[Throwback Review] LL's "Mr. Smith" + "No Airplay" [Dirty]

I know a lot of people disagree with me, claiming that just because LL made soft records for the ladies he was never one of the true greats. I call that massive bullshit and history revision, all the way back to the classic "Radio" - one of the first real Hip Hop classics - to "B.A.D.", "Mama Said Knock You Out", "14 Shots to the Dome" (you can read more about my thoughts on why it's a truly great album by clicking the text above) and "Mr. Smith" he damn near had a flawless discography. And he had a style of his own, no other emcee could credibly slaughter emcees like on "Mama Said...", encapsule everything Hip Hop is about on his breakthrough classics "Rock The Bells" and "I Need A Beat" and then make a super saccharine hit like "I Need Love" while mainitaining his street cred, but that's LL for you. When 1995 came around he dropped his last potent disc, though there's been loose bits and pieces as recent as 2013 ("Rocking With The G.O.A.T.", that Marley Marl freestyle over the "Mahogany" sample, etc) but he's definitely a has-been. But from 1985 to 1995 he was a force to be reckoned with and deinitely someone I bought every album from - there was the half-dud that was "Walking Out Of The Panther", that despite some really dope moments ("Fast Peg", "Jack The Ripper", "Going Back to Cali", "Nitro", "It Gets No Rougher") was a cheesy, half-assed album that felt forced and out of touch with Hip Hop in '89

Luckily for him, Marley Marl was the remix king back then and took on the LP single "Jingling Baby" for the 12" B-side which became THE version that blew up and started an amazing relationship that lasted two LP:s. But after those two albums it was time for LL to move on, thank Marley for making his comeback possible and making him a force to be reckoned with and he started recording the "Mr. Smith" album. I know some people dislike this album but to me it's the best album LL ever did as far as balancing the smooth with the hardcore and though it's a little dated now, it's the perfect album to either play when you're with your girl or just chilling by yourself. The transition from one of the raunchiest sex anthems on commercial radio in the '90s ("Doin' It") or the sweet but honest "Hey Lover" featuring Boyz II Men to super hardcore monster cuts like "I Shot Ya " (both the original solo version and the posse remix with Prodigy, Keith Murray and Foxy Brown) should be a little jarrig but somehow it all works very well a s a unified body of work. A good example is the opening cut "Hip Hop" where LL professes his love for Hip Hop over a smooth beat and does it in words and a tone that could almost be a love song but wihout ever coming off as cheesy. This is without a question the last album LL ever did that you could bump front-to-back and even have any kind of urge to do so. "Phenomenon" was one of the wackest albums by a legend ever put out, and only had one, maybe we can stretch it to two two redeeming songs out of ten. And I know a lot of people really like "G.O.A.T." and consider that LL's final solid release, but aside from the excellent opening song (labeled as the "Intro"), "Ill Bomb" (which was already released on a compilation), and the bonus track "Shut 'Em Down" the majority of the album, while it had its moments, felt very forced... 

If LL had never made another record after. "Mr. Smith" nobody could say he was and is a true Hip Hop legend, complete with the whole package as like his previous albums it doesns't feel forced in the least, It's a very well thought out, sequenced and well performed project. And though he left Marley behind, he had the assistance of Rashad Smith, Easy Mo Bee, Trackmasters, Chad Elliot and Chryskillz - all hot producers in the mid-'90s and they gave LL a really cohessive project, much thansk to it being exective produced by Poke and Tone alog with LL and Bay Chris Lighty. So once again from 1985 to 1995, LL dropped five really incredible albums that cemented his legacy in Hip Hop and though he has released more wack albums by this point he ocassionally still comes through with a firey track to remind old time fans what he is still capable of. Why he doesn't do his old fans proud is beyond me, but that's LL for you - like Canibus said, "99% of your fans wear high heels" and as the years has passed he has catered more and more to that demographic. Sadly. But if you ever doubt LL throw on "Radio", "Mama Said Knock You Out" or "Mr. Smith" and know that this was once an extraordinaire artist in full control of his musical output.

One last thing to close this throwback review with a goodie for your headphones. On all of the album versions of "Mr. Smith", both explicit and clean versions, one of the best songs on the LP ("No Airplay") is censored like crazy. Why LL and Def Jam choose to do this is beyond me considering the song is as explicit as can get and the theme is it's raunchy enough to gain no play on the radio, hence it ended up only as an album cut and as the B-side to the promo single of "The Life". Luckily that single is the only way to ge ta hold of the original uncut version and it's an amazing listen without all that jarring edits, a true LL classic. Check it out below straigt from the 12" single and Turn that MOTHERFUCKER up!

LL Cool J - "No Airplay" (Dirty, 320) [Download] 

[Slept On Classics / EP Comp] LL COOL J - "14 Shots To The Dome"

LL Cool J has had a pretty strange career and these days he's almost all absolte (although I was one of the few who actually found a lot to like on "Exit 13"), but his early work from 1985 to 1995 brought him up to legendary status and that can never be taken away from him. From his incredible debut "Radio" which revolutionized the way Hip Hop was supposed to sound with its minimalist production (reduced by Rick Rubin), the young LL's sure shot flow and cocky lyrics delivered with that unmistakable voice and flow - man that was something else. "BAD" was another good album, but it didn't quite pack the punch of his debut although it featured several cuts that was on the same level as the debut. The rauncy lyrics was still there, and having switched producers to the L.A. Posse which featured the extremely talented and severely underrated DJ Bobcat, a long wwith Dwayne Simmons and sometimes DJ Pooh the album featured an unmistakable raw sound best exemplified on the title track, the fun rock anthem meets DJ extravaganza "Go Cut Greator Go", the storytelling (although basic) on "The Bristol Hotel" and "My Rhyme Ain't Done" and the powerhouse performance of "Ahh, Let's Get Ill". This was LL's true breakthrough album and the main reason was both it's strenghts and biggest failure - "I Need Love". A sugar sweet love serenade, not much more hardcore than anything from Michael Boltons catalouge it had girls going crazy but alienated many of his street fans that came up on "Rock The Bells", "I Can't Live Without My Radio" and "I Need A Beat". The success of "I Need Love" would be a blessing and a curse if I ever saw  one - it gave LL's first real hit single, and it made him realize that he should go after the ladies more with these sugar sweet hip-hop ballads. On the other hand, I respect it because it was a niche that hadn't been done to that extreme before and it was imporant in thoe days that each big rapper had a gimmick or niche of his or their own.

The follow-up "Walking With A Panther" was as misguided as can be on so many levels, and it showed a clear disconnect on what LL thought his fans wanted from him and what society in large wanted from an Hip Hop emcee at that time. The cover sported him with a black panther, clearly trying to casch in on the Black Power movement label mates like Public Enemy was fully immersed in. The problem was that except for a couple of Bomb Squad productions the album was filled with braggadocious rhymes and songs aimed for the ladies. And on top of that he cut the two best tracks from the LP - the Rick Rubin produced "Going Back To Cali", "Jack The Ripper" and the classic LL "Crime Stories" (they all turned up on the cassette only). With this LP people were definitely counting out Uncle LL, but as the artist he was he wasn't let one wack album halt his career. Instead he got with the hottest producers of day; fellow Queens/Juice Crew superstar Marley Marl and produced one of the best comeback albums hip-hop has ever seen in "Mama Said Knock You Out" - it featured "Around The Way Girl", but that was more New Jack Swing than sugary ballad and otherwise it was filled with hardcore Hip Hop joints, impeccable lyricism, funky beats, and one of the most powerful Hip Hop singles ever recorded - the title track, produced by Bobcat and Marley Marl. This was a triumphant return if I ever saw one!

But how do you follow up such greatness? LL continued working with Marley Marl and Bobcat (as well as relative newcomer QDIII), and right from the first track - "This Is How I'm Comin'" with it's powerhouse knockout of a beat, pounding bassline and agressive flow it was clear that this was an attempt to create "Mama Said..." the sequel. To my ears it certainly works, I absolutely love that record to death. There were some suspect cuts like "Pink Cookies In A Plastic Bag Gettin' Crushed By Buildings" (you'd have to look for a more hamfisted metaphor - the remix by Easy Mo Bee which was used by Easy Mo Bee was straght fire though), "Stand By Your Man" and "Back Seat Of My Jeep". The main criticms of the album at the time was that critics and some fans felt that LL was overly influenced by Treach of Naughty By Nature and tried to become somewhat of a thug rapper. To me this was never a problem, at all, LL is a actually a good actor and when he rhymes stuff like "Saber tooth, the truth/ Ha-coot, spit the juice!/ And let the hot ass lead loose and let it fly/ Betty bye bye if you're ready to die" I don't feel he's more inauthentic than the vast majority of these studio gangsters out here everywhere. And he got the flow and beats to back it up - matter of fact, flow wise and some of the production is even heavier than it's masterpiece of a predecessor.

I'm writing this post to give the album the credit I think it really deserves as it has been put down so much. I can imagine alot of people in this day and age have considered buying it, looked at the reviews and felt that it wasn't for them. But tracks like the [uncredited] K-DEF productions "Funkadeli Relic", "Straight From Queens" and the Lords Of The Underground assissted "No Frontin' Allowed" stands among LL's most fierce productions of all time and I can't see how any LL fan can dismiss these bangers out of hand like that. Not to mention the album closer "Crossroads" - a continatuion of the final track of "Mama Said..." ("The Power Of God") but with LL going much deeper showing that he's far from a a one- or two trick pony, and all set over one of Bobat's most ambitious productions of all time. Here's what he had to say about its making - "One of the greatest records that LL and I have ever done is called “Crossroads” and it’s on that album. I used a full harmonic orchestra on that record in New York. We used 105 tracks on this song. This song is the most complex and unbelievable masterpiece I have ever created ... Go back and listen to that. I personally know that it would have taken LL’s career to the next level because you know you can only stay at a street level or mainstream level for so long and then it’s over with. You’ve got to go somewhere else with your sound and that song I believe would have taken him to that next level." (Source) It's the perfect album closer to an already intense albums that showed more range from LL than perhaps any other album he's done either since and when LL stopped working with DJ Bobcat and Marley Marl he only had one truly great album left in him ("Mr. Smith" - though I know that's debatable to some). The only true missteps of the album is that they couldn't include K-DEF's absolutely mindblowing creation for the album "Year Of The Hip Hop" and the oriiginal Dr. Butcher version of "Soul Survivor"... Oh well, you can't win them all!

If you are or used to be a fan of LL and had heard a lot about bad things about this, or just dismissed it out of hand on its original release be sure to give it another chance because to my mind this and "Mama Said Knock You Out" are sister albums and perhaps LL's three finest albums along with "Radio". One thing's for sure, he pumped out true quality classics for a 10 year period then had some quality albums and singles throughout the years so no matter how much BS he continues to release at this point he will always be a legend in my mind. Below you'll find a selection of five songs that are either remixes of songs on the album (the three first songs), one song that didnä't make the final cut because of sample clearance issues and a 1993 remix he did as a favor to Mary J. Blige feauring a short LL verse which I added as a bonus to this EP comp. Enjoy!

01. "Pink Cookies" [Easy Mo Bee Remix]
02. "Stand By Your Man" [Hip Hop Remix 1]
03. "Stand By Your Man " [Hiip Hop Remix 2]
04. "Year Of The Hip Hop"
05. "Mary Jnae (All Night Long Remix)"  [*]

LL COOL J - "5 MORE SHOTS TO YOUR DOME" (1993)

[comp] ERICK SERMON - "A Platform of Brilliance"

People love and will always hold the early EPMD albums in the higest regards among other classic hip-hop albums, equally because of PMD and E's intricate front-to-back rhyming but also because of the duo's funky sample-heavy beats that solidified Erick Sermon as one of the best producers around (don't be completely fooled though, as PMD had a lot of production input as well - especially on their first album "Strictly Business" as revealed to Brian Coleman in his chapter on the album from his "Check The Technique"). Still The Green Eyed Bandit has proven time and time again that he's a super dope producer with or without EPMD, as he has produced at least two out of three classics for Redman (he was involved in "Dare Iz A Darkside" but the bulk of the beats was handled by Reggie himself). Reading Erick Sermon's name in the credits of a new hip-hop album was a true mark of quality However I do have to admit that past 2004 or something like that hes been more and more generic in his sound, though he ocassionally comes through with some real hardhitting shit that we all love.

For this compilation I decided to focus more on E-Dub's earlier material, past the early EPMD albums and up until about 2000 (and mostly earlier). These tracks to me represent stands as a good compliment together with the classic albums Sermon has produced as the reason why he is still to this day considered a living legend in the game. Erick Sermon has always been very good at killing beats for both R&B and hardcore hip-hop artists, and even the ocassional ragga artist like Super Cat, so I decided to make this compilation pretty diverse within those categories. Featured on the compilation are a couple of Sermon solo cuts, Def Squad, Keith Murray, Shaquille O'Neal, LL Cool J, Redman, K-Solo, D'Angelo, Bahamadia, AZ, Jodeci, and more. As usual the Def Squad tracks on here (Red, E-Dub, Keith Murray) is non album tracks/soundtrack joints and such, basically stuff that you won't find on either of these guys albums. If you're not up on them yet, be sure to check out Redman's entire catalouge, Keith Murray's first albums, large parts of Erick Sermon's catalouge, and of course all the EPMD albums (yeah even the last one is pretty ill if you ask me)... and whatever you do, TURN IT UP!!!

01. Erick Sermon - "Maintain"

02. Bahamadia - "I Confess" [Erick Sermon Remix]

03. AZ - "Gimme Yours" [Erick Sermon Remix]

04. Shaquille O'Neal - "My Style, My Steelo" (Ft. Redman & Erick Sermon)

05. Da 5 Footaz - "Candidates"

06. Heavy D & The Boyz - "Take Your Time"

07. D'Angelo - "Me & Those Dreamin' Eyes" [Remix] (Ft. Def Squad)

08. LL Cool J - "Hey Lover" [Remix] (Ft. 112)

09. Erick Sermon - "Battle" (Ft. Sy Scott)

10. Def Squad - "Breaker Breaker, 1,2"

11. Warren G - "I Shot The Sherrif" [Remix]

12. K-Solo - "Rock Bottom"

13. Doctor Dre & Ed Lover Ft. Keith Murray - "It's Goin' Down"

14. Questionmark Asylum - "Lookaway" [Remix]

15. Powerule - "Rock Ya Knot Quick"

16. Dilated Peoples - "The Platform" [Remix]

ERICK SERMON - "A PLATFORM OF BRILLIANCE"

LL COOL J - "Soul Survivor" [Original Dr. Butcher Mix] (1993)

Oh shit, Robbie Etchelson's Unkut page continues to be one of the best sites on the net, always coming through with brilliant lost tracks and terrific interviews with true hip-hop legends. LL Cool J's "14 Shots to the Dome" album from 1993 received a lot of lackluster interviews, but over the years have gained somewhat of a cult following and is personally one of my favorite LL albums - and his  next to last classic album ("Mr. Smith" is the final one). Marley Marl produced some incredible hardcore joints on there, K-Def contributed the incredible "Funkadelic Relic" with Lords of the Underground as well as the equally impressibe "Year Of The Hip-Hop" which unfortunately didn't make the final album and didn't surface for the first time until about two years ago on a limited 10" single. Add to that the strangely underrated producer Bobcat's three contributions which were all absolute fire, including one of LL's best songs of all time - the mighty album coser "Crossroads". The songs that mostly dragged down the album a bit was QDIII's contributions - not because QD is a weak producer by any means but they just didn't sound very good next to the other, more hardcore oriented joints found on the LP: 

Dr. Butcher revealed in an Unkut interview a couple of years ago that he and his production partner C4 actually was responsible for the original version of "Soul Survivor" which to me sounds a lot better in the context of the album than the clean sound of QDIII's remix found on the album. Click here to head over to Unkut and read the excerpt from the Butcher interview touching on this original mix. I've searched a lot for this version but never without any luck, but here it finally is courtesy of Unkut, and though the sound quaity leaves a lot to be desired this is a mindblowing listen to anyone in love with the album and early LL. Be sure to also check my article about what' I find so great about my love for "14 Shots" which also includes a little six track EP compilation covering outtakes and sounds recorded around the same year/era. 'Nuff talk, turn that volume up LOUD and bang your head to some classic LL. Much thanks to Robbie and Unkut for this gem!

[Comp] RICK RUBIN - "The Bith Of The Boom Bap: 1984-1989"

For the longest time I've been wanting to make several compilations focused on the true hip-hop pioneers in the early to late '80s - I did have the Bomb Squad compilation a few years ago but there's a lot of incredible producers that are not named Marley Marl that are almost forgotten today. Back then if you wasn't inventing and reinventing yourself on a regular basis, you'd soon be forgotten no matter how skilled an emcee or producer you were. Rubin is not only one of the true pioneers of what in the mid- to late-'80s was then described as a "new school"; favoring a heavily stripped down sound that paved the way for the minimalist boom bap that would be the epitome of the hardcore hip-hop album in the early to mid-'90s. Rubin's first album as a producer / or rather "reducer" as he was credited on LL's first albums and singles in the mid-'80s. The duo went to work on 18-year old LL Cool J and his 1985 debut "Radio"; which to me, together with his "comeback" album "Mama Said Knock You Out" sounds as refreshing, innovative and original as any other hip-hop album of their respective eras. More than that, both albums should be considered two of the finest and most groundbreaking albums ever created. Only a year later, in 1986, Rubin also produced the debut albums of Beastie Boys "Licensed to Ill" and Run DMC's "Raising Hell". Both which are often considered the respective group's best work to date, and also helped them propell into the mainstream (or in the case of Run DMC, even more). Alll three of these LP:s are must haves for any serious hip-hop collector and showed that Rubin not only had a signature sound, but he also made sure each album and artist had their own signature sound on display on their respective LP:s.

 

After being the executive producer on Public Enemy's three first albums (albeit not in any studio capacity) he parted with Def Jam in favor of his own Def Americana; a more rock-focused imprint. This was kind of a natural move considering that he had already as far back as in 1987 prouced albums for the likes of trash metal band Slayer. Since then Rick Rubin has become one of the most highly sought after producers in the game, producing from every one to Metallica, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Audioslave, Slipknot, AC/DC, Dixe Chicks, Rage Against The Machine, and many, many more.

 

Although Rick Rubin has never cut down a bit on his production habits, instead focusing on his talents on broading his horizons, it's his stripped down, hard punch hip-hop beats that made him a legend among us beat and rap heads. In usual Lost Tapes order I have decided to cut down any song included on any of the three albums mentioned above, as they are definitely records you should all have in your collection. Another thing is that Rubin quite recently again started producing hip-hop records for artists like Jay-Z, Eminem and KanYe West - though I decided to focus this compilation on the period between the recording of these three main albums and Everything Rubin produced for Def Jam during his rather short stay there. If you are not familiar with those 2000:s cuts, I strongly recommend you check out his original version of "Better Than I've Ever Been" (2006), "Bezerk"/"Rhyme & Reason"/"Love Game" by Eminem (2013) and the entirety of KanYe's "Yeezus" (2013). While he didn't actually produce any music per se on the latter, he did help out KanYe a whole lot in what he likes saying reducing the album into the state that it was eventually released in over a 16-days period. Check out this video for some interesting information about that. But overall I'm just glad and hope that this is a trend that means Rubin will slowly but surely get more and more back to hip-hop and rap music. Until then, let's revisit 16 tracks from Rubin's early Def Jam Days, including remixes, 12" only singles and B-sides that he produced from 1984-1989 for his label artists. It's a great listen if you're into '80s hip-hop, and should of course be played LOUD!

 

01. T La Rock - "It's Yours"

02. LL Cool J - " I Need A Beat" [Original]

03. LL Cool J - "Rock The Bells" [Original]

04. Beastie Boys - "Rock Hard"

05. Hollis Crew  "It's The Beat"

06. Run DMC - "Christmas in Hollis"

07. Jazzy Jay - "Def Jam"

08. Junkyard Band - "The World"

09. Jimmy Spicer - "This is It"

10. Jazzy Jay - "Cold Chillin' in the Spot"

11. Run DMC - "Jam Master Jammin'"

12. LL Cool J - "Going Back to Cali"

13. LL Cool J - "Jack The Ripper"

14. Run DMC - "Mary, Mary"

15. Queen - "We Will Rock You" [Remix Reduced by Rubin] [*]

 

RICK RUBIN - "The Birth Of The Boom Bap: 1984 - 1989"

LL COOL J Ft. Raekwon & Murda Mook - "I'm Nice"

No matter how much wack albums LL Cool James keeps churning out he's always gonna be a true rap hero for me. Not only being responsible for two of the greatest hip-hop LP:s of all time in "Radio" and "Mama Said Knock You Out", his "B.A.D." album is generally recognized as a gem but I would make a strong case for the very overlooked "14 Shots to the Dome" and "Mr. Smith" as well (I will probably make an article about why the former really is a strong project).

However, there's no question that the majority of music LL puts out these days are pure garbage, despite his talents as an emcee, so whenever a banger is released it's always interesting. On the second single from his upcoming "G.O.A.T. 2" (!!), the Queens veteran hooks up with Raekwon and Murda Mook with Ron Browz on the beat.

Action Bronson Ft. LL Cool J & Lloyd Banks - "Strictly 4 My Jeeps" Remix

The original version of the "Strictly For My Jeep" single is a real thumping, agressive knocking track mixed with with a mesmerizing symphonic orchestra. For this new remix Chef Bronson enlist three Queens spitters, all representing a different era in hip-hop, and the result is pretty damn marvellous. Especially great to hear LL tearing it up over a hard beat like this, once again proving he' still got it though he definitely needs his ear for beats his fanbase want to hear thoroughly checked.                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

[12'' Throwback] LL COOL J - "ROCK THE BELLS"

Just a couple of weeks ago I finally found an original vinyl copy of LL Cool J's masterpiece of a debut album "Radio". From front to back, this is pure hip-hop at its finest; agressive and self-confident lyrics by a youngin' that truly embodied everything an MC should be, dope turntable wizardry on just about every cut from the appropriately named DJ Cut Creator, and rugged production as rock hard as minimalist; in fact Rick Rubin's beats here was so stripped down that he's credited for reducing the record, rather than producing it. Although recorded in 1984 and 1985, with cuts like "Rock The Bells", "I Need A Beat", "I Can't Live Without My Radio" and "You'll Rock", this album still doesn't sound the least dated and together with his catalouge up to 1995 has forever cemented LL Cool J as a true living legend and trend setter in hip-hop; no matter how many weak records and episodes of "NCIS" he ever makes.

Of course, one of the craziest songs on "Radio" is the immortal "Rock The Bells" which still stands as one of the finest moments in both LL and Rick Rubin's respective careers. Released in various formats as a single by Def Jam shortly before the album was made available, the most interesting aspect of the 12" is the flipside which includes the original version of the track, clocking in at no less than seven minutes. Not only the length of this mix is different, but it's also a little less "reduced" in that it contains an array of percussive bells, adding to the theme. It's possible that this longer version was left off the final album due to time restraints, but however that may be we can all consider ourselves lucky that it didn't remain unreleased altogether. For this 12" Throwback, I borrowed a 320 kbps rip of the single from the sick blog page To The Break Of Dawn, so all praise and thanks goes out to them!

LL COOL J - "ROCK THE BELLS" VLS

Marley Marl & "Mama Said Knock You Out"

Marley Marl is your favorite producers favorite producer, and for a good reason, considering how he was more than an innovator in the production game, and a pioneer in recording techniques. Marlon Williams produced classic albums for everyone in the Juice Crew, from Big Daddy Kane, to Biz Markie and Kool G Rap.... The list goes on, but my personal favorite might very well be the superior work he did with LL Cool J in 1990, whne he prodduced his "comeback" album "Mama Said Knock You Out". From the way Marley hooked up the exact right type of samples and cooked up the perfect mix of agressive "punch you in the face" killer cuts to laid back chill out records, and that one classic around the way girl anthem; the total production was nothing short of genius, and to me it's not only Marlon's finest full-length, but LL's as well. It was a very clever move on LL's part to hook up with the hottest producer of the day to take charge of his next project afer his mostly ill-fated "Walking With A Panther". 

A few years later, Marley and LL reunited for the "14 Shots to the Dome", an album that still often fails to get the rightful props it deserves. But that's another story for another day... The video below is a real, real treat for all the true school fanatics out there; Marley breaks down the thought process behind hooking up with LL, to him taking a trip down memory lane, speaking on and recreating several tracks from the album. And as if that wasn't enough, Marlon digs into the archives and brings out an exclusive alternative LL verse recorded to the title track; never before heard. Absolutely priceless, major shouts to Okayplayer where I spotted this gem!