat like a skull.
"Mama Said Knock You Out" is great music, and it was a glorious return for LL Cool J, and he should be proud of this effort. The production on the slower tracks are smooth and soulful, but still funky, making the ladies'-man side of LL Cool J the most convincing it had been, which is a welcome change from his last album.
LL Cool J shows that he is a pro in every sense of the word, and on this album he regained the credibility that had begun to wear away from him. While "Mama Said Knock You Out" may not have been as electric as "Radio", it is just as good and is most definitely a hip-hop classic.
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