Mama Said Knock You Out

Mama needs to take a long hard look at herself.

more on points than a k.o.

Not my kind of music.

It was ok. I'm not a rap guy, but it's LL Cool J, and his stuff is mostly reachable. a couple of hits I remembered from the '90's, the cereal song was funny.

This album helped bring that 90's vibe to hip hop coming out of the 80's. There is a harder sound to this one compared to LL's earlier albums. The two nostalgia songs for me are Around the Way Girls and the title track, mainly because those were the only two songs I've heard from this album. I love the positive messages in some of these songs. There's something about LL Cool J that is different than anyone else in this genre. It's a testament to his strength that he is still releasing albums today. He's one of the OG rappers and he is still going. Legend. This gets a 3 from me.

Fun listen with a lot of energy. LL Cool J is going to steal your girl. 3.5

Straight forward original hip hop with the title track being a heavy hitter. Round the Way Girl is a nice classic also. I like that a hip hop originator made the list.

If this album was just around the bend girl and the title track it might be a 5, but there’s a few stinkers and it goes a bit too long. Will be for sure revisiting some songs, just not the whole album

It's a solid rap album, there's much worse on this list. It was a good production for that era, but as is often the case with this genre, lyrics are mostly problematic.

I don’t know that I have a lot to say about this album. It’s clearly a hip-hop classic, and it’s both well known and well loved. I just never really found myself enjoying it. It’s a weird thing to listen to an album you know is good, without actually feeling it at all.

Fun album. LL is a fantastic producer, with the title track and "Around the Way Girl" being his best showcases on the album. The lyrics are a little corny at times - sometimes so corny as to be charming, as on "Milky Cereal". Most of the songs on this album kinda blend together and aren't super memorable, but the vibe is pretty great. 6.5/10

My whole workout playlist right here.

It was a Funky listen

Fav song: Around The Way Girl I was expecting not to like this album but was really pleasantly surprised! Around The Way Girl is SUCH a banger. I loved the production on this album and that early 90s vibe.

Tough one... the highs are great. Boomin system, around the way girl, jingling baby, mama said knock you out. The lows are low - Mr. good bar, milky cereal and others. Hard to deny how popular and important this album was at the time though.

I never really listened to LL Cool J before. This was pretty good.

Goofy. Has not aged well.

SHOUTOUT TO CEREAL AND MILK! Favourite Songs: Around The Way Girl, Murdergram, Mama Said Knock You Out. Least Favourite Songs: Farmers Blvd. (Our Anthem), 6 Minutes Of Pleasure.

Mr. Cool J wants us all to know that he has sex. A LOT. The title track is a banger I guess.

eh

Title track is a banger, the rest is patchy

Classic 90's rap. Works for me.

Mama Said Knock You Out was a surprisingly very good album. I didn't have the highest expectations going into it in which i was expecting to only like the back half but a good majority (if not all of it) turned out to be very good. The beats all were really cool sounding and the only issue with them is that they could get a little repetitive but it was rare. The main selling point of this album though, was the rapping itself. The LL Cool J had some really good flows and somehow he could manage to make them sound so good without swearing all that much which is difficult for a lot of rappers to do. Aside from the repetition, There isn't really anything for me to complain about so all I'll say is its a really good album. Best Song: Mama Said Knock You Out Worst Song: Mr. Good Bar

a solid enough rap album. it's a little corny at times but the title track is a classic for a reason. the rest of it is pretty decent, but at the end of the day, not a whole lot to remark about.

I tried again, but I don't get on with the genre. I played the first track on the album. As not much happened musically at the beginning, I skipped on. No change. I watched most of the video for the second piece. Pretty girls dancing there. But that would be the best thing about it. Finally, I listened to Mama Said Knock You Out, but finished it quickly. What I heard of the album wasn't as annoying as other albums in the genre. Nevertheless, I don't need this album either. 1/5

Not being into Hip Hop genre at all, this Old School stuff was pretty good. Glad to give it a listen (did not convert me, though)

Sounds cheap, lots of rhymes are just straight silly

Corny? Maybe. But LL has always been in the same lane as, say, Will Smith. A fairly radio friendly east coast rapper who can mix corny shit/comedy in with fire (for the time) bars. Trackwise, the title song still goes hard 35 years later... 'Cos he's fronting in his ride and his word is bond.

I had never heard an LL Cool J album, though I knew about three songs on this album. It's hard to listen to music and not be familiar with Mama Said Knock You Out and Around the Way Girl. Some of these lyrics were fairly cheesy, especially Milky Cereal, which should have been locked away never to be heard again. This is not the most gracefully aged album of rap, especially when compared to Public Enemy and other albums in this book. LL Cool J was never the most talented lyricist and his lyrics can be cringy on this one as well. Overall, there are more songs that I liked on here than those I did not enjoy.

a nice enough listen but nothing special

8/10

3.5

Cool album for a skateboard video, or a skateboard session. Musically speaking, there's nothing interesting... all songs sounds alike. The voice it's monotonous, the back track it's made of long loops, so it does the experience of listening to this album a little tedious. "Jingling baby" it's the stand-out to me. 2 stars.

Title track is dope

You can add LL Cool J to the list of artists I never thought I’d see on here. Most people my age probably don’t know who this guy is. And for those slightly older, he probably sticks out more in their mind as an actor than an artist. Similarly to Ice-T. But at one point, he was one of the few rappers in the game to really achieve success early on, and acted as a poster boy for Def Jame Records alongside the Beastie Boys. I honestly had zero expectations for this. Because really, what am I to expect from this man of all people? I knew him for one song, and one song only, and couldn’t even begin to speak on the rest of his career or catalog of records. But I’m actually glad to say this was a pleasant surprise. Of course, nothing Earth-shatteringly good. But it gets off to a really strong start, and is consistently entertaining until nearly the half-way point. The latter half isn’t as strong or memorable though. Marley Marl was not a familiar name to me either, but production on this is relatively solid. Some, if not most of these instrumentals are potentially a little repetitive, but they do the job right. And I think overall, this acts as a really interesting bridge point between the early days of hip-hop and the more aggressive, boom bap and hardcore affiliated, sound of the 90s and 2000s. It still contains some of the tongue-in-cheek goofiness of that earlier era, some of which has debatably not aged all that well. But his lyricism and delivery are a lot more intense and charismatic than I imagined they would be. I don’t know if I would call this an absolute hip-hop essential. But for those who really wish to get a deeper look into every time period and moment of the genre, this isn’t a bad option. Rating: 7/10

Quite good, entertaining and nice for a sort of background to cooking (or at least how I listened to this).

Not really my kind of music but I appreciate it being able to listen to a rapper whose words I could understand. Good diction and annunciation

This album feels ahead of its time for 1990. Really dig it. Title track is fantastic!

I did not use a private session for Spotify. It's a so-so album, I don't know how revolutionary it was when it came out, but I am guessing it was pretty derivate but this album was helped out by have someone like LL. I was thinking about three stars until I had to sit through "Milky Cereal".

It was hard to stay engaged with this one. Fun and silly at times but not super interesting to me

Pretty decent album

wholesome 90s rap

yikes

I don't remember most of the album but in my defense I was walking and talking with my girlfriend

ughhh

LL: I have so many rhymes. My rhymes are amazing. You found yours in a garbage can Also LL: Down rhymes with down! In fairness, there's only one example of this that I found on this album, but I feel like if you're writing about your attention to detail, misspellings pretty much make your argument moot. I absolutely could do without the chorus of Milky Cereal. Otherwise, great song. Great beat There were a couple of clever lines in To Da Break of Dawn that made me laugh out loud. 3.5

Decent beats but questionable lyrics and pretty repetitive. Light 3.

Not my genre but I thought this was very good. Liked the beats and appreciated it wasn’t as misogynistic as most.

It's hard to listen to this through the lens of hip-hop as we know it now. LL Cool J only really has one flow but at the time there was nohing wrong with that at all. He is rapping with the ferocity of someone who knows they need a comeback and I do think he's successfull overall. "Cheesy Rat Blues" had a lot of groaners but elsewhere it was funny that he said "I get hot like pastrami". I cannot decide if "Milky Cereal" was an interestign lyrical excercise or one of the dumbest rap songs I've ever heard.

Rating: 4/10 Nah. Choice cut: Mama Said Knock You Out

The second half of the album is better than the first but for me I his rapping style just doesn’t gel with the music well enough to make it catchy or memorable.

I really enjoy this era of hip hop, the production and flow always make me smile. This isn't LL's best work though. There's a lot of lyrical repetition and some gross 90's cultural stuff that hasn't aged well.

defining Rap album!!

Damn ok

DONT CALL IT A COMEBACK

Very good

mammanpoikia. näinh. tälläiseltå kuulostaa antiikin musiikki. niin on luukalut esillä. cyrus mahtava kutsui palatsiinsa hauskimmat narrit ja miellyttävimmät muusikot; tältä se tapaaminen kuulosti. "That is so true ! Thats so true hahahahaha!" sanoi cyrus, kuninkaiden kuningas.. kun kuuli biisin cheesy rat blues.. eikä edes teloittanut muita (suvaitsevainen, nöyrä) jahhallahmahlahhahhlalah.. anywayyys, im tired. im gonna go to bed now. byeee mama said knock younout

When I saw the album I sighed. I might be biased against the genre.

I paid attention to the first couple of songs, then I just tuned the music out and it became background noise while my mind wandered to other things. Why are all these songs 4+ minutes long? There's something to be said for short and sweet and none of these songs are either. Title song is the only one worth listening to.

not for me

No.

Boring

Not really what I expected, but it is 1990. lots of great songs, hype. last few songs are really boring tho. Favorite songs: the boomin' system, around the way girl, eat em up l chill, murdergram, mama said knock you out, jingling baby. Overall around 8/10

Cars ride by with the boomin systems… Dat‘s all, fokes.

I remember back when the title track was a big hit and I absolutely hated it. Every time he says "Mama said knock you out" there's this sound like a childs crying doll being stepped on. It's one of the most annoying sounds that I've ever had the displeasure of hearing. It shouldn't be much surprise that I wasn't looking forward to this album, but I actually enjoyed this more than expected. The beats are generally ok, his flow is great and lyrically it's mostly impressive. Unfortunately some of the lyrics really haven't aged well and the title track still sounds terrible.

Not really my thing. The instrumentation, sampling, and production holds up, but the lyrics are rough.

Hip-hop. Ni fu ni fa.

Rap.

#436. This is what I call not very good. A bit cheesy, a bit cringey, and a bit annoying. 2/5: this didn't hold up well Song added to playlist: Mama Said Knock You Out I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link

This was cool. Didn’t feel dated at all and I don’t mean that sarcastically. I enjoyed all but the last song. LL Cool J puts the “cool” in cool, I suppose. Heh. Anyway. 4/5

This is a pretty important transitional hip-hop/rap record. But I never really thought LL was that Cool, J.

Pretty solid 90s hippin and a hoppin

Some of the songs got a little tedious, but overall not bad.

Det er vel tidlig gangster rap, sjovt nok virker det som om det ligger lige i overgangen så noget af det har stadig det der mere old school mindre aggressive flow. Stadig ikke det fedeste. Men der er en sang der hedder Milky Cereal som har nogle rigtig lollede tekster lidt Marvelous agtige, selvom selve omkvædet er virkelig ringe haha

I missed a lot of this kind of stuff in the 80s and 90s. I just want really exposed to it. It's a pretty fun listen for more than just "mamma said: knock you out" which is the only one I've heard before.

Nobody's calling it a comeback, sweetie. This is the album that legitimized Rap Music, proving that it was not just a fad. LL Cool J elevated Rap as both an art form and a commercially viable genre. With unstoppable beats and and a flow to match, this album planted its flag not just in urban neighborhoods, but also the suburbs. Interesting fact: "Mama Said Knock You Out" was released on the same day that Stevie Ray Vaughn died in a helicopter crash. There's probably some sort of symbolic correlation there.

This was surprisingly good. I've only heard the title track, but the whole thing holds up.

LL is good to look at and during the time this came out I wouldn't turn the radio if he came in but this is just bad. TBf there are very few rap albums I can stomach. But this just isn't very good. Extra star because I had a crush when I was a teen.

Of all the hiphop rap albums out there, this is certainly one of them.

Stop I don’t like it

It was decent, like a 3.5. But by 1990 youre starting to get acts like Public Enemy, De La Soul and NWA which I'd say is leaps above this

I wonder what my friends had to say about this album

Man this is corny as hell... still had a few bangers though 4/10

This was ok. It’s not as corny as the other 90s rap/hip hop but it’s still up there. He was kind of always corny, though.

It's curious. Put this album on, and tidal waves of nostalgia hit me. Yeah Gods...it's 34 years old! The music does feel a little "basic hip-hippity", but that's a measure of how much music was affected by this album / era of black music. Musically, it's still a banger of an album, but it's doesn't feel as earth-shattering as it once did.

Classic old school 90’s hip hop. Definitely a trailblazer of the genre.

awesome

It´s just hip-hop.🤷‍♂️

Je ne suis pas allé au bout. Aucun intérêt. =>1/5

Love LL, but this shit kinda aged like milk

He's a good actor!

Knock u out

Surprisingly solid. Don't get me wrong, the album's a bit too long, there are some cringe lyrics here and there. But it's an interesting time capsule. It really feels like a transition between 80s rap (see "Eat 'Em Up L Chill" or "Murdergram") and 90s rap (the more RnB and jazz-influenced tracks). Some of the samples on the latter are almost ethereal, definitely the highlights. The title track stands out as well, not really fitting into either of the two categories. It's aggressive and playful in a strangely compelling way. Fav tracks: Around the Way Girl, Mama Said Knock You Out, Jingling Baby (Remixed but Still Jingling), 6 Minutes of Pleasure

Aika kasarit beatit mutta ihan jees flow! Menköön nyt kolmosena mutta ei tää nyt mikään super ollut. 3/5

Mukavan laiska ääni riimittelijällä ja ihan jees taustat. 3/5

Kind of boring.

A prototype for rap albums. It’s cheesy, straightforward, and at times boring. But this is coming from someone used to modern production standards. 2/5

LL Cool J? More like… cool

classic

really liked Milky Cereal lmao but the rest was kinda whatever

Smooth, muscular, and very fun old-school rap. This feels like a major vibe and sound shift from most of the other 80s rap I’ve heard on the list, as full bass-driven beats dominate here. LL Cool J isn’t exactly a virtuoso, but he’s still a charismatic and talented rapper who sells every song successfully. Best song: Mama Said Knock You Out

Like many hip hop albums from the 90s, this would be magnitudes better if Cool J just kept his mouth shut.

it's not terrible, quite good in a genre I don't get on with

I thought this album was kind of a joke back when I first heard it, but it grows on you. Still not a top 10 by any chance, its a little too posture-y, you know? But anyway its not bad. 3/5

Started off OK, and sort of stayed there. Now as I have said before, I don't mind a bit of rap and hip hop. But I found this to be very flat, very one dimensional. It sort of almost started to do something then didn't. I would like to give this a 3, but somehow I just can't 2.

I really enjoyed that. I know that might surprise you Dear Reader, but not as much as it surprised me. Not sure I can explain why, but I guess I don’t have to justify it. I know I’ve just listened to it, wasn’t offended by it, and liked the variety and originality.

I shall have to use similes to describe my feelings towards this; If LL Cool J is a finely crafted film like 'The Excorcist', then most modern rappers are like 'The Human Centipede'. I remember seeing him on the cover of the the NME etc and my natural reaction was to frown and avoid like the plague. So this is the first time I've got to actually hear anything by Ladies Love. First impressions were very favourable, pretty good use of samples, the lyrics didn't sound particularly offensive, but the most impressive thing was that his lyrics rhymed. All in all, excellent for its genre. 3

Still musically solid (the title track is one of the all-time great bangers) and lyrically clever enough to surprise a laugh when you least expect it. A seminal album for good reason!

A little too long.

Pretty cringe lyrics but perhaps overall not as bad as expected

He's a bit shit. Don't understand the inclusion. Cereal Milky.

Fine. Nothing stood out, mostly punchy lyrics over tuneless beats.

Several years ago, I found out that LL Cool J stood for Ladies Love Cool James and it's been difficult to take Cool James seriously ever since. The title track is a great song, but besides that, there isn't much to recommend on this album, Around The World Girl is pretty enjoyable I suppose. There's nothing particularly bad either. Cool James even promises a woman that he sure wouldn't rape her, which definitely puts him above Notorious BIG.

this is honestly just ok, heard better, i just don’t know about this one, consistent 2, felt like listening to van halen 4 me

Pre-listening thoughts: this is album 100!!!! 😭😭 not sure what I expected but it wasn’t this. Laughing a little cause I mixed LL Cool J up with Ice JJ Fish in middle school and yeah iykyk Post/during listening thoughts: people were so right that this is a great representation of the transition from 80s to 90s rap. I think the best thing this album challenge has done for me is expose me to more rap and hip hop cause I genuinely enjoy those genres but just never really knew where to start in terms of listening to them and finding what eras/specific styles I enjoy. I think this is pretty good but it’s a little too long for my tastes and my head hurts so im sorry LL Cool J that’s not your fault but it’s tainting my perception of this album. 6.5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: I dont think so Fav tracks: Around the Way Girl, Murdergram, Cheesy Rat Blues, Mama Said Knock You Out Least fav tracks: I didn’t dislike any tracks but a lot of it sort of blended together just bc of length + headache

Somewhat dated now, and hip hop lyrics improved massively over the decades but a couple of hits have stood the test of time

Svårt. Jag lyssnar inte på Hip hop speciellt mycket. Det slår liksom inte an hos mig. Absolut vissa låtar men ett helt album. Det går sällan ner. Titelspåret är ju bra och jag känner mig jättecool när jag lyssnade på musiken på jobbet. Jag att jag fick lyssna för albumet känns som en viktig del av musikhistorien.

Jaha, nähä. Jag älskar ju hiphop. Och detta är säkert viktigt i dess utveckling. Men det funkar inte. De här fresh Prince in belair-beatsen blir tradiga. Han rappar inte så bra heller. Lärde mig att run the jewels betyder att råna iaf. Mama knock you out är najs annars.

Mer 80-tal än 90-tal över denna, med mycket avskalade trumdrivna produktioner och rätt simpelt flow. Tycker dock ändå att LL levererar bättre rap, intensitet och känsla än de flesta på den här tiden och till och från så kommer lite sköna samplingar och mer ”sofistikerade” grejer som andas mer 90-tal. Around the way girl och Mama said knock you out är bra exempel på det. På det stora hela är den lite för lång och lite för mycket 80-tal för att nå högre än en trea dock.

This man is horny. I wanted to give it 4 stars, but the titular track pushed it over to 5.

Illin'

oOoo. This is an interesting mix of 80s/90s right during that transition. Title track is a classic.

Nostalgic. Some hits. Fun if you ignore the sexism (which was surely partly a product of its time, though still not cool). Great 90s sound right at the turn of the decade. I have a soft spot for LL Cool J

Fun throwback. I knew the two popular tracks and those are the ones I still like: Around the Way Girl, Mama Said Knock You Out. The rest of the album was OK but nothing stood out.

It's mainly about the 3 singles I already new. The rest felt very of It's time. Which isn't bad, but didn't pack the same punch.

Hip hop classic. And brought back the painful memory of having a name too unusual to get mentioned in ‘Around the Way Girl.’

Uffff

Having only heard the song "Mama Said Knock You Out" and a couple J-Lo collabs, I didn't really know of LL Cool J's real hip-hop prowess. But this album sold me as a fan. He has a flow that could fit in anywhere from the early 80s to the mid-00s while still having that old school rap attitude. J also showed his vulnerability with some softer, R&B sounding tracks on this record too. Definitely worth digging deeper into his work for me. Notable Tracks: - The Boomin' System - Around The Way Girl - Murdergram - Mama Said Knock You Out 7.5/10

Interesting early 90s hip hop. There's probably a lot you could write about where this sits in terms of the hip hop that came before - and what was about to happen. It's fine. A bit boring if anything. 'Mama says knock you out' does a lot of heavy lifting.

This slapped with the exception of Milky Cereal

The driver from the first song - The Boomin' System - drives around my neighborhood every night. Sadly, he does not listen to The Boomin' System, which is vastly preferable to the songs that do get played. I'm enjoying this a lot. Great beats and rhythms. I'm seeing a lot of complaints in the reviews about insipid lyrics, etc, but that's true for a lot of the albums on this list. So how is this album different? hmm.

Badass old school hip hop. Really dug the album

I had high hopes for LL Cool J because I adore Luka Bloom's cover of I Need Love. I don't know how I thought there could be any stylistic similarity between these two artists, because there certainly isn't.

bit generic

some fun tracks but definitely sounds like it's time and to my 2024 ears not all that innovative

Less shitty than expected.

Hilarious time capsule.

Pretty solid beats, and a historically significant album. Just not really my jam.

I still don’t get on with hip hop but even I could tell this was an art form and without the annoying gimmicks. I’d say 2.5 but can’t quite bring myself to rate it 3…

I’m sure this was what the cool kids at school were listening to in 1990 to prove just how cool they were. I wasn’t a college kid so I didn’t listen to it at school. Perhaps I should have so I could have been cool as well.

Tiresome.

Gotta love LL. Verses are great, but choruses get a little repetitive. Around the Way Girl is an awesome chill song. Momma Said Knock You Out is always a banger. Milky Cereal is pretty funny. The slower jams are definitely better, but all around good album. Best song: Around the Way Girl

Okay. As others have noted, the title track is still a banger. The rest is typical of rap/hip hop from that era: it hasn't aged well, and it all tends to sound the same. Giving a three instead of a two, soly based on the strength of the title track.

Hiphop ist nicht so mein Ding

Generic 90s hip-hop, sounds very dated now.

Couple of bangers. Who knew milk and cereal could be so sexy.

Mmmm rap de los 90 que no había escuchado!!! Entretenido, pero no me ha impactado. Solo me he guardado Mr Good Bar.

OG. I like LL but not really a great album.

Ok.

This felt like a pretty standard 90s rap album. The title song, Mama Said Knock You Out was the best track on the album. Some other songs were pretty cheesy or didn't age well.

Jingling Baby, 6 Minutes of Pleasure

This was fine.

Really like the beats on Mr Good Bar and Milky Cereal

fresh, revival of second life for LL. made him a 'hardcore' rapper, at the time.

LL Cool J's Mama Said Knock You Out is a fantastic title and has some damn catchy hooks. This album is definitely of its time in regards to the male gaze and the objectification of women, but that isn't anything unusual from other hip hop albums around 1990. "Milky Cereal" was pretty cringe, as the kids say. LL Cool J did, however, create "Illegal Search," possibly the most powerful song on this album as he describes scenes common to lots of young Black men. Immediately after that song is "The Power of God" to close the album. This song and its placement speaks volumes about LL Cool J as a person and a musician.

This album was...okay. It didn't really do much for me. LL Cool J's early 90s arrival definitely positioned him to become one of the first successful hip hop acts in the general public's eye. That said, I'm of the opinion that he quickly became eclipsed by other 90s hip hop acts that would ultimately go on to be lasting powerhouse legends in the industry. Props to the album name, though. It made me laugh. I'd put this at about a 2.5, but don't really feel like I liked it enough for a round up.

"Mama Said Knock You Out" is the fourth studio album by American rapper LL Cool J. East Coast hip hop. The album was produced by Marley Marl and recorded at his "House of Hits" in Chesnut Ridge and also at Chung King House of Metal in NYC. It was a critical success with comments of it being "tougher and funnier" than previously efforts with themes of crass materialism and simple pleasures. Commercially, it hit #16 in the US and #49 in the UK. "The Boomin' System" opens the album. There's people taking. He's got the funk. Very groovy. The samples include a few from James Brown. The soul gets turned up in "Around the Way Girl." His use of samples from Mary Jane Girls and Kerri Burke help this out. She's got a bad attitude and likes to dance to the rap jam and that why he likes her. "Mama Said Knock You Out" was inspired by a quote from LL's Mom about his critics. And he does that coming out strong vocally along with the beat. An in your face song. I like the rubber duckie-souding sample in the background. James Brown and Sly samples. Lots of James Brown samples on this album. LL continues his attack on and dissing towards his rivals on "To da the Break of Dawn." His rivals being Koll M Dee, McHammer and Ice-T. This one has a funky groove and some timely horn samples. Brilliant lyrics rhyming scarface with thief. He slows it down on "6 Minutes of Pleasure." It is a ballad and I'd say romantic ballad but it's she that only wants 6 minutes of pleasure. Great beat and more horn samples. These songs go from catchy to funny to authoritative. There's a whole song on different cereals. The sampling is great creating the funky or soulful vibe. I know it's past the classic hip hop era but this album also has that feeling with the sound and rhyming. The beats change from slow to fast. This is a really good and enjoyable album. There's something here for everyone.

Musik för personer med tvångströja i madrasserad cell.

- Laid back aber ganz am Ende des Albums hatte ich das Gefühl, den selben Song mehrfach gehört zu haben. - ist etwas zeitloser und charakteristischer als der andere HipHop - guter flow und schöne Stimme 3/5

- nice flow, coole beats und stimmige .. Stimme

One of the best

As a melody-first music listener, lemme say up top that the beats are pretty fresh. Fly, funky, phat... Whatever word you wanna use. On that front, it gets a pretty good rating from me. As late-80's beats, anyway. You compare this to where the rest of the 90's went, and, woo, no competition here. But considering this is a late-80's record, really, yeah, it does good. Now, speaking about LL as a rhymer and a flower... Mm. Honestly, to me he's got a voice where, like... I don't feel like I hafta take him too seriously? Besides the title track, it often sounds to me like a typical "party jam rapper" voice. Y'know what I mean? I'unno, I hear him and I think of Young MC. Like, I'm not saying it's unenjoyable, or that some of the rhymes can't be good (even putting aside some of the ones that've, well, "not aged well"), it's just... I kinda feel like I'm missing something. 'Cuz it's not bad; it's a 3 at minimum. I just don't know if I'd say it's one of the 50 best rap albums of all time. In short: I can't say he knocked me out.

While not as legendary as other acts from the east coast hip hop scene, this album is still a good time from front to back. 4.5 bumped to 5.

I’m at a 4.5, and I wish I could leave it there, but I’m gonna be that guy who goes up to a 5. This album feels like a very distinct bridge between the 80s and the 90s – I’ve mentioned before that Run-DMC made commercially viable hip-hop possible, N.W.A. gave rap the blueprint to have the amount of edge you’d find in albums to come, and A Tribe Called Quest provided the perfect melding of both. This album feels like the bridge between N.W.A. and A Tribe Called Quest – not necessarily in terms of subject matter (though some of it overlaps), but mainly in its production. A lot of these tracks feel blended between the late 80s style (heavily sampling just the drums, more stunted and less melodic flows, long verses without a break) and the early 90s style of production (effective use of pauses, more melodic flows, more diverse sample use). It’s a really interesting listen for that alone, but what drives this album for me is how effective it is at managing to blend the two in a way that still feels classic and fresh – stuff like Mama Said Knock You Out and Around The Way Girl are the two foremost examples for me, though I’ll throw a quick shout to “6 Minutes of Pleasure” as well. I don’t think there’s a bad track here, just a few that aren’t as melodic and more driven by wordplay, and to each their own when it comes to that sort of thing, but I tend to enjoy both. I think LL Cool J’s flow is great on most of these tracks, and when it’s not as good, the lyrics do carry it (save for that godawful "I sure wouldn't rape you" line). The beats are relatively diverse, but a few of them sort of fall into that “mainly sampling just the drums” thing. I just really enjoyed it – I really wish I could keep it a 4.5, because in spite of how much I enjoyed this, I don’t think it’s quite at a 5, but it definitely feels like it should be higher than a 4. I don’t mind going up to a 5, but I can see this falling on any subsequent listens; for now, though, I liked it enough to give it a 5. Someone will probably give this a 3 to balance me out.

I've never really listen to a full LL Cool J album. Not a huge fan of his songs. he has a few hits that I like but he isn't for me I guess.

It's pretty good for what it is it has a couple of bangers

Was not expecting LL Cool J on here! I've heard Mama Said Knock You Out but somehow didn't connect that to him. I also really enjoyed Around the Way Girl and Mr. Good Bar. Not too many memorable moments beyond that, but overall the album was a great listen while outside biking.

Ladies Love Cool James. He's a sort of classic hip hop icon that doesn't exactly hold up in conversations, maybe because it's more of that radio-ready rap style of the early '90s, but this is a pretty good album. Really loved hearing the James Brown sample on "Boomin System," and the title track is a classic too. It's a good old school hip hop entry, of course there are better but this is a nice one. Favorite tracks: Mama Said Knock You Out, Boomin System, Cheesy Rat Blues. Album art: Very sweaty shot of James' chest (I think it's funny to call him James). He looks tough, certainly cool. 3.5/5

The music itself is fairly well done but it can't get past the woeful lyrics. They really have dated badly, the misogyny seems excessive even for the time. Milky cereal may be the worst rap song ever created. 2*

Did not dislike this half as much as I expected. Some of the beats on this record are really reminiscent of Public Enemy (obviously contemporaries but the latter perfected it in my opinion), and Mr. J sounds like a man possessed on some of these tracks. It’s the kind of aggressive, urgent hip-hop I like but it’s undercut by a few really cheesy number and the usual bone-headed sexism neither of which has aged well at all. On the whole, it didn’t knock me out, but it did jolt my attention for most of its hour-long run time.

Certainly seems like LL likes women and fighting. There are some struggle lyrics peppered in, but it’s mainly that. The beats are nice, but get repetitive by the end. His flow is smooth, but the rhymes and attitude aren’t super compelling for me. This has been my least favorite prescribed album from the Golden Age of Hip Hop.

Very cool, head bopping good hip-hop

Here's my story with this album. My wife gave birth to twins the day after I received this album and I had not finished it. We listened to some of it in the car together the day before and both of us felt like it wasn't that great. I didn't want to abandon it so I tried relistening after my babies were born (in the 3 hours between feeding sessions) but I was so tired I passed out to it. Then I tried again, but damn this is just not that great in my opinion. The lyrics don't have any punch or humor. The beats and loops are boring for the most part. I only liked a few songs and wanted to move on.

I think it was this version of "Jingling Baby" that a friend put on a beloved mixtape he gave me when we were teens, and a nostalgic joy hit me when it came on here, as I hadn't heard it in over a decade; I never knew it was LL Cool J, though I knew his name. Such swerve, the samples career and race. Much of this album is like that, though it is 20 minutes too long.

Pretty enjoyable, with some excellent parts (title track is an all-timer) and some terribly-dated cringe ("Milky Cereal", "Mr Good Bar" - a chocolate bar, for those non-US people - with the choice 'I sure wouldn't rape you' lyric; thanks, LL!). I prefer the previous "disappointing" (?) Walking With A Panther but this has enough classic '90s production to keep its average up. However - pro tip - the excellent "Def Jam 10th Year Anniversary" box set has all the LLCJ you'll ever need.

I accidentally deleted all my thoughts on this album so it basically boils down to a couple of good to great songs surrounded by relatively weak album tracks. There is no denying the greatness of the title track though.

Can’t see any reason to include this

Classic hip-hop

mostly much more memorable and intricate than anticipated but then it's an hour long and has Milky Cereal 6/10

God is this 34 years old? I haven't listened to anything by LL Cool J for years and years (never really a big rap fan) but he's quality isn't he? Little of the dick-waving self-aggrandisement of modern times.

(reviewed but still jingling)

Color me surprised, but this is actually really good. He sounds really good, the beats are cool and it has that fun old-school hip hop feel to it

This sounded like a very dated hip hop record; I did not enjoy it. The beats were nice at times, but it all got so repetitive by the end. Not enough variety in this one. 2 stars

This ended up getting about six or seven plays, and it got better every time. Favourite tracks: pretty much all of them. It's such a solid record.

Can I forgive the back half of this album based on the merits of the front half? It was long, an hour long, but the hour felt like an hour and a half. It starts at a 4 but those last two tracks drag it down to 3.

Wasn't overly familiar with it in the first place and now it kind of feels like a novelty

I really liked the mix of R&B and rap on this album, and it feels distinctly different than the other hip hop albums from this time period we have listened to, which is cool.

struggled with this one. i've had the part of Milky Cereal where he just says "milky......cereal....." over and over again stuck in my head since listening over the weekend, which should be a crime. getting to the title track was like embracing an old friend

It's amazing to me how different the title track sounds from everything else on this album. A lot of the rest is still enjoyable, but a lot of it is just much lower energy.

Another Great Rap/Hip-Hop album from this site! I really liked the samples on this one!

Good album and did not age that badly, but still aged

Kvalitetsrap, kvikt, grineren, innovativt, indflydelsesrigt, måske et pr sange for meget

Easy listen. Maybe not one I would run back too. Nothing stood out but the beats were good.

HipHop geht nicht, nie!

90s hip hop was pretty rad. Better than expected. 4*

Fine legible rap from the 90s (before the mumble) with a lo-fi beat and laidback delivery that has LL Cool J confessing "I'm totally relaxed" even while singing about racist police corruption. 3 internal rhymes.

It was cool, but I didn't feel especially knocked out

This just feels very dated now, so Much so you could happily skip this album before you did.

Mér finnst fyrri hlutinn, til og með Mamma sagði, bara helvíti fínn og skemmtilegur en eftir það dalar platan nokkuð. Stefndi í fjarka, endar í þristi.

Been in love with LL since the 80s - and there are too many fantastic tracks on this album to count😍 round the way girl and mama said knock you out are staples in my workout classes

It must be a culture thing. Definitely an age thing. But I do not relate to or enjoy this.

This was fun, and I didn’t realize that a few songs were his. Based on the lyrics, I would say it should be CoolJLL.

Milk. Cereal. Milk. Cereal. Milk. Cereal. Milk... This is the end of a era. The close of the 1980s. Certainly the 90s aesthetic was already bubbling under the surface - NWAs debut drops 2 years prior - but this was a big shiny rap album that had a lightness soon to be all but forgotten. Bragadoccio with a sense of humor. And a distinct lack at gat talk. Not a judgement - just an assessment. That LL Cool J could be looked at with sense of innocent nostalgia. Much more than the title track though that is still very much the high point.

ziemlich old school, und leider etwas aus der zeit gefallen. irgendwie dann auch trotz toller samples eintönig .. daher auch Farmers Blvd. als bester Track.

Rap aus vergangener Zeit, mir hat es zuviel jazzige Elemente.

Despite enjoying one or two LL songs, I always shied away from him as I figured he would be too pop oriented. So this album was a pleasant surprise.

It's fine. Not my genre but could certainly be a lot worse. Too long in all honesty. 4.5/10 (2.25/5)

Tired and dated.

3.5

I don't know much about LL Cool J, seems he's sort of a link between the Run DMCs and the gangster rap era. He's a bit more boastful but it hasn't reached full gangster rap status. It was all okay without any of it being particularly good. Title track stuck out the most but that might be because I recognised the words. Probably worth listening to as part of understanding rap's progression but I wouldn't go back. 2.5.

Enjoyed his flow, lyrics, and the samples and beats. Scrapes a 3 for being pretty entertaining, but I'm in no rush to re-listen. Perhaps a better rapper than actor - only time will tell.

For being released in 1990 this is quite a way from the gangsta rap that came in the subsequent years. This is much more hip hop, which I keep banging on about being superior. I think the beats and his flow are pretty good, but the way he rhymes feels simple and there's something missing. It strays into feeling pretty cheesy at times and he comes across badly. Mama said knock you out is the best track by far, but even this is fairly cheesy. Unsure how to rate this, so I'm going to sit on the fence and give a 3.... Not sure I'll be rushing back, but to by honest he sounded better than I was expecting, for someone I know more from acting

Didn’t hear any F Bombs or N Bombs

sometimes great, sometimes average

It was fine - I have no burning desire to re-listen, but I liked the instrumental side of things, and can see why it would be seen as someone's favourite :)

This album is considered “Golden Age Hip Hop.” If that doesn’t make you feel like an ancient relic, I don’t know what does. With that said, listening to this album was a bittersweet experience. On one hand, its juvenile innocence and simplicity took me back to a time when the world seemed so much simpler than it is today—a reminder of how far removed we are from that era. The music production and LL Cool J’s rapping are both full of energy, and I can just imagine how much fun this album was to play at house parties and other lively environments back in the day. But on the flip side, that same juvenile innocence and simplicity mean that a lot of hip hop from this era hasn’t aged well.

I like his flow. This was one of the better entries amongst the over-represented genre of rap/hip-hop on this list. I don't really like rap but I could listen to this.

3.7

This guy keeps trying to steal my girl

Way too long. "Mama Said Knock You Out" is the only track that has stood the test of time in the wider musical community. The album is more of the same boring humble brag that litters pretty much most of, if not, all of the hip hop albums of this era.

Boring

Levyn nimibiisille henkinen ekstratähti.

3 out of 5. The beats are solid and make me feel weirdly nostalgic for the 90's, but it's unfortunately an album I can't see myself returning to. Favorite song: 6 Minutes of Pleasure

Some of the most childish lyrics I’ve heard. Utter nonsense and an album I don’t need to listen to again. Ever.

Maybe 6 tracks in, bullshit. I hate all this type of erotic or sexy hip hop like 50 cent those lyrics are cheesy and insufferable. The mixing is good but it doesnt pay off for these horseshit lyrics. And I dont wanna bother listening to the rest Im good.

Contre toute attente, j’ai vraiment aimé! Je sais pas ce qu’il a mis dans son Hip pour Hop comme ça, mais ça sonnait vraiment différent des autres albums de rap, il y avait peut-être plus d’amour mis dans le disque que de la haine habituelle

Not my thing, especially at the time. But respect for the guy coming back saying "Don't call it a comeback!"

Fan of one of the original hip hop originators

Great title track but the rest of this hasn't exactly aged well.

Big beats a little dated at times. Sex pest vibes but done bangers 6.5/10

Surprised how good this was. Respect to Ladies Love

Fast schon Retro-Hiphop für 1990?

Trey

the title track is sweet. some cool R&B influenced jams on it. Only complaint is that it's way too long.

This is terrible. Why is this on here?

had some great songs but others weren't as good and were quite repetitive

Solid, old school, hip-hop album. Sure, a couple of songs are a bit goofy (looking at you "Milky Cereal" and "Jingling Baby"), but the first bunch of songs are so strong you can almost forgive their goofiness. Almost. One of the good things about the album, I wasn't waiting for the "hit," the title track, which is so undeniable. The first bunch of songs were just as good: "The Boomin' System" slams, "Around The Way Girl" is a great, cool song, "Eat 'em Up L Chill" is a good egg-em on song. The groove to pretty much every song I enjoyed, I can see how this album was such a success, even without the title track. The two songs I mentioned "Milky Cereal" and "Jingling Baby"... yeah, they're goofy. But I still kinda liked them. The album is replayable. There's no skits or goofy stuff that breaks up the song that you want to skip on a replay. Classic album, really enjoyed it.

I found this album just okay. I felt like I was looking at my watch waiting to see if it was over; not always, but sometimes. One thing I'll give LL is he is articulate and his lyrics are easy to understand, whether talking about simple things like girls or more politically charged things. The album was sort of a blend of 80s/90s hip hop and 80s R&B pop (like New Edition and all its members - Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill, Bel Biv Devoe). The title track and Eat Em Up L Chill was more of the former while Around the Way Girl and 6 Minutes of Pleasure was more of the latter. I didn't love the latter. I liked the former but some of the others in that style were boring. Honestly, except for Illegal Search, I didn't find anything worthwhile in the songs after the title track. Cut the album down by 4-5 songs and 20 minutes and maybe it'd be real solid. I will give a shout out to Mr. Good Bar (best song besides the title track) and Murdergram (great beat and pace, maybe better than the title track).

"crass materialism" and "simple pleasures". Also love me some sampling of Funky Drummer

Ok...just not a fan of the genre. Did enjoy the lyrics to "Milky Cereal"... So we went to be alone But we had to be quiet, 'cause her corn pops was home Kissed her neck, kissed her back, kissed her arms I said "Forget it, let me see your lucky charms."

Never listened to this album. Not what I expected...the album has a wide range of styles. A couple of songs come off sounding like the bubblegum rap of Will Smith. But there are a lot of solid songs throughout. Strong 3 stars "They're jingling, baby"

almost painful

oh god, too long and repetitive

Its got a nice vibe but its too long and too silly

Is it just me or is the most famous track on this record (the title track) the weakest of the bunch? Also, I appreciated the Bartles and Jaymes reference in “To da Break of Dawn”, but that’s because I’m old and the first sip of alcohol I ever had was a Bartles and Jaymes wine cooler I stole from my parents at a Fourth of July Barbecue in the early 90’s. The music is pretty good, the lyrics mostly are dated and of their time at best, 3 stars.

Really enjoyed this one. Beats had my head bouncing in lots of places

Da gusto escuchar este disco, tiene un gran inicio, además que creo que destaca por no ser un disco demasiado apegado a su genero. Hay sonidos que parecen mezclarse con otras corrientes o generos. LL Cool J rapea con mucha seguridad y flow, además tiene una linda entonación. Pero, por otro lado, siento que lleva la marca del sonido de una época, es decir, es fácil darse cuenta de que es de los 90s. En ese sentido es un disco que ha quedado un poco atrás en el tiempo. No es atemporal. Y, a excepción de un par de canciones no me ha gustado mucho.

Sounds alright, but not my thing for much beyond background music. Questionable lyrics, probably didn’t age well.

I hadn't listened to the album before but enjoyed it for the most part. Especially Mama Said Knock You Out, although Milky Cereal was a bit of a lowlight for me

Cool album - the flow of the spitting more than the beats which isn’t super interesting or well mastered. Not his best album in my opinion.

Well known classic hip-hop.

+ A few classics + Mostly solid beats throughout + Nostalgia - Way too long of an album - Can get repetitive - Hasn't aged well in content and style

It's not all bad, but a lot of it is. Favorite song: Eat Em Up L Chill

Didn't realize this album had this many bangers, the beats are also consistently solid, and LL is able to switch it up just enough to keep the interest and energy going. 4 TKOs out of 5

At one point I felt moved to check and see how long there was left to go. The track playing was ‘6 Minutes of Pleasure’. How ironic

Early rap not exactly my vibe.

Outdated beats, outdated rhymes, outdated flow. REALLY outdated attitude against women.

I had Eminem the previous day, so this was a breath of fresh air! I really like the sound of 90s/2000s rap, and this had some great lyrics on it. But I did find that some of the songs had grating or repetitive elements in them that wore on me after a while.

definitely better than eminem from yesterday! some of these songs had a fun hook or lyrics and really stood out to me, and the rest were just kinda samey. mama said knock you out was the only one i had heard going into this. pretty decent album overall though. favorites: the boomin' system, around the way girl, eat em up l chill, farmers blvd, mama said knock you out

Gear: Hifiman Arya Artwork: cringe. Mix: flach. Musik: trivial. Wertung: 🆒(🆒)/5

I've always have a bit of admiration for old school hip hop, but i never haerd the music of LLcoolJ, a guy that i discovber not musically but in the crime serie NCIS Los Angeles. The songs that i like: The boomin' system is very groovy and rythmy, prefect intro to the guy. Around the way girl, the sample on it and the RnB sound is so chill and cool. Cheesy Rat Blues also bennefit for, his incredible flow. Mama said knock you out is the title track and one of his most famous, honnestly its not better than other song, but the verses, the sample and the chorus is peak so yeah it deserved the title track. Illegal search also benefit from cool lyrics, flow and sample. LLCoolJ have a solid flow, could be agressive and provocative, could be very lover and smooth, very mainstream in the form but still pretty obvououssly from the street it came from and that why its so good.

The title track is a head-bobbing banger, but otherwise all the other tracks feel like the same thing just less impressive. A bit repetitive.

Unpleasant and always was. Poor writing, poor execution. Not for me.

More than three decades as a smiling actor has warped my sense of LL Cool J. My earliest awareness of him may have even been as Captain Patrick Zevo in the Robin Williams movie “Toys.” Beyond the acting, my general recollection of his music career painted him as safe and bland late 80s hip hop. But in fact, “Mama Said Knock You Out” shows that he served as an important bridge between 80s hip hop and harder-edged 90s rap. The cheesiness of 80s rap lyrics pop up on occasion (it didn’t stand out to me until “Cheesy Rat Blues”), but overall LL Cool J finds a nice balance - sometimes hard and aggressive, sometimes chill and having fun. The song “Mama Said Knock You Out” is remembered more whimsically than it actually is - there are veiled threats to shoot people there, not just punching someone because mama said so. But then he follows that up with a song about cereal, so… (well, I guess it’s just as much about sex as it is about cereal). He may wind up being mostly remembered as the guy who fought mutant sharks in “Deep Blue Sea” or “NCIS’” Special Agent Sam Hanna, but this album proves he was a rapper of actual talent working with some of hip hop’s best.

It's not really anything special, but having listened to Run DMC and Notorious BIG in the last few days, I am hearing this differently as the evolutionary step between the two.

The beats are primitive and LL’s vocals aren’t anything to write home about. A great stroll down Nostalgia Lane.

Classic 90s hip hop before the west coast sound blew up.

The title track absolutely steals the show here, with Ladies Love Cool James (yes that’s actually what his name stands for) sounding full of energy and fire. The production is generally pretty great throughout and far more hard hitting than his 80s work like Radio, though granted he was a literal child when that album came out (he’s only 22 here and this was viewed as his comeback record - wild). Unfortunately the flow and lyrics are pretty dated more often than not, and there is a lot of filler in it’s 61 minute run time (the title track being followed by Milky Cereal is a clear demonstration of just how all over the place this album can be in tone and quality)

I was kind of bored by this one. Musically it has its moments, but the lyrics frequently feel a bit try-hard. Title track is solid though. Fave Songs: Mama Said Knock You Out, Farmers Blvd.

Some of the singles were good. I don’t think this was an essential listen though.

It's really good. You forget what a good rapper he is.

One of my faves from that period.

are you kidding me. milk and cereal was ASS. for starters im not strongly oppionated ab this but I feel like cereal and milk is the more generally accepted order, but like are you kidding me I could not take this seriously after that song. I listened to half of this then a John Denver album and the second half of this which was really not exciting to me.

6 Minutes of Pleasure was groovy as hell. Overall this was pretty dang good. Great production, and it felt very authentic. That said, hip hop is not my favorite genre to listen to. 7/10

4/10 - It was fine. There was nothing good about it but it was not too terrible. The song about cereal (white women I think) was kind of weird but the rest were fine. I have found a clear correlation between rap songs and talking about cheating/being cheated on and I do not really get it. Maybe I will find a rap album that I actually enjoy at some point in this journey but probably not. We will see in a few years.

Honestly the most surprising part of this was that it came out in 1990. Other than that it was just fine; never been a huge fan of LL Cool J, but mama said knock you out went hard and the rest wasn't unlistenable.

Meh, other than the big single this didn’t really grab me. Assume it was ground breaking at the time, but I guess listening now and not being immersed in it at the time it’s hard to detect. Unless it was the couple of songs which were slower r&b supposedly sexy type numbers. In which case there’s no excuse for inventing that bollox.

Ain't no Erik B and Rakim but infectious rhymes and beats make this a winner. A good antidote to all the gangsta shit but some of the Boyz to men moments are a bit unforgivable. Mama said knock you out is one of the great walk on tracks, for any sport. Pumped.

aged like milk, turning into a little moldy blank chedder cheese

I've got no time today for middle of the road rap/pop/r&b songs from the 90s. It doesn't hit me as having any integrity or originality.

Really love the composition and style of this album. Real statements made and just enjoyable songs for me

L L L ASSASS de guy vo navy CIS LA cha rappe? erste song sehr coole beat zweite song cuute er will en herzige vrau. eat em up L chill isch no funny aber nervig mit de ziit. scho en rieeese unterschied zwüsched dem und snoop dogg 3 johr spöter. murdergram isch sehr viel aggressiver, eig nice. aber de mix isch chli weird? cheesy rat blues nervt mi au irgendwie, aso s isch nöd schlecht aber de beat und de flow passed irgendwie nöd gaaanz zeme. farmers boulevard geeeile beat. s sample kenni glaub? die andere rapper sind easy whack haha. aber sin flow goht mer mit de ziit au ufd nerve. oke de titletrack isch wieder HÄSSIG und FÜRE vieeeel geiler so. goht jo. beat isch geil cool J isch hässig so hanis gern. "i came up with a funky rhyme" isch uuultra whack aber sust geile song. milky cereal easy funny. sin flow ischmer afoch zu oldschool to the break of dawn gfalltmer mega happy song 6minutes of pleasure hani au recht geil gfunde schöni vocals.

ohh es het alles glöscht uppsi ja d beats findi sehr cool, au wenns schnell emal chli repetitiv wird, sini stimm findi chliii najaa alles in allem nöd schkecht aber au chli inoffensive versuon vo rap

Rap albums will generally get a sigh from me. This one wasn’t as bad as the other couple I’ve had so far (21 albums in) and maybe this is considered a good album by those into this genre but it’s just not my thing

Really nothing here that you couldn't find anyone else doing beforehand.

non è 2pac....

Solid 3.5 rounding to a 4. I think Cool J does a great job with this album overall. Very consistent in style and flow. Definitely and overlooked rapper.

Classic old school rap album.

People who like this should try listening to music. They may be surprised that without talking with mysoginistic attitude, the sounds are more mellifluous and mellifluous is what I am looking for..

👍

There's some really listenable, musical stuff on here - great in doses, say as a soundtrack for a scene in a film - but as the genre demands, a bit repetitive.

Nothing will ever top, "My hat is like a shark's fin."

Favourite songs: Mama Said Knock You Out, Murdergram, Cheesy Rat Blues, Farmers Blvd. (Our Anthem), The Boomin' System, Illegal Search, Milky Cereal, Around the Way Girl Least favourite songs: Eat Em Up L Chill 4/5

3.5

One of the OG hip-hop superstars, LL Cool J has such a great flow and some amazing samples in this album.

I feel like sound is outdated, and it didn't turn old like wine, so to say. I would not know why, but my impression is that most of the songs would not make the cut in a contemporary project. If I could explain why, I would not be doing this challenge and would just be a producer instead. Extra point for "Mama said knock you out". Amazing track.

There's a lot to like on this album. The beats are good, sample choices are a plus and you already know some of the songs. I guess that leaves LL himself. There's something a little too "teen heartthrob" about him that kept me from loving this. It's okay, and great at moments. Worth a listen.

I'm embarrassed at how much I enjoyed this album. It's more creative than most hip hop albums I've listened to. He's not trying to act super hard, just clowning around and trying to get laid. Pretty fun overall.

This released closer to The Doors' "Morrison Hotel" than to today. Enjoy.

Oh my heavens! I had A GREAT TIME listening to this! FIVE STARS