Reviews (page 3 of 7)
4 Man, what a childhood throwback. And by childhood throwback, I’m referring almost exclusively to the track Milky Cereal. How is that one of the least popular songs on the album?? I thought all of the wordplay and callouts to my favorite cereals were so cool as a kid, and I still could probably recite the whole thing for you today. Anyway, despite that track being a childhood staple and my dad owning the album on CD, I don’t think I’ve heard anything else from it prior aside from the title track. So, I really wasn’t sure what my opinion was going to be, but with the first song in I knew that I was in for a good time ahead. The charm of Milky and Mama is present in every song, and I really don’t think I could find anything unenjoyable if I tried. Beats are catchy and delivery is smooth - this is among 90s rap at its best. How was LL never featured in a Tony Hawk game?? Murdergram in particular stood out to me as fun and skateboard-able, though of course I have to call out Mama Said Knock You Out as a banger. Special shoutout to the line “Don’t call it a comeback, been here for years” - my Dad’s been saying it for probably just as long, and I may have once or twice as well in my lifetime. However, what I never realized till now? Another catchphrase from my Dad, “I gotta thank God, 'Cause he gave me the strength to rock hard” also comes from the song. Anyway, great tune. I also noticed LL kept repeating the phrase “run the jewels” on Cheesy Rat Blues, so I had to look it up, and yes, the rap duo got their name from the song. However, despite the number of iconic bars that stood out to me, I saw a few other users call out the lyrics overall as having not aged well. So, I tried following along with a lyrics site on a subsequent listen, and for the most part I personally didn’t hear anything that seemed more provocative or offensive than anything else of the era. There is one questionable lyric on Mr. Goodbar (“And I can't make you, I sure wouldn't rape you”), but as far as the history of sexual references in music goes, I feel like it could be a lot worse. This was very nearly a 4.5 from me, but ultimately I feel like I have to dock half a point for runtime - really think this could have ended after Jingling Baby without anything feeling lost. Not that anything after is bad, but they’re by no means highlights, and as a result the runtime is definitely felt. Still, really good album through and through.
Golden age hip hop genre on parasta kun kappaleet kuullostaa siltä että kappaleet laitettu kokoo viidessä minuutissa heh.. Nopee biitti vaa soimaa ja jotain ramblee päälle häpästään koko länsimainen taide pienessä hetkessä
I love LL I really like the 80s and 90s rap. Not all of it but definitely some artists. There was just something about that time in music. favorite song around the way girl and of course mama said knock u out. Nothing like rolling down the highway and rapping out when u know all the words lol
This is probably going to get in into trouble. I associate Mama Said Knock You Out with the movement that took rap from an indie art to the mainstream. It's undeniable that this is a powerful album. The music is outstanding. The rap performance is tight.
The ladies sure do love cool James. The Kev does too. So many bangers and great lyrics on this one. Lost count at the number of cereals in that milky one. This deserves a 3.5 but I’m rounding up.
3,8/5
Really good album. A little longer than I would have wanted, but the production is solid. His lyrics are legendary. Overall a good listen.
This is what old school hip hop is all about. Solid music, great rapping, and not too much of that misogynist crap.
He certainly had and maintains a voice
I can’t call this disc a regular jam. Bonus star for the MTV Unplugged sessions stemming from this album. Damn.
Simply too long
Pretty solid for a 1990 album
Pretty fresh and funky hip-hop, quite accessible and easier on the ears than most.
What a staple album for hip hop. Not the pioneer but one of the OGs. Great album. Easy 4. T3B 1. Around The Way Girl 2. Mama Said Knock You Out 3. Eat Em Up L Chill
Dope
I like this kind of rap, just that late 80s/early 90s thing before G-funk took over the entire genre. I've never heard this album but it really ticks the box. Would be a full score except it's just that bit too long. 4/5.
Finally, some hip hop! After trying to get through fancy pants Rush for a few days, the steady beats of golden age early 90s rap is just what I needed. I’m learning some things about myself with this whole processs - namely, I don’t want my music to be some sonic journey, I want my music to be simple. Simple simple simple but you know, simple but interesting isn’t so easy! Enter rap! Give me that beat, that hook, and let’s not let go of it for four minutes! Old school rap just scoots me along, pushing me forward through the haze of tween sleepovers, dirty dishes, dog diarrhea, and unread email. Just like in the streets! So, now we see why this era of rap is the ultimate culmination of all greatest music - peak melodic perfection, boiled down and distilled into… um, peak melodic perfection. But let us now come to Ladies Love Cool J. If only I could sexually harass women the way he does and have them laugh and tell me I so crazy. If only I had the swagger to rap a song comparing women to breakfast cereal. For the entirety of the song. LL is not one finds himself at the emergency vet at 6am on a Saturday, LL probably has a perfectly calm and dangerous Rottweiler that never eats garbage and that the ladies equally love. I have emotionally neurotic belle, who growls at small children. But me and belle both have LL, and his masterful collection of pop rap gets us through. We don’t need to actively listen to innovative artistry that push’s the bounds of music, we need to listen to music. Good music that sounds even better around the way with the jinglin babies in a booming system while eating milky cereal and telling every female that my name is Mr. Good Bar.
LL Cool J isn't my thing sadly.
Never knew how far back in time LL had music! Old school style for sure. Pretty clean overall, beats and lyrics.
Nice listen.
the name LL cool J reminded me of a C tier famous person in bad mtv shows, but this album is surprisingly good. Lyrically very nice and the beats are also creative enough.
Used to listen to this albums quite a bit back in the early 90’s but admittedly, it’s been at least over a decade since my last full listen of it. Great beats, dope rhymes. Still a great album all the way through. The fact that Run the Jewels took their name from a line in “Cheesy Rat Blues” tells you how influential this album was.
Really enjoyed the first two and a few of tracks near the end but got a bit bored in between. I like his smooth sound.
Wasn’t looking forward to more rap, but this was good! Got a little bored here and there but mostly into it. I liked the smoother jams like “Around the Way Girl” and “6 Minutes of Pleasure” a lot!
Fun 90s hiphop. Some good beats, some good rhymes, some total cheese, but it's all good.
It pretty good album. I am not the biggest LL Cool J fan but this album does have his best overall song. I would definitely listen to some of the songs again
I love this album. Early 90s had more fun than a lot of modern rap. LL Cool J was a really fun rapper before he turned into a "meh" actor.
Nek sam se ja na MSN-u zvao LL Cool L, ah. Dosta sam njegovih albuma preslušao, nisam detaljno većinu, ali se uvijek znalo nać par pjesama koje sam si stavljo na plejliste, ali to je davno bilo kad sam ga baš slušao. Mama Said Knock You Out je izvrstan klasik, spot, uvijek slika ostaje te boje spota. Nisam očekivao da će album biti malo udaljeniji od njegove klasične r&b/love story + hip hop sheme (za kojom bome nisam lud). Album definitivno može biti kraći, pjesma-dvije definitivno ne bi falile ako bi se izrezale. Sve u svemu, drago mi je da je malo skrenuo sa svoje rute glazbe pa izbacio malo jači hip hop album što se tiče samog sebe.
LL Cool J is probably one of the more underrated rappers in hiphop. He did not seem to make a grab at the headlines as much as his contemporaries did, but that does not seemed to have made a negative impact on his resume. Disclosure: First exposure to LL Cool J was his song with Boyz II Men "Hey Lover". Late night radio on the local Top 40 station for the win. "Hey Lover" is on another album though, but it serves as the blueprints for how this review approaches "Mama Said Knock You Out". Rap music and the wealth of catchy phrases and quips that make it into the modern lexicon are on full display here even thirty years later with "Don't call it a comeback!" on the title track. LL Cool J has an amazing voice with near crystal clear clarity. While the lyrics are not complicated, the delivery by LL Cool J is rhythmic and on time. This is a fairly great representation of what may have been hiphop's most appealing era where it was a balanced mix of fun and inviting with stories happy, sad, and socially aware. A key example of where this album remains socially aware is "Illegal Search" where LL Cool J chides the stereotypes by which the black community is essentially punished for being successful, or even just appearing to be. Crossed T's, dotted I's notwithstanding, he laments angrily the sort of gauntlet that they have to navigate just to verify that. Interestingly enough, the following track "The Power of God" contains a message of hope, an exhortation of sorts acknowledging the struggles and temptations of his early life but documenting his commitment to stay above those things, to maintain focus on the "power of God". Overall, the album is a great listen on par with his 90s contemporaries where messaging and storytelling take precedence on the whole over the single. These days are truly missed.
Historic and influential.
Åter igen. Old school hip hop är det coolaste vi har. För bra! + tänker bara på kultklassikern Kangaroo Jack när jag hör mama said knock you out. Mm helt sjukt hur bra smak jag kan ha?
I thought the album was fine, never really cared for LL but the rhymes are nice. Still has a very 80s sound of hip hop. "Around The Way Girl" is my favorite song on the album. 7/10.
Ladies Love Cool James manages to nut a commodious autonomic album full of great tracks
A hot slice of G-funk. Didn't expect to like this as much as I did but I got right into it.
Pretty killer rap album. Couple off tracks here and there. The title track is 10/10. Album holds up.
Fun flows and lyricism, production got a bit repetitive for me
Because the opening line of the title track is "DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK!", I had assumed this album came a considerable amount of time after LL's last. It was little more than a year - and in the 80s/90s, that was short. But when gangsta rap reared its head in the late 80s and Ladies Love Cool James's loverboy schtick was looking dated, perhaps it felt like a cultural comeback. The album proved that LL could navigate the new hip hop landscape and deliver something as hard and defiant as the title track. But at the same time, he showed that he could make the ladies love him in a way that those gangsta rappers could only wish. (Case in point - when I was 15 I was OBSESSED with "Around the Way Girl" and had a dumb crush on LL. Hey, he had it!) The Mama Said album is LL Cool J in his imperial phase, showing his skill as an MC, a lyricist and his (and his producer's) ability to deftly mix rap with pop stylings.
Solid 3.5 for me
LL Cool j is next level
LL is the original rap star. Good album. Lyrics are a little corny for 2021 standards, but for this time LL comes off original and sells his identity well.
Really dug it
Knockout
Some songs I wasn't a big fan of, but overall this is solid '90s hip-hop. I will say I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I feel like I'm saying that about a lot of albums here, but preconceived notions are TOUGH to overcome!
Thanks to albums like this one is that I’m starting to really apreciate hip hop.
ll cool j doesn't hold back rapping over funky beats. mama said knock you out is such a great tune, if you don't like it, there's something wrong with you. bit too long though
mmm
LL is the man
Big fun 90s hip hop vibe, absolutely banging backing tracks with some tasty bass lines.
Classic
Funky hip-hop humour.
This is terrific. Classic beats (praise to Marley Marl), entertaining lyrics, smooth delivery from the one and only LL. The influence of this album on hip hop was massive - you hear beats and lyrics later ‘borrowed’ by other artists but also the style and swagger. LL raps about anything, broadening rap’s horizons. Such an enjoyable, fun album. Groundbreaking. Loved it. Stand outs - Mama Said Knock You Out, Around the Way Girl, Mr. Good Bar
This album was more fun to listen to than I was expecting and I really liked finding a rap album that didn’t overly rely on cussing throughout each song.
Love me some 90s hip hop complete with hilariously cheesy lyrics. Wicked.
Okie doke
90s
Classic Hip-hop. Uncle L's flow is unmatched in today's era of rap where you can barely discern the lyrics, LL enunciates every line beautifully. A man before his time, this album doesn't sound like it was made in 1990. Best songs = Mama said knock you out & Round the Way Girl.
I really liked the samples on this, overall it was a fun listen. Even when it’s corny (which is often), it’s still pretty entertaining, although Milky Cereal would be an easy skip . 8/10
always liked him
This is a solid groove right between the gangster hop of later rap albums and the older sounds of earlier hip hop. Murdergram is a nice change from the more laid back rhythms. Mama Said Knock You Out is one of those cultural touchstones with a huge reach. Illegal Search is 31 years old and still applies to today.
Fun to listen to
I had two songs favorited on album. I favorited a new one when listening to the entire thing, for the fist time. So, pretty good but not life-altering.
4 - Top Album, gefällt mir sehr gut.
Solid album. Better than I expected. Got some classic bangers. 7.5-8/10
Definitely a time piece, but still sounds great today
very solid overall, couple weird songs but definitely golden age hip hop
always wanted to listen to this as an album
Much better than I expected. Several gems on this record.
Verrassend goed album eigenlijk ondanks dat ik over t algemeen niet de grootste LL cool J fan ben. Duidelijk uit onwetendheid en dus misplaatst.
Tiukkaa settiä ja yks tuttu klassikkokin mukana.
I can hear how much this influenced. Some great tracks
Classic hip hop stuff, really good flow
Around the way girl and mama said knock you out are 2 of the best songs of the 90s. Unfortunately the rest of the album suffers from being meet in comparison. As the 90s drew on ll cool j would release better albums but no songs would top the aforementioned barnburners
Mr. Cool J doesn't seem to want me to listen to this full album without putting down cash for it so I can't really review it. The scraps I found on YouTube seem fine so uh 3 I guess
L has a great flow. This is still dated, but fun!
1990 east coast hip hop, Everyday detail w remorseless rhythm Around the way girl Mama said knock you out %o the break of dawn
Can't find the full album on Apple Music and Spotify has several tracks missing. The title track is an all time banger. The songs I can hear on Spotify are solid early 90s rap. Feels like this is here because it's an artifact of the time, not really because it's a great album.
pretty good
Everybody loves this early 90s classic
Better than Coldplay
Title track is a tune
I've always considered LL Cool J to be a bit corny, but listening to this, he's a lot corny.
Couldn’t even listen to the whole album due to streaming availability
Fine
Some good stuff here. Call it 2.5 rounded up to 3.
Odd experience: couldn’t find the full album anywhere. Nothing else on the (mini-)album had the power of the title track: “don’t call it a comeback …”
Not on Spotify. Power of God was a good one
This album isn't on Tidal, interestingly, so I'm left to speculate what it might sound like beyond the title track. I think I have a pretty good idea.
This album isn't on Tidal, but they did have a link to video for the title track. I watched it. It was good. My impressions include: - The man seems fond of his physique,and I would be, too, if I was similarly physiqued. - He has an impressive, semi-aggressive near growl in his rapping style that seems to predate similar sounds in hard-core rap. - I would probably listen to the rest of this album and, if it didn't include any execrable interludes, might even enjoy it.
Of the OGs, LL Cool J's flow is one of the few that held up. Run DMC is fun to listen to, but they can't really hang with most rappers post the early 90s. He's still a technician, and the songs are pretty fun, though maybe empty. I might have gone to 4 stars, but there were too many annoying songs like Milky Cereal.
3/5 - At the time, I only knew the title single because it was played at literally every college party my first 2 years. The rest of this was fine, and easier on the eardrums than Public Enemy, which was also popular at the time, even if this has far, far less to say.
Some hits and some misses, but by and large great representation of the genre at the time
I have a fun time with old school rap like this, it's cheesy in all the right ways
A solid rap album that sounds very much of the era it was created in. Nothing revolutionary for me but a good album through and through.
Better than I expected. Really good beats and the lyrics are cheeky enough to get away with a lot.
I got nothing, good stuffs
Rhymes are alright but the flow is average for the era. The beats are pretty good.
2.7 LL Meh J,
To Da Break Of Dawn
Sucker
The Boomin' System 3.3 Around the Way Girl 3 Eat 'Em Up, L Chill 3 Mr. Good Bar 3.1 Murdergram (Live at Rapmania) 2.6 Cheesy Rat Blues 2.8 Farmers Blvd. (Our Anthem) 3 Mama Said Knock You Out 3.2 Milky Cereal 2.5 Jingling Baby (Remixed but Still Jingling) 2.7 To da Break of Dawn 2.5 6 Minutes of Pleasure 2.6 Illegal Search 2.5 The Power of God 2.4 Score: 2.8
One of LL Cool J's greatest contributions to music was not this album. It was him being the person that Kim Gordon was singing about on Cool Thing off of Goo.
He isn't bad, just slower than most.
I definitely had a 90s crush on him, particularly because of Going Back to Cali and Doin' It, which sadly aren't on here. Ah well. This was ok. It kind of had a corny factor, but he's still spittin' funky rhymes and the title track is a classic.
I didn’t like the previous Cool J album I got on this list. And as for this one I can’t even give it an honest review since I couldn’t find the full album. 6/10 because I enjoyed what I managed to find.
cool mais pas spécialement mémorable
Three rap albums in a row. Are you trying to get me to quit the project. Sigh. Another rap album. Typical rap music. No song really stands out. The rap songs sound the same. Not annoying like most rap. No F bombs. No N words. An average album. Three stars. Not bad for rap.
I enjoyed this album
buen disco de rap, me hizo acordar un toque a illmatic de nas, salvando la terrible diferencia que hay entre estos dos, pero buen disco sin mas
Really fun. It feels kind of like the bridge between 90s and 2000s hip hop. Old School vs. Contemporary. Cool serious songs, fun silly songs. I really like this beats and flows.
Saturday, 1 August, 2026 I remember first hearing the title track when I was 8 or 9. Great beats. A few songs are good…mostly just ok.
Beast coast 🐺 baybee. The production quality was pretty all over the place, some tracks stuck out, others really brought it down ngl. I know there are much better hip hop albums on the list so I'll be harsh but fair. Favorite(s): Around the way Girl Farmers Blvd. Least: Mr. Goodbar Milky Cereal 2.5/5
Another album on this list which is just too long for its own good. I thought I was going to love this album, but then more and more disappointing tracks showed up. The tracks I liked I really liked, but a lot of this album was a slog.
i liked it ig, not that good tho
Title track is very good but the serial so g was not about cereal apparently. Probably three stars.
The whole vibe of the album is "What if the Fresh Prince thought he was hard" The title track is an classic, I'll always remember it as Samoa Joe's entrance music The beats on this album still hold up, but geez some of the lyrics are super dated. I'm sure promising not to rape someone was probably a bit on the nose in the 90s too. 3.25* Rounded down to 3*
Enjoyable, I liked Murdergram and the title track most
Only 5 of the 15 tracks are available, so maybe I'll try and revisit this later. Partial rating. In the meantime, Bootsy's metal album with Buckethead just dropped, so I'm gonna listen to that.
Geinig, maar wel simpel
mid hop
En skön lyssning även om jag inte tar med mig så mycket efteråt.
Asså överlag skönt sound men inte så mycket mer än så för mig. Känns också som en viss överrepresentation av sån här musik i projektet :-)
Classic hip hop album.
I could only find the song. Lowk a vibe tho.
Really close to a 4, but not quite. Classic 3.5 rounded down.
I thought this was great when it came out. It didn't age well at all. 2.5
only was able to listen to a few songs due to label dispute
Album not available on streaming. Listened to available songs but not entire track list.
LL is, no doubt, an icon of hip hop. This album, while amazing for its time, doesn’t hold up as well as one would think, though.
Eh—it was ok. I respect that it probably was luminary. The cereal song was funny. Some of the samples seemed ahead of their time. But prob won’t listen again.
Perus hipedihopedihoppia. Kyl se tuos sivussa meni.
Old skool hiphop, but I like his debut better.
It isn’t for me but I can recognize that some people probably really enjoy this
Not on streaming. Production is dated but I like it. Could be more bass. Singles off this are bangers definitely.
PEAKANUMA SAMPLE SPOTTED
After a strong first impression this album becomes the hip-hop equivalent of asking “when are they getting to the fireworks factory???” The titular track is the only real standout for me beyond the openers and this album suffers with some of the worst excesses of 90s hip-hop/rap misogyny that I’ve heard yet. “I sure wouldn’t rape you” isn’t the reassurance Mr Cool J thinks it is, and even considering the context of the 90s and the tropes of the genre and form this one line brought the entire album down at least one ranking during my listen.
Nothing ground breaking but nice and breezy
lala
This was a great bridge to where modern 90s hip hop was going. That being said, there are many more mcs with better lyrics and rhyme schemes
Grew a little on me. The first song did not impress me.
Couldn't find this on streaming, luckily I had it from an old CD i burned.
Your generic run of the mill old school hip hop album
Thought this was gonna be a 4 but it just kinda started to drag for whatever reason? I don’t know. It’s a solid album, especially instrumentally.
Hip Hop Favorite Songs: Around the Way Girl, Mama Said Knock You Out, Illegal Search Least Favorite Song: Mr. Goodbar The album feels a lot braggadocious in terms of how LL Cool J is the best rapper in the world, and in some aspects, I kinda get why he would do that. From what someone else said online, this is in response to his previous album “Walking With a Panther” was criticized for being a bit too poppy. If true, then I can see why LL Cool J wanted to showcase that he still has it in this album. That said, what’s drawing me back from liking this album is with most of the songs that mentions about him with another woman/women. For example, 6 Minutes of Pleasure showcases LL Cool J and a woman wanting to sleep together, even though the woman already has a different boyfriend and is being tempted by wanting to cheat on LL Cool J. I feel like he should just convince her that she should just dump him, even though in the lyrics, she doesn’t love the rapper. Like, why do you wanna cheat, and why is he going along with it? And then we get to Mr. Goodbar, where LL Cool J is convincing the woman to leave her man and be with him. It’s the same issue as the last example, but this song I got a bit creeped out on when he mentioned, “I’m not gonna rape you.” Like, this isn’t the best wording to use as, if I were to be in this woman’s shoes, I would’ve find that as a red flag. It didn’t help that not only did she have champagne, meaning that she might’ve gotten drunk to the point where she might not legally give out consent, but that I’m a guy. But I think the biggest issue for me is when he uses the fact that he bangs with more women than any other MC does, such as when he raps at one point how the other MC just lost his virginity while LL Cool J was already banging multiple women left and right and is still doing it. Honestly, even with me being an atheist, I’m still the type of guy who wants to treat sex as more of a sacred thing, and when someone brags about how many women they slept with, I felt like they’re a bit too immature for my liking (and a bit perverted, not gonna lie). Like, if I were a rapper, and while I’m not saying that having a good time in bed is not something that I don’t care about when finding a partner, I would just roll my eyes when someone say that, because to me, they’re just treating another human being like an object. Overall, the album’s okay when he doesn’t talk about women most of the time. I’m contempt that I’ve listened to the album, but I also wouldn’t want to have most of the songs in my rotation. 6/10
That's some old school hip hop.
Couple of good ones on here, surprised how 'jazz rap' it gets in places, some tracks have not aged so well, on balance as an album ⭐⭐⭐
This was ok. I checked out after Bigger And Deffer so never heard this until today. Nice old skool HipHop, but nothing that particularly excites me in 2026.
not bad kind of a hybrid between 80s and 90s raps 💥around the way girl 💥mama said knock you out 💥to da break of dawn
Comme souvent avec le rap fin 80/début 90, c'est sympa mais ça tourne vite en rond.
Listened to titular track. It was just so old school. Maybe I'll revist later, but to me it just felt very plain.
Pretty alright like a 3.5
Day881 - not a great overall album but “around the way girl” and “mama said knock you out” do some heavy lifting
Tbh I accidentally missed a ton of songs because Spotify didn't have them, but the ones I did listen to were fun and energetic.
I do enjoy some old school hip-hop, but don't listen to it very often. LL certainly embodies a lot of what I think of as old school, and this album is certainly famed. Having heard it all the way through, it's a little bit corny, and a lot of the tracks don't really stand out, aside from the title track that bestrides the album like a Colossus.
Fun and retro. Felt kind of samey after a while.
This was pretty solid. It wasn’t on Spotify so I won’t revisit it soon, but it was fun to see LL Cool J being a cool rapper instead of an NCIS cast member.
My only real experience with LL Cool J is the song that named this album, but I know he's a rap legend. I was a bit surprised to hear LL's vocal range, but it is funny that the album mostly sounds like any other mixtape, except for Mama Said, which sounds completely different.
Seemed like fairly standard late 80s/early 90s hip hop.
Apart from the title track, nothing really interested me too much on this. Pretty average
Ladies love cool James
Spotify only had a bit of this album, but from what I heard of it, it was fine. I would say it’s a very 90s hip hop album, and the lyrics don’t always hold up. Not something I would reach for personally, but not egregious to listen to. 3/5
Was not knocked out. Was there even a fight.
Starts like Will Smith, ends like Kanye. Gets progressively more mysogynistic as it goes. Shame - some very funky beats on there
Almost sounds quaint nowadays...
i couldnt listen to half the album but the part i heard had good beats even though i didnt pay much attention to the lyrics
Not my fave hip hop out there but it was ok when it got going
Vermakelijk, redelijk divers, verrassende nummers, maar te lang
Its fun and some songs sound still good. I felt weird when he shouts out Africa Bambataa tho.
This album has Mama Said Knock You Out. Around the Way Girl was good too and Milky Cereal was funny.
3.69
The beats are really interesting across the whole album but to be honest, the lyrics get a little “lyrical miracle” for my taste. It does seem like he’s self-aware about that, and there were definitely exceptions. It’s understandable that this continues to have its fans and I’m glad I listened.
Gangstah
For some reason Spotify didn’t have all of the tracks for this album, but I did enjoy what I listened to. Mama Said Knock You Out, Around the Way Girl are classics, and I liked Boom Chill a lot too. The other two songs were meh (Eat em Up Chill, Milky Cereal). Found the rest of the songs on YouTube and found the lyrics of the remaining songs to be kind of corny and the music a bit repetitive, so (3)
It was fine.
I've been on a 90s hip hop kick recently, so I had high hopes for this, but unfortunately this was pretty disappointing. It's not the worst thing ever, the beats are pretty good, but the tapping is pretty subpar and a lot of the songs are kinda lame. Like what's with Mr goodbar or that cereal song. The title track was good, and there were some other beats I enjoyed so it wasn't the worst thing ever. High 3.
3,2/5
This is a classic for a reason. The only real knock on the album is LL just annoys the fuck out of me. I grew up in the MTV era and anytime his songs come on all I can see is him incessantly licking his lips, flexing and over emoting everything.
very good surprise
Probably telling that the album isn't available on Tidal. I sourced the songs, in order from the track list, but this is the first album, among over >300 so far, that I didn't finish. The juice was not worth the squeeze. I'm giving it a neutral rating because I don't intend to revisit. From what I did manage to get through, not good, not bad, just meh. Seems appropriate.
average
Spotify didn't even have the proper album but based on the corny ahh lyrics and couple of songs I listened to this is probably a top 15 early 90s boom bap record for me most likely
Some good parts and some annoying parts
I fear I don’t listen to enough hip hop to appreciate its nuances but I enjoyed this album. 6 Minutes of Pleasure and the title track stood out as highlights.
Radiates 90s, both in the good way and in the bad way. Nice for a sunny afternoon walk, though.
01) The Boomin' System - 7,5 02) Around the Way Girl - 7,5 03) Eat 'Em Up, L Chill - 7,0 04) Mr. Good Bar - 6,5 05) Murdergram (Live at Rapmania) - 6,5 06) Cheesy Rat Blues - 6,5 07) Farmers Blvd. (Our Anthem) - 6,5 08) Mama Said Knock You Out - 7,0 09) Milky Cereal - 6,5 10) Jingling Baby (Remixed but Still Jingling) - 6,5 11) To da Break of Dawn - 6,5 12) 6 Minutes of Pleasure - 6,5 13) Illegal Search - 6,5 14) The Power of God - 6,5 TOTAL: 6,71 (67/100) Current ranking: 575/890
Milky Cereal lyrics earned it a star
Less than half of the album is on Spotify, and frankly that would have been plenty. He does have a way with words, but the whole routine gets a little tiring.
There were some really good tracks but as a whole, it didn't rise above a 3 and at points, it was a solid 2. 6 Minutes Of Pleasure was as bad as any Bell Biv DeVoe track. Milky Cereal only slightly better. On the flip side, Mama Said Knock You Out and Boomin' System, despite their extraordinary stupidity, were still fun tracks.
6.5 / 10
3.07
if it wasn't for "Around the way girl" and "6 minutes of pleasure" I would've given this album a lower score.
Good
Like it 3/5
"Truncated Spotify album should be knocked out." - Mama
nicht ganz mein Ding, aber auch nicht schlecht.
Ich mag wenig 80s Hip Hop und wenig 90s Hip Hop, das ist irgendwo dazwischen und ich finds eigentlich ganz ok.
Title track gets some fair amount of play for me, but the whole album was pretty good listen for me today. Overall 3.25/5 I like this older style rap more
I liked it, but I’ve also heard better rap albums from the same era
No sé qué decir exactamente, meh
lyrics were slighly stupid but i enjoyed listening to this
Good song. But a single does not an album make (at least on YT Music)
This was fine, a little long. Didn't really love it or hate it
Classic 90s rap
Ladies Love Cool James
Ik had recent al Grandmaster flash and the furious five. Mijn issue met hun is dat de flow echt zo hard is achtergebleven met de vernieuwing qua hiphop. Denk dat er weinig genres zijn die zo ontzettend zijn vernieuwd als hiphop. Misschien elektronische muziek, maar dat is dan weer zo gefragmeerd dat je niet echt meer van een genre kan spreken. Maar goed, we hebben het in dit specifieke geval over het album van LL Cool J. En eerlijk? Ik vind het nogal saai. De beats blijven niet tot nauwelijks hangen, de verses en bars van LL Cool J zijn echt achterhaald en eigenlijk is er ook qua delivery weinig waarvan ik echt zeg "ja, dit is een album dat je moet horen voor je doodgaat" Zal vast en zeker liggen aan de tijdsgeest en dat dit vernieuwend was toen het uitkwam, maar zelf als groot hiphop liefhebber kan ik dit echt geen heel hoog cijfer geven. Ja nee, ik heb het geprobeerd maar dit is gewoon niet een heel sterk album, laat staan een sterk hiphop album. Mama said knock you out is een banger, maar heel eerlijk? De rest van het album komt niet in de buurt van dat ene nummer. Ach, na alle matige rock albums mag er best eens een matig hiphop album tussen zitten. FAVO: Mama said knock you out
I like that the first song is a beat for cars.
Not many rappers where the bravado, reputation and talent are so mismatched. Mostly uninspired and boring but the title track still rips.
A moment in time.
The beats and rhymes were entertaining enough, but I didn't think this album was anything special.
I didn't pay close attention to any of the rhymes as I listened to this, but I thought the backing beats and production were solid enough. Nothing spectacular, though.
I think I am learning through this journey that rap isn't really for me. It doesn't tend to age well and it doesn't resonate with a middle aged, middle class white guy. This is fine, I do think it goes on too long, but it is fine. "Mama Said Knock You Out" is a ripper. The rest i can take or leave
Like many hip hop albums of this vintage, it's a little too long and a little too corny. And this was his big, edgy comeback! The title track is a classic, but then you've got a song that seemingly exists to demonstrate LL's encyclopedic knowledge of breakfast cereal. It's a mixed bag and there needed to be some editing, but still a decent time.
Pretty innovative for a 90's rap record.
Pulled back in a classic skatergame! The guy looks like 50cent but his music is very ny hiphop, love it
Some of these lyrics were so ridiculous but I kind of liked that because it was funny like milky cereal. Definitely liked the title song the most but other than that nothing spectacular yet still enjoyable.
Some okay tracks, but this album has dated and could be retired from the list
Just decent hip hop. Pretty fun but not too special.
Album #1,084 I liked LL Cool J when I first heard Rock the Bells. Of course, I liked all rap back then. Over the years I started liking him less and less as it became apparent he was a hands-together, lip-licking douchebag that started the stupid trend of pulling up one pant leg (remember that?). Just look at him on this album cover with the giant chain, flashy jewelry with his name on it, shirt off, sweat glistening, duck lips out. Or maybe it was all just his hip-hop persona, who knows? Let's listen to this thing... Well, it wasn't great, but it wasn't awful either, and surprisingly it was fairly clean. I knew the title track -- after all these years, somehow I knew exactly when he was going to say "Breakdown." There's good: Around the Way Girl There's annoying: Eat Em Up L Chill There's awkward: Mr. Good Bar There's weird: Milky Cereal There's cheesy: The Power of God I'll have to give this one an average rating, which is probably above average for rap albums on this list.
3/25/26. Love the energy on this album, a lot of pulsing beats and samples, plus LL's flow is infectious. Happy to hear more of his songs outside the well-known Mama Said Knock You Out.
108. nice
Great album of early 90s rap with one of the OGs. Highlights: "Mama Said Knock You Out" and "To Da Break of Dawn"
Tittelsporet og åpningssporet er knalltøffe. Det er noen topper her og der, men altfor ujevnt til å tåle timen.
2.6 2x it's pretty good but besides the title track I don't know if I will listen again.
It’s fine, nothing crazy, but I lack the perspective of how groundbreaking this would’ve been since rap has improved greatly in the decades since this dude held a mic.
LL Cool J probably doesn't get the credit he deserves for shaping the sound of hip hop, mostly because he became big sexy sex man, but also not my favorite.
Fun but don't think I'll be back.
Heard of LL COOL j Never heard the album in full Had heard a couple of singles. Hip hop/rap not really my thing. Rapping and backing tracks were ok. Lyrical content... Ok, pretty cringey at times (milky cereal).
Late 80s hip hop just hasn't aged well. This is one of the better examples of that era but you can just hear the age.
I wouldn't be surprised if I come back to this. Classic hip hop.
The self-titled song and a bunch of okay moments.
Old school hip hop, could've been worse
Old New school rap with words I can understand. I liked the songs that were not released as singles best.
Just no strong feelings either way to be honest
it’s long and sometimes boring, but that was ok 3.5
Some good songs others have no aged well
Didn’t know LL Cool J was so horny.
LL Cool J comes correct. The beats are on point, and his laid-back flow is infectious. While the lyrics might not be poetry, they're engaging enough to keep you nodding your head. It's a party starter, plain and simple. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - The Boomin' System - Around The Way Girl - Mama Said Knock You Out
6/10.. 90s hip hop / rap / *1990
he say "don't call it a comeback, I've been here for years"... when he was 22. LOL. This came out when I was almost 12. Never heard anything but the hits. Decent for what it is and the era.
Це десь на трієчку максимум. Непоганий продакшн, є супер хіт однойменний, але самого ЛЛ місцями не дуже цікаво слухати, типовий олдскульний флоу.
До того як лл кул джей став другорядним актором, він мав оцей мега хіт. Пісня звісна супер відома, та і загалом альбом слухається адекватно зараз. 3 або 3.5, хз
Sonically, LL Cool J is where the past meets the future. There's plenty of shout-out's and allusions to the rap-styles of the past, while, sonically, the songs on Mama Said Knock You Out sound like they could be Wu-Tang tracks. Lyrically, LL Cool J sounds like an 'older brother'. He's the older guy at the YMCA, getting ripped, showing off for the ladies, and mentoring the younger kids. He's wholesome in ways that N.W.A. and gangsta rappers are not, but don't mistake him for a squeaky clean Will Smith or a goofy Sir Mix-a-Lot. Cool J is also into rapping about being sexy and picking up women ("Mr. Goodbar" is hilarious) For whatever levels of cringe exist on this album (and there are a few "Milky Cereal") there are just as many cases for how cool and technically proficient LL Cool J is as an MC. He's probably not going to end up on any 'Best Of-' lists, but this is a snapshot of a transitionary period in hip-hop.
Ganska trevliga lekfulla beats men texterna är ju tyvärr lite för cringeiga ibland för att man ska kunna digga med gott samvete.
Rätt funky, hyfsat driv. Lyssnade inte så noga på texterna
Fun record. Title track by far the stand out
Title song is awesome, rest is solid
Oh, Ladies Love, you sexy-lipped, sexy-talking, bare-chested sex god of my youth. I loved “Radio” so much when it came out. This album, the comeback? Uneven. The title track is fire. The funk samples cool. The sexy tracks are sexing. The gangsta stances are laughable. The rhymes are simple. The length is bloated. I appreciate you, LL. You know. For certain things.
Bueno, con un montón de personalidad. No es mi onda, pero no me la pasé mal.
Full on 90s rap album that feels like a sexier, slicker version of Will Smith. It doesn't have the hard boiled and angry edge of NWA or Public Enemy. But it does have a lot more humour. I was surprised by how funny LL Cool Js lyrics are, how can you take a song like "Milky Cereal" seriously? But then again you have a much more serious feeling in "Illegal Search", showing that, even when rap is not taking itself too seriously, it is still the songs of the discriminated against. I can honestly say that I feel like I have only ever heard "Mama said knock you out" from this album. But I feel like I will be back to enjoy a little Jingling Baby. (3.125)
I didn’t know many of these songs apart from what was on the mainstream radio at the time. They’re all right.
This one was quite good, and oddly enough didn't feel as if it went on as long as it did, which is always nice. I don't mind it being "dated" since a decent chunk of hip-hop from around this time was too. The songs towards the end were the better ones I think. It's nothing mind-blowing or greatly spectacular, but it's pretty good otherwise. On the higher side of a 3.
vibe
Hørt bare litt på
Geri rimai, beatai.
This came out when I was in about grade 10 or so, and at a time when I was pretty staunchly anti-hip hop. “I wanna knock you awwwwout…” reminded me of a lot of irritated grumbling at school dances. But I’ve changed and grown, and gotten so much better as a person that I was a bit excited to listen to it. I was a bit disappointed in the early going, but I gradually warmed up as the album rolled along. In the end I’m giving it a solid three, but it may get another listen or two before I die.
Ive always had an image of the 2000s from LL Cool J, but the sound of this album did surprise me. Early 90s rap had more soul and rhythm and I really did enjoy most of this album. I would never have guessed it would be him doing so much of 90s sound rap. Overall fun album would give a 3.5 but it is a 3 instead .
It's not a knock-ouf, it's barely even a victory by technical decision but it's a solid 3.
I was on the fence for this one. It's not great, but there's some level of charm there.
He's great. A true OG. Couple of all time tunes and a lot of very solid old school vibes. Respect, I'm just not personally throwing it on for a listen.
Never heard of this guy before, but found this album quite solid. Sounds very much like it was before its time, and more like something that would've come out during the 2000s. The beats sounded good, and so did the rap. 'Around The Way Girl', '6 Minutes Of Pleasure', and 'The Power Of God' were some of my favorite songs on this album. Not sure if the lyrics are the most thought provoking, but I overall really like the tone and sound of the beats. Strong 3 or weak 4, could potentially grow on me if I kept listening to it.
Only knew the title song which is a great song. Listening to the rest I think it sounds like it would be recorded in later '90s than 1990. The beats are quite god and the raps ok. Felt like a decent 90s rap record though nothing really comes close to the title track. Mid 3.
it was pretty good
1/31 A couple of okay moments but not something I would listen to again. Just not a fan of rap
Some good lyrics to be sure, and I always found LL Cool J charming as an actor, but the pace is a little slow and simple for me in most cases. "Milky Cereal", as silly as it is, had a lot of fun rhymes, and none of this was bad, just not something I'd especially seek out. Favorite tracks: "Murdergram" and "Farmers Blvd. (Our Anthem)".
Meh. Not terrible. Just not that great either.
Parts of this are good and parts of it have aged pretty poorly. I’d say the good mostly outweighs the bad but there isn’t anything groundbreaking here. Playlist track: Mama Said Knock You Out
Wouldn't have been the LL Cool J album I would have picked (14 Shots to the Dome), but it's okay.
interessante ma un po’ ripetitivo
ну бля сложно такое слушать в 2026 году. рифмы максимально простенькие, но вот биты прикольные есть
3/5
It's pretty fun. The production of the tracks here really outshine the lyrically content, which is alright at best, and poorly aged at it's worst. Either way, this is a fine record. Not quite hall of fame status, but it's cool.
Hmm some intros are actually not bad. But when it’s looping it gets boring very quickly.
There were a couple of really good songs and the title track is a classic. But the biggest thing that sticks out after listening to this on Friday and writing the review Monday morning is that a lot of it just sounded corny. Nothing against LL Cool J, that style just aged out for a reason.
A couple of hits that I knew, but most of the album felt too much the same. Even "Mama Said Knock You Out" is better sampled and remixed. Overall it was fine.
The beats here are often slow, the sampling minimal, leaving a lot of focus on the rap itself. At its best it's laid back 90s rap, with Native Tongues insouciance. On the flip side, the music can become soporific and a bit nondescript, such as 'The Boomin' System' or 'Eat Em Up L Chill', The rhyming is on the less sophisticated side of the hip hop greats, offering up such classics as: "The cards on the table and the deal is dealt, I'm in the mood for a tuna melt; And I can't make you, I sure wouldn't rape you". That's comforting to know, thanks for confirming. 'Milky Cereal' explores the metaphor of sex being cereal, and yet he fails to reference the milk turning chocolatey, and that's a shame. Overall the album is a lot less gangster (as in not really gangster at all), and a lot more laid-back and funky than I anticipated (in spite of a bit of it being a little boring, and 90% of it being obsessed with the puss). At its best it has a De La Soul swing.
It’s okay. Fairly basic rhymes and beats. Doesn’t really hold up as much as other albums from the early years. 2.5/5 Probably won’t listen again
I liked the beats and lighter vibe of this album compared to other harder hip-hop albums. I think musically it has aged quite well, lyrically not so much. The album suffers a bit from being too long.
I listened to this album over a couple of days, and I don't have a lot to say about each individual song. However, I did enjoy this album. LL Cool Jay's rapping is consistenly fun to listen to, and most of the songs had really good beats. Favourite song: Mr. Good Bar
Title track is goated, rest of album was alright.
Was LL Cool J actually meant to be cool? A lot his bars were really corny and pretty lame. Beats were sick tho
I like the flow on a lot of tracks here, but I'm not pulled along with it. The title track is the best track by far IMO, and as a single it gets a higher rating. Unfortunately it's held down by the rest of the pretty long album which dramatically reduces its rating Standouts Mama Said Knock You Out 3/5
Not the best rap album I have heard, nor is it the worst.
Cringe but still enjoyable.
I see why this is on here. It's very ahead of its time? 1990 is craaaaazy. Barely out of the '80s and sounds so modern. It's pretty corny lyrically, not just for its time, but just... corny... "I sure wouldn't rape you" as a lyric... okay... but yeah definitely a big shift from '80s style hip-hop so cool to hear
Is okay. Good beats but it’s the same for the entire song. I guess I like bridges and variety. Not a rap fan really and every song is 4:30-5:00 my attention span is too short.
I recall in 2015, one of the radio stations in Houston briefly had a format of classic hip-hop. I heard two beats that had me hooked but it took me years to find them. The first one was The Notorious B.I.G. and Junior Mafia's Get Money which took until 2023-2024 for me to find. And the second happened to be found this past 1/10/26 when I found Around The Way Girl. That "you got me shook up, shook down, shook out" sample fascinated me and I was so happy to finally have an answer to that mysterious song after more than a decade. As for the album, Marley Marl's production is exquisite and there's a lot of fun stuff. Sometimes though the lyrics can be too corny or unintentionally uncomfortable. Hearing an entire rap song making cereal references to sex was not too enjoyable. I do like the beat on Mr. Goodbar but the tone LL takes on it sort of creeps me out. Then it just suffers the late-album fatigue, but when it's good, it's real good. Boomin' System, Around The Way Girl, Farmers, Murdagram, Jinglin' Baby and of course the classic title track. I'm gonna chill out on the rating, but overall, I think it deserves its place as a good representative of this era of hip-hop (7/10, 3/5 on this scale).
Classic rap r&b hip hop still not sure what the difference is between the three
Definitely one of the top 90s hip hop albums, this ones got a few huge hits that get referenced a lot.
Yeah, I enjoyed this more than I thought I might. It was fun and upbeat and he's a decent vocalist. Outstayed its welcome, as is the general way with these things, but as a way to round out 2025, I've heard worse.
I can’t imagine ever playing a rap album for my own entertainment so I was pleasantly surprised to find myself grooving away to a couple of the tracks. Much better than I thought it was going to be, which I guess is the power of this 1000 album journey- listen to stuff you wouldn’t normally listen to and give it a chance to surprise
Couple great tracks, but really washes over me otherwise. Lyrics are great but I would probably need like 6 more listens to get into them more fully.
Fun, classic, educational.
Ladies love cool j I like cool.j I dont like milky cereal. The rest is decent
some good tunes
Good jams 3.5/5
Post-old school? Is that a rap genre? I like this for the same reason hardcore hip hop fans hate it: LL Cool J appeals to the mainstream, and you can actually hear what he's saying. There's not as much lingo and obscure inside jokes in these, unlike a lot of other hip hop. The west coast stuff that was getting popular around this time was especially incomprehensible and unrelatable to most of us, whereas LL Cool J talked about girls primarily, and how he knows he pissed of the "community" because of the above and sorry he's just more popular than you (not sorry, he will knock you out). The mainstream always eats the underground. Here's an example. It's entertaining to someone like me. A lot of other albums from the genre are difficult at best. This is more fun. It doesn't seem like anyone died.
It’s fine, I’m not a huge LL Fan, I find him a bit corny overall. But production is crisp and the bravado is fun at points.
Don't you call this no regular jam.
Ok, but way too long. Curse of the CD era.
Definitely not my type of music but it’s fine Some of the songs suck though
Buen álbum me recuerda o es que escuché primero a NWA