Reviews (page 3 of 8)
Definitely can’t get into rap
I’d you like rap-I guess this would be good.
Very of its time and solid album overall
There’s a reason the music I listen to everyday is not like this.
Milky Cereal was enjoyable. lol It is crazy I have never listened to LL Cool J, but I have been so familiar with him through his acting. Overall, his music isn't my style, but I can appreciate his talent.
Dette albumet faller litt imellom. På én side er det tydelige spor av det som skal bli East Coast-legender som Biggie og Mobb Deep, men på den andre er det fortsatt stødig plantet i mid-school hip hop. De La Soul og Public Enemy hadde allerede revolusjonert hip hop-bildet på hver sin måte, så jeg synes dette er too little too late. Det har noen bops, men det er jævlig ujevnt. Det er også for langt, om jeg får lov til å påpeke det åpenbare. Jeg nikket med i en stund, men så ble det bakgrunnsgrøt.
Tittelsporet og åpningssporet er knalltøffe. Det er noen topper her og der, men altfor ujevnt til å tåle timen.
This album was fine, but due to either 35 years of music evolution or 35 years of decreasing attention spans, I found it kind of boring. Aside from the title track, not much stood out to me.
Poppy rap, oddly just OK given the other artists at the time.
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.
This sounds so dated now and not in a good way. It came out my senior year of high school, so I guess I'm a little dated myself. Aside from the title track there's not much here to bring me back. 2/5
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).
I was expecting a run of the mill 90s rap album. This was way ahead of its time.
1990 checklist... Fear of a Black Planet- absolutely! AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted- of course! Mamma Said Knock You Out-um, NO! LL's identity crisis album as he emulates Will Smith going hard.
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.
Why’d I like this so much? Around the Way Girl slaps.
I was proudly telling a coworker, who was an OG New York hip-hop kid, did I had Scene LL in 1991. He was like oh yeah, I saw him in 1978.
it's whatever honestly, kinda dated and there's better albums from this period of raP
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
this is ill, something you can see some bboys stepping to
It's overly long, but there's a few bangers on here
Some albums I think will be a 2 or 3 before I listen and then I listen and find myself enjoying it more than I thought. This is one of those albums.
Some great tunes on here, not least the title track but I could do without the milky cereal misogyny - two stars.
Not the best but fun
Hell yeah dude. 4/5
Is this a bad album? Not at all. Should you really have listened to this album? Not at all either. 2/5
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.
cool
Inget för mig. They tell me, "Don't drink and drive", I say, "What is this? Mind your business" Riktig cooling!
Ganska trevliga lekfulla beats men texterna är ju tyvärr lite för cringeiga ibland för att man ska kunna digga med gott samvete.
Nä, för tråkiga beats och en röst helt utan edge. Andefattiga texter. För långt också. Låten Mama Said knock you out är väl ok, och det finns smågrejer här och där som är lite småfeta. Men helheten är verkligen en riktig tråkfest.
Okej jag försökte lite men kanske borde ha försökt mer.
texterna var…. något alldeles speciellt
Rätt funky, hyfsat driv. Lyssnade inte så noga på texterna
Fun record. Title track by far the stand out
Not my vibe. DNF
Title song is awesome, rest is solid
Kinda butt? All sounds about the same. It’s foundational tho
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.
Well, thank God that's over. Junk.
I try and try, but I do not like Rap. I was able to get through more of this than most other rap albums but it doesn't mean I liked it.
No. 376/1001 The Boomin' System 4/5 Around The Way Girl 5/5 Eat Em Up L Chill 3/5 Mr. Good Bar 3/5 Murdergram 3/5 Cheesy Rat Blues 4/5 Farmers Blvd. 4/5 Mama Said Knock You Out 4/5 Milky Cereal 4/5 Jingling Baby 3/5 To Da Break of Dawn 4/5 6 Minutes of Pleasure 3/5 Illegal Search 4/5 The Power of God 3/5 Average: 3,64 Great flows.
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)
Not sure why this rap album made this list. It's fine, but not especially good. Also not really my style.
I didn’t know many of these songs apart from what was on the mainstream radio at the time. They’re all right.
Probably also not aged that well but some of the lyrics are surprisingly wholesome for the genre and era. I'd listen again
Maybe its cause im listening 36 years later- but man this sounds hokey? Just a little late for old school and a little too early for gangster- it sits in this awkward spot. Social Conscious of Zulu, nope. Life of poor upbringing of gangster, nope. Just kinda feels like trying to be both while being nothing.
his song milky cereal made me laugh out loud. man must’ve been starving in the studio writing that one
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.
vind ik wel tof
vibe
Some cool funky and soulful backing tracks but just a bit too much rapping on this one for me. He was ok in NCIS Miami too
LL was a gateway for a lot of white kids. This album changed the game (and the sound) when it came out. Sure, the lyrics aren’t appropriate for today, then again we have someone in the White House that has said and done much worse.
Mama said turn it off.
I was enjoying this until Milky Cereal came on. WTF? Followed up by an almost as bad song, Jingling Baby. Totally ruined an otherwise ok album.
The beats hit hard, the confidence is sky-high, and LL sounds locked in, sharp, and hungry. It’s slick without losing grit, polished but never soft. Absolutely iconic.
Not my thing
Hørt bare litt på
I'm not a big hip-hop fan at all, and this album reminds me why. It's not a bad album per se, even though it is a bit dated, but I personally just don't like this music at all. Still solid stuff, just not my thing. 5 / 10
Boring. It got better when it ended. But for the genre not awful
This album has taught me that the number one thing I dislike about rap is an album stuffed to the brim with songs all about how great the rapper is. This album is an over long example of this format. There are some exceptions, such as the title song, but for the most part it’s mostly just 75 minutes of bragging about being the greatest, most self-reliant, most improbably powerful person. Even things that feel like they should be tongue-in-cheek come across as insincere because there’s no wink and nod, it’s just using brand names in the lyrics uncreatively. I will not listen to this again.
Geri rimai, beatai.
I think there is only one feat. on this record, which is pretty remarkable. It puts a lot of pressure on LL Cool J. He’s not capable of shouldering a whole record. His talent, his charisma, and his facility are all shallow. More charming than many of his contemporaries, but that just leaves him unchallenging. Struggling to find anything to say, I considered another Kate Bush comparison: Six Minutes of Pleasure vs Moments of Pleasure; Eat Em Up M Chill vs Eat The Music; Mama Said Knock You Out vs Mothers Stands for Comfort. It is a completely unfair fixture. It would be a bloodbath. As a competitor, Cool James would be what my granda would have called a lemon. 1.5 I don’t want to keep giving hip-hop and rap records 1 star, so I am trying more than ever to get on board; to find the positives. LL Cool J’s album made me chuckle a few times; Cheesy Rat Blues, Milky Cereal, the bit in 6 Minutes of Pleasure (which is generously only 4 1/2 minutes long) that goes ‘let's just sit here and relax while my man plays the piano for us’. There is only a goofy caricature of the poisonous, puerile venom of gangsta rap here (‘taking out suckers, while the ladies pucker’) which is practically endearing. I am glad that LL attends to the instructions of his mother, even when those instructions are very irresponsible. At the end of the hour though (can none of these dudes make a 35 minute record?) what can I do? Almost every track is a bar of bassline on a loop. There’s just no musical content. 1/5
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.
A few high points here for sure, but way too long overall. I was also surprised at how bored I was. The genre should be smacking you round and demanding attention, not fading into the background while I write my little reports in an open plan office.
Disappointing. The title track is a classic, but the rest largely fails to live up to that promise. Sleazy cheesy lyrics, and some selections that sound like typical R&B boyband fare. I can live without this.
Bailed after four tracks. My head wasn't really in the right space for this. Aggressive, posturing, dated.
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.
Perhaps this star rating is unfair, because LL Cool J does have rapping skill, but I've never been a big fan of the type of 90s hip-hop that this album embodies. Cool J delivers his lines with energy but the lyrics are the typical braggadocio -- not inspiring or interesting to listen to. The comedy works at the beginning but runs out of steam over the course of this album's hour-long runtime. Most of these raps are about sex but it doesn't *sound* sexy at all, and I can't picture a woman ever choosing to listen to this, especially the date rapey "Mr. Good Bar". I listened to this album walking the streets of NYC which felt like the ideal way to experience it. High Point: I like the jazzy sample in "To Da Break of Dawn". Low Point: I truly hated the album closer "The Power of God"... he says something like 'time for something more smooth' but this song is horribly sluggish with a muffled background sample that sounds like your neighbors through the apartment wall are having a party at 4AM while you're trying to sleep, and there's even a crying baby thrown into the mix.
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.
Bridging the gap between old school and modern hip hop, this was everywhere the summer of 1990. Boomin' System, Mama Said..., Jinglin' Baby, 'Round the Way Girl. Classic beats and samples, strange in 2026 to hear one MC over an entire album without a ton of guest features. It's all LL all the time.
A few decent tracks but ultimately very repetitive. It feels like a bit of a backwards step from Public Enemy in it not really saying anything…
Expected to dislike this more than I did. Sone of the samples and beats here are surprisingly good (‘funky president’?!) but I didn’t find the rapping over it to be particularly engaging (the lyrics in ‘6 minutes of pleasure’ are downright awful at times - “Listen to the man, you have a plan, don't even risk it What do you want, a biscuit?”). Would have enjoyed it more as instrumentals.
Lekker old school album. En toch nog steeds vet!
547/1001 🌕🌗🌑🌑🌑
Better than most of the Rap albums so far. 2 stars or D+.
I wore this tape OUT in the 90s, but today was when I learned that Run The Jewels was named after a lyric from one of the songs on this album. That makes it 27% cooler. This is a 3 star album that is getting an extra star because it makes me feel good.
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
My recollection of LL Cool J is that he was better than this. Pretty ordinary beats, flow and subject matter. Spotify went on to an earlier track that was much better.
It still has kitsch charm and some inspired moments, but this hasn’t aged nearly as well as many of is contemporaries
Fav track: Eat Em Up L Chill Least fav: Illegal Search
Classic
i wanted to like this but I didn't. Maybe it hasn't aged well? Maybe it's just me.
Omanji klasik Old school hip hopa
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)".
Mama Said Knock You Out by LL Cool J is up for today, and after a pretty poor week of albums, I wasn’t optimistic going in. Unfortunately, this didn’t turn things around. My overriding feeling is that this album is far too long and now sounds seriously dated. Some of the lyrics are uncomfortable at best and frankly awful at worst lines like “I sure wouldn’t rape you” being used as a pickup line are bad enough for the time, and completely indefensible now. That said, there are some strong beats here. The production is often sharp and hard-hitting, but it’s constantly let down by rapping that feels clumsy, boastful and irritating rather than clever or charismatic. Favourite track: Mama Said Knock You Out easily the standout and the only moment where everything actually comes together. Least favourite tracks: Milky Cereal is genuinely awful, and 6 Minutes of Pleasure somehow manages to outstay its welcome despite lasting barely four. Album artwork: Standard, generic rap album cover does the job
Its really not my thing But sounded fine
Great memories of high school and college years, with one of the smoothest dudes ever rolling off the lyrics—with much less profanity than his contemporaries or anything since—over jamming beats! I prefer Radio and Bigger and Deffer, but the title track on this one is legendary and makes for perfect, high-intensity workout music.
Meh. Not terrible. Just not that great either.
Se me suele hacer muy pesado este hip hop noventero, se tomaban demasiado enserio a si mismos. Aún así, hay algún tramo disfrutable.
joder, como les pasa el tiempo por encima a las cosas que en su momento se consideraban guays. Como por ejemplo, la palabra guay
Boring as shit
No se que se le da peor si ser MC o actor madero. Mas generico que el pan de semillas del Mercadona.
Son incapaz de conectar o máis mínimo co que aquí sucede
Ya si eso, mejor empiezo mañana.
- 0 nummers toegevoegd aan MMMM - 0 nummers al toegevoegd aan MMMM
Fun, charming rap album, enjoyable and varied for its time, title track is a standout
Highlights: The Boomin' System, Jingling Baby. In a nutshell: "I've been here for years" 22 years old. Fourth album. Whoa. First thought: "how did he come up with LL Cool J anyway?". Looked it up and I eye rolled: "Ladies Love Cool James" Anyways... The music's alright. Great loops. Traditional flow(?). Reminds me of RUN-DMC. A long running time for a hip hop album. Perhaps deliberate so people don't leave the dancefloor. Overall: 3/10
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
Recognize the power of The Royal King James. 3.7
LL Cool J is so sexy, damn. Couldn't tell you much about the music. It's old-school hip-hop, it's fine. Key tracks: Mama Said Knock You Out
This was interesting, there were bits that were really cool and had me nodding my head, and bits that felt a bit dated in an 80s hip-hop kind of way. Overall I felt positively about it though, teetering between a 3 and a 4.
I would rather his Mama go ahead and knock me out then have to listen to him go on about it
Wouldn't have been the LL Cool J album I would have picked (14 Shots to the Dome), but it's okay.
Not bad, but I like it less than other albums I rated a three. Wow great review Mr. Chomby! Thanks Jimmy. ... Mama Said Knock You Out is quite good, almost feels like a different record, but you know not rly tho. Haha sure
not my cup of tea, should've selected some genres i guess
I can see how this fits into 90s hip hop but it just didn't click for me. Very bouncy, lyrics are packed in, all the makings of a solid album. Nothing against it, not my thing.
Not my thing. Got half way through it. Gave up. Didn't notice the tracks changed at times.
interessante ma un po’ ripetitivo
One of my first Rap albums
ну бля сложно такое слушать в 2026 году. рифмы максимально простенькие, но вот биты прикольные есть
3/5
Strašno neslušljivo. 1/5, 1/10
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.
I don’t think that LL is tha great of a lyricist.
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.
Title track is great but the rest just all sounds the same and monotonous
The thinking man's Will Smith...
Mama Said Knock You Out The title track is genuinely great, but he is a rather pedestrian rapper, and not in a laid back tempos and drawling delivery way. On The Boomin’ System it feels like he’s trudging monotonously through lyrical mud, indicative of the general feeling of characterlessness across the whole album. Along with his delivery the beats and samples all feel a bit lacklustre and it all just feels uninspiring, particularly when you look at what else was going on elsewhere in Hip-Hop; 3 Feet High and Rising and Done by the Forces of Nature the year before, People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm and Fear of a Black Planet the same year, Step in the Arena the year after, EPMD releasing albums in the same period. In comparison, and even though he namechecks some of those people, this all feels rather generic and stuck in 1986, while everyone else has moved on. Although Mama Said Knock You Out is really the only track with noticeable energy and dynamism, there are a couple of good tracks - Mr Good Bar, aside from the Dennis reynolds-esque ‘I sure wouldn’t rape you’, Milky Cereal, and the nice jazziness of 6 Minutes of Pleasure. But that’s slim pickings in an album over 60 minutes long. It’s not worthy of 1 star, but I can’t imagine listening again. 2. 🥊🥊 Playlist submission: Mama Said Knock You Out
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
As the kids would’ve said back in the nineties…not my jam.
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.
LL
Classic LL
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
12/01/2026 Another one I've heard of but haven't listened to before. Early hip hop has a different sound to todays standards. Spotify listeners: 3.8 million
Not the best rap album I have heard, nor is it the worst.
Cringe but still enjoyable.
I listened to the album twice in its entirety, I just cant get into it. After a while, it just started becoming background noise. I saved 4/15 songs, “Mama Said To Knock You Out” was the best by far. 2 stars ⭐️
Really boring and repetitive. Couldn’t wait for it to be over
Overall rating by me: 7/10 Songs added to the playlist: ,,The Boomin’ System”, ,,Around The Way Girl”, ,,Mr. Good Bar”, ,,Illegal Search” Notes: Hip-hop that’s very fun to listen to. Love how you can pinpoint exactly from what timeframe it’s from - the funky beats and flowy rap make you actually want to move and jam to the music.
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).
Recognized a couple but this genre in this era just feels a little generic to me.
I can dig the more minimalistic approach with production here. And sure…some of the lyrics are witty, clever and even articulate at times. But then it got cringy and rapey. When are these hip hop artists gonna learn that longer and more songs does not mean better. Outside of the title track, there wasn’t much to remember here.
I thought I’m this would annoy me more than it did, but it was ok. Def corny/horny.
I like LL’s voice and flow is pretty good. I liked the bass on this too. Felt really low and good beats. But man, on the whole this just felt cheesey, thin and just not that interesting. I liked LL so I’ll give a 2.5 but rounding down.
Was dreading another corny 90's rap album but found myself enjoying the first couple tracks...until this "gem" from Mr. Good Bar: I'm in the mood for a tuna melt And I can't make you, I sure wouldn't rape you Cool. 2.25/5
Delightfully terrible! 😂
Classic rap r&b hip hop still not sure what the difference is between the three
Despite being into hip hop quite heavily during this time, I never got along with LL Cool J. I can't say that my opinion has changed too much over time. Some of the beats are cool, the production is good, but he's just so cheesy.
Lurved
Definitely one of the top 90s hip hop albums, this ones got a few huge hits that get referenced a lot.
No thanks. 1
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
Banging hip hop
4/5 Wow, this was amazing. So jazzy and funky. I could barely sit still in my chair while working. Already added several tracks to liked songs.
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.
Hadn’t heard this album before but loved it.
Crazy to think that this guy is still around and acting. Hes a long way away from rapping. At least this was clean.
Noisy, abrasive. Lyrically somewhat catchy but not my favourite choice. No favourites
Fun, classic, educational.
Ladies love cool j I like cool.j I dont like milky cereal. The rest is decent
some good tunes
I'm feeling like the fatigue of listening to so much hiphop in this list is creating a bias that bleeds between ratings. The formula of rap lyrics at the time of being braggadocious about a grand total of 3 subjects makes it hard to justify so many similar albums on the list. All-in-all I ended up enjoying 'Illegal Search' and not much else
Good jams 3.5/5
It wasn’t made to crossover but it certainly did. “Mama Said Knock You Out” and “Around the Way Girl” got tons of radio and MTV play. And songs like “Boomin’ System” and “Eat’em Up L” were funky enough to being played in cars driving up and down the road.
Uma única faixa bacaninha (6 Minutes of Pleasure) num disco de mais de 60 minutos de duração. No mais, um completo desperdício de tempo.
He talks a lot about having not having cheesy lyrics for someone who refers to himself as Mr. Goodbar.
3.5 that gets an extra bump cuz he's the OG.
Imagine a moment when hip hop was still a fresh, authentic sound that was in complex and exciting flux. In those still early years, LL cool J brought soul and taste to the beat. This album flows without trying. Great tracks, creative rimes.
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.
Not my style, but a name I recognized. Almost 100 albums into this journey I’m appreciating the exposure to new artists and styles, but for some of them I really look forward to the album being over… and that says to me I should probably knock my rating down to 2 stars instead of my average of 3.
Honestly not what I was expecting from this. For some reason I was thinking LL Cool J was more around the late 90's/early 2000's, so was expecting more complex rhyme schemes. As it stands, this is just not working for me. It's that old school, style of rapping that I don't really care for. The instrumentals are solid, but not particularly standing out to me either.
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
I vaguely remember the release of this album.
booming system- 5 around the way girl- 5 or 6 eat em up L chill- 5 mr good bar- 4. um murdergram- 5 cheesy rat blues- 5 farmers boulevard- 5 mama said knock you out- 6 or 7. what we're all here for milky cereal- 5 jingling baby- 5 im good
yeah im not very well versed in rap or hip hop so I guess its only fitting that I expand my horizons into it through the most caucasian music project of all time. Anyway, what can I say about this. I was surprised it was made in 1990, that's just amazing. The sound is so much more modern than the release date in my view. Another thing is I really like LL Cool J's voice - he has a lot of range. Smooth on one track to aggressive on the next. Overall I liked it a lot.
Fun, but inconsistent. Album "Mama Said Knock You Out" is still the best song.
- Smooth, bassline-driven hip-hop from the golden era. Title track is brilliant. - A bit more RnB adjacent than I personally like but it fits with the style and lyrics. That said, the lyrics haven’t aged brilliantly. - Overall plenty of good tracks but it’s about 20 mins too long (1hr 5min). If he’d cut it down a bit, I’d probably have awarded an additional star.
Im more into this than i would have expected but I had pretty low expectations to be honest. LL is a dork. He had always been a dork as long as I can remember. And here he does a hard af type thing. Like hes trying to compete with he gangster rappers. And it doesnt really work. Not to me at least in the big 25. Maybe at the time it worked better but as of now it seems disingenuous as hell. Maybe I have the wrong context but thays what it feels like. Now the good stuff is actually pretty good. He does do a slower song pretty good. I mean ladies love him right? Around the way girl and 6 minutes of pleasure are the best tracks by far. But milky cereal is one of the most offputting songs ive heard in a minute. Nasty in the worst way possible. Im throwing out my rasin bran asap. The title track is OK but thats about as good as the harder tracks get. The beat selection on everything is pretty good though, I do have to say. Its an OK record. Not really my thing but good enough all things considered. I just can never hear milky again without dry heaving
I want to hate on this album for being so damn cheesy but then halfway through there is a song about everyone thinks he’s too cheesy. I’ll be damned if LL’s stupid charm didn’t win me over!
I liked the samples for the most part and LL has a good flow, but his lyrics either didn’t age well or weren’t good in the first place.
This is like the music equivalent of being stuck with the guy at a party who brags about himself nonstop and no one really gives a shit. Nah idk it's not awful, I just think it should be like half the length and lean more on the more melodic stuff towards the end of the record 4.5 / 10 Best track/s: 6 Minutes of Pleasure, Mama Said Knock You Out
Rap's not my thing.
2.5
Old but funny
Don’t call it a comeback …. It’s a solid classic hip hop album. Vintage LL
Some good. Meh.
LADIES LOVE COOL J
It took a few tracks to get into this. I think the first track is weak, and I'm not a fan of the R&B tracks, but the rest of it is great! A lot of variety and creativity in the beats and lyrics. I'm finally starting to appreciate early 90's hip-hop thanks to this project, and this was a great album!
Another hiphop album, it’s fine ig
Classic but boring
Mama said knock you out- Ryan and Skip favorite Destruction Terror and Mayhem My 9 is easy to load
Probably a few songs to long, but pretty consistently good. Standout songs: Eat em up L chill Murdergram Mama said knock you out
You're pretty much here for the title track. The rest is kinda whatever.
Marley Marl's production has aged gracefully. While LL Cool J is charismatic and flows pretty well for 1990, the album has this dated sound that bothers me a bit. 6/10
Entertaining, but doesn't feel groundbreaking to me, but I don't know the context of when it was released.
did mama say "knock him out" or was it more like "bore him to sleep?"
Ok. Kind of long. I only knew Mama Said Knock You Out. I liked the song Illegal Search.
One of my first hip hop albums
Around the Way Girl and Mama Said Knock You Out are great, but the other songs left me underwhelmed. I do like the sounds of early 90s rap, and it is a good throwback album
LL morphing out of his 80s loverboy/party guy image and towards something harder and more 90s, but feels like it has feet planted on both sides of the decade. The high points are very high - the two classic hits are great, and Murdergram is also fantastic, the kind of hip hop song I love with just a frantic beat and straight bars. A decent amount of filler on the rest though which holds it back from a higher rating for me.
As far as rap albums go, I kinda like this one. Not enough to listen to it a lot. But I don't hate it
Pretty enjoyable.
Хип-хап, соул и всё такое. Показалось довольно интересно.
LL Cool J is a decent rapper, but my god the lyrics on this album are bad. They're all corny as fuck or grossly misogynistic or just gross. They also do him no favors and don't show off his actual rap skills. The rhymes are often weird and stilted, filled with awkward pauses. "Mama Said Knock You Out" is far and away the highlight, and "Illegal Search" is pretty good too, but the rest of the album is a mess. The production isn't outstanding or groundbreaking either. I don't know enough about LL Cool J to say whether or not a different album of his deserves to be on the list instead or if perhaps he's another singles artist who doesn't need an album on here. All I know is that he can be a really good rapper, but it is rarely shown on this album. But also, I implore folks to check out LL Cool J's version of "Mama Said Knock You Out" from MTV's Unplugged. Really interesting and groundbreaking. If they made an album of the unplugged session, it should probably be on the list over this.
2/5
Fine I guess. Honestly boring to me at least right now. I'm sure the lyrics are full of intelligence but it is boring to listen to.
Good moments
Not for me, though the title track rocks
This might be the only hip-hop album I've ever listened to that doesn't have the n-word in its lyrics once. I'm not saying that's good or bad. I'm just pointing it out. Anyways, let's talk about this album. Despite his influence on hip-hop as a genre, I feel like LL Cool J isn't discussed as much as his peers when it comes it classic hip-hop discussion in online music circles. I don't see him or his albums talked about like how I see people talk about albums from artists like Public Enemy or even Beastie Boys. Despite that, I think this album here is actually pretty interesting from a historical standpoint. This album, to me, represents the transitional period from 80s hip-hop to 90s hip-hop, which makes sense seeing as this was released in 1990. I'm not saying that this album ushered in the sound of the 90s or whatever. Acts like N.W.A. beat them to that. However, Mama Said Knock You Out is almost like two albums in one, in a way. Some of these songs show off more of the hardcore side of LL Cool J, like the ever-iconic title track. Great song there. However, some have a stronger funk or even soul influence at times, like "Around the Way Girl" which I also really liked. The production on this album is somewhat varied, but is good all through out. LL's rapping is alright. It's definitely one of those aspects that carries over more from 80s rap, but it's not bad. The writing could be better overall. There are some pretty good lines in here, don't get me wrong. I'll always appreciate a line like "Don't call it a comeback, I been here for years," but other songs are kinda corny. "Milky Cereal" especially just didn't do it for me. The album's a little long as well, but it's not too bad in that regard. Overall, this album's kinda neat. It's flawed, sure, and I get why LL Cool J isn't discussed as much as, say, Public Enemy, but this album shows that he's not bad by any means. Good album. High 3/5.
Please do knock me out - save having to listen to this shit 1/5 19/11/25
It's hip hop that hasn't aged too badly. And, I say too badly because there were a few moments where I cringed slightly. He raps better than he acts, I'll say that much. 4 stars.
This album is like being the star running back on a successful football team. You’ve made a couple of nice plays, but you’re more focused on your marketability and your contract than you are the success of the team. Your teammates know it, and the fans know it. Deep down, you know it to. You’re not about this life.
Started well and enjoyed the first song. Strong air freshener, who need cologne being a great line. But kind of went down hill after that and never really caught back up
I wish I could enjoy this era of rap but it's like nails on a chalkboard to me Fav song: Mr. Good Bar (interesting beat, strange lyrics)
If you don’t listen to this, Mama Said Knock You Out.
LL Cool J represents the bridge from the golden age of hip hop to the new age, which was a shift in the style of hip hop we see today departing more from the soul/funk roots and leaning more into the rapping aspect of hip hop. LL Cool J was simply the master of that era that ended way before 1990, when Mama Said Knock You Out came out. This album cemented LL Cool J as a legend rather than a rapper whose star shined the brighten in a 3 year era of an emerging musical movement. Don't call it a comeback: LL remains a legend and reminds us why.
Funky beats
It wa okay.
Pretty fun hip-hop in that classic 90s style, but some songs were corny (Mr. Good Bar, Milky Cereal) and it felt dated overall. Favorite: Mama Said Knock You Out
Corny as hell
No. Beats are fine, everything else is just... no...
Sits at the transition from hip-hop as fun party music to the social commentary of hard-hitting, technically demanding gangsta rap. With its simple rhymes and beats and fixation on lame puffery, this is not the best of either world. I was tempted to give this album a three because it represents an important moment in hip hop. But it’s not enjoyable and i wouldn’t want to listen to the whole album again. A 2.
Pretty entertaining but the beats were lacking.
I didn’t hate it.
Funky, fresh, fun and flowing. Totally of its time and place! Superb bass. Favourite tracks: The Boomin' System, Murdergram, Mama Said Knock You Out, 6 Minutes of Pleasure
OG
YFGY
LADIES LOVE COOL JAILO
A good album
Not bad
Album was alright, I really only liked and remembered the title song. Everything else was just kind of there for me.
2.5
W rap album
Has a few classic singles. Otherwise, not that interesting.
I love how innocent 90s hip hop could be. LL sounds like he'd be on the The All That soundtrack. Milky Cereal could have been on Doug. It's easy listening. I don't need to know who's beefing with who or if I can play it loudly in certain neighborhoods. Nice addition to the old school hip hop list.
I had a huge crush on LL and the crazy way he moves his mouth in his music videos when I was little but I won’t allow that to bias this review. This sounds so epically 90s. The need to put on a drum track and just loop it drives me nuts about all rap in this era but I think this album adds some fun samples and other beats. The raps aren’t too innovative but he’s got some fun lines. Thank god rap has evolved to Kendrick and Vince and others because a lot of things are silly in this album. But “your raps are cheesy. Must have got em in a mouse trap” is golden. “Couldn’t bust a grape in a food fight” is going to be my new insult. I want to give it 5 stars for that alone.
Some nice tunes - lots of funky bass and a big sound - but I ended up being more interested in a lot of the source material than the end product. Lyrically not my thing.
There's a good mixture of slower and higher tempo tracks that range from sombre to energetic. Favourite Track(s): Mama Said Knock You Out, Jingling Baby, Murdergram Least Favourite Track(s): 6 Minutes of Pleasure
The ladies loved LL. I like him enough, I guess. Definitely a culturally impactful album, and still listenable this many years later.
This album is so 90s hip hop it almost hurts. The beat, the cadence, the lyrics, everything cements this so firmly I can see the shifting camera angles closing and pulling out during the chorus. Enjoyable, sure, but goodness. Though, special shoutout to Milky Cereal for being so cleverly corny that it may as well have been sold by General Mills.
I knew I was going to enjoy this album for the nostalgia factor... but it was even better than I remembered. Really fun listening experience from start to finish.
Very ok hip-hop from a very ok rapper. There’s better stuff from this era.
A classic for sure, just not really my thing. It’s fine though
Fine in parts, but some of it veers too far into pop for my liking. Three stars for a decent effort.
6/10
Milky Cereal could be the worst song I’ve heard in my life. Despite some heavily controversial lines most of this album plays like radio friendly 90’s rap, and not in a good way. I’ll stick to Ice Cube et all for my 90’s rap fix. Favourite: Mama said knock you out (even if it’s cheesy) Least favourite: most of the rest Rating 3/10
Classic old school rap, turned me into a kid again.
Could be shorter, but otherwise pretty good 90's rap album
my only exposure to him was feature on the brad paisley song "accidental racist". so highkey i didn't trust him after hearing that. this alright tho. just alright though
It’s fine I guess… but not for me. I would never listen to it voluntarily. I never listen to hip hop
Great music, but a bit aged by now lyrically. Still, for a 35 year old album, it's doing remarkably well.
It was interesting - a lot of the stuff I listen to seemed to come from this; stuff from Lonely Island, and some other hip hop. Interesting to see where some of it came from.
My fave LL album.
55
Highs and lows. I genuinely do like Ladies Love Cool James. I think it's funny that he plays both the Heel and the Babyface in rap and maybe was one of the first to treat it like a wrestling star in a way? I like his flow for the era. That said it gets to be a little stale in places on this album
I love hip hop. But I'm very particular about it: I adore that sweet spot of 90s boom bap (A Tribe Called Quest; Wu-Tang and that run of RZA-produced solo projects up to Ghostface's Supreme Clientele; Preemo productions), and then alternative figureheads MF Doom, Madlib, Dilla, etc. I find early hip hop a bit meh. I never experienced the era first-hand and, to my 2025 ears, the subsequent decades haven't been kind to it. This album is no exception: from the sample selection and to Marley Marl's hit-and-miss production, and LL Cool J's staccato-ish rapping so remnant of 80s rap. (I much prefer the smoother flow Q-Tip pioneered, and it's mad to think Tribe's The Low End Theory was released just one year after this one).
Had to listen to this album way too much when I worked at UO. It’s fine but not my vibe of hip hop. Respect tho
solid album but some of the lyrics were really really really corny 7/10
I've never been that much of a fan of LL Cool J, this was pretty nice though. One of the real Hip Hop pioneers who was already an oldhead by the time this came out, even though he was only 22 at the time. This has a surprising amount of R&B touches inside. It's kind of a forgettable listen though. It isn't as nice to listen to as a De La Soul or Eric B & Rakim. It's a fun but kind of forgettable listen. 6 minutes of pleasure and the title track are my favorites here.
Old school rap sounds so slow compared to modern efforts AND you can understand the words. So, that's good and bad, right? I like some of it, obviously the title track and while "Milky Cereal" is a bit of a reach for a metaphor, it's fun enough. "Murdergram" and "Farmer's Blvd" are weak and a bit annoying. Dropping these 2 and maybe one of the other middling/nothing songs would bring the time down to 40-45 minutes which would be perfect. Overall, it does feel a bit dated and I don't think I'll dive into it again. But LL is a decent rapper for the time. Wish it had a little more musical experimentation, though. Worth somewhere between a 2 and a 3, but I'm going to have to round down on this one.
No más rap, por favor.
Not my speed.
I enjoyed but didn’t love
Fairly catchy and fun.
Some songs are annoying (Milky Cereal, Jingling Baby) and others are not really my thing.
Liking it more each time I listen
Something is wrong with this album on Spotify, for one reason or another. It says there's 15 songs on the album, but only 5 of them are available to listen. I didn't notice until the end, but I don't care enough to find the rest of the album, nor do I think it was good enough for that kind of effort. It's a fine rap album. Albeit maybe a little too 90s. I don't really think it's special, and I don't think it belongs on this list. Favorite Song(s): Mama Said Knock You Out
Nice try, but no.
This album holds up really well. Some of the diss tracks go hard.
Actually enjoyed the arrangements if not all the rapping
Not getting along with this album at all.
Good beats L is a good lyricist, great flow, really natural and thought provoking Like quite a bit
he good
Really enjoyed - old school