Simple: What is LL Cool J's BEST LP to you? Why?

Me: I struggle b/c Radio has a special place with me growing up. Mama Said Knock You Out is CRAZY & Mr. Smith to me is the Perfect Balance of LL as an MC/Artist to me...

I'm stuck...will give somewhat of a decision if the thread gain some opinions....Those 3 are running neck and neck with me..

Holla

"Highly developed spirits often encounter resistance from mediocre minds."-Albert Einstein

http://twitter.com/#!/TonyHanesPoetry

i bought BAD for $5 over christmas, havent listened to it yet. is it any good?

ll cool j is a rapper that i know nothing about outside of his string of singles from 2001-2006

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22 years later, that album still holds up. Dope beats, and LL killed it. Lyrically he was at his peak IMO, and he just had dope songs. He had other good albums, but to me this is clearly his best.

1. Mama Said Knock You Out
2. Bigger and Deffer
3. Radio
4. Mr. Smith
5. Walking with a Panther
6. The G.O.A.T.
7. 14 Shots to the Dome

LL had a hell of a run from 85-95. He was spotty after that but would still bring it and show he still had it at times.

After that it really doesn't matter but I'd go: 10, The DEFinition, Exit 13, Phenomenon, and Todd Smith. But those 5 albums get no run from me anymore, outside of a few songs.

I was bored once back in '02 and I went through all his albums up to "Todd Smith" (excluding All World because it was a greatest hits) song by song and subdivided, ranking each song into 3 categories:

A+ songs, decent songs, bad songs

they scored like this (numbers represent counts in the category order listed above):

Radio: 2/ 7/ 2
Bigger and Deffer: 2/ 6/ 4
....Panther: 5/ 8/ 5/
Mama Said ... : 4/ 10/ 1
14 Shots...: 2/ 10/ 2
Mr. Smith: 1/ 7/ 7
All World - Skipped because it was a greatest hits
Phenomenon: 2/ 6/ 2
G.O.A.T: 1/ 12/ 5
Ten: 1/ 4/ 10

using a scoring system of +2 for an A+ song, +1 for a decent song, and -1 for a bad song then dividing by the total number of songs I came up with a score for each

after this somewhat bootleg and totally subjective analysis they ranked like this:

Mama Said ... : 1.13
14 Shots...: .86
Radio: .82
Phenomenon: .80
....Panther: .72
Bigger and Deffer: .50
G.O.A.T: .50
Ten: -.93
Mr. Smith: -.33

There is no way Mr. Smith is his worst LP


No way

"Highly developed spirits often encounter resistance from mediocre minds."-Albert Einstein

http://twitter.com/#!/TonyHanesPoetry

A+ - I Shot Ya (remix), Doin' It

Good, but not great - I Shot Ya (orig), Mr. Smith, Loungin' (the remix is an A+ but not on the album), Hollis to Hollywood, God Bless, Get Da Drop On Em

Bad - intro skit, make it hot, hiphop, hey love (some like this I do not), life as, no airplay, prelude skit

note: I actually bumped "Doin 'It" up after the orig rankings. it brought the overall score to .2 placing it now above "ten"

he covered all bases and bought himself a decade run with that album.

he is the first rapper ever in my lifetime to fall off and then come back hard and then compand that respect back and he stayed in his lane and still if he wanted to right now he could still have hits.

put it like this Lionel B.Richie ain't the only Brother from the 80's that could still drop a big hit, James T.Smith could still have a big album if he wanted music as much as he wants tv believe that.

he did his thing though and is one of the best live Rap performers ever but then again that ain't saying a whole lot, but still.

mistermaxxx R.Kelly, Michael Jackson,Stevie wonder,Rick James,Marvin Gaye,El Debarge, Barry WHite Lionel RIchie,Isleys EWF,Lady T.,Kid creole and coconuts,the crusaders,kc sunshine band,bee gees,jW,sd,NE,JB

Miami Heat, New York Yankees,buffalo bills

but 14 shots is a personal favorite because it has those mid 90's kdef/marley marl cuts on it like funkadelic relic.

"If you stay ready, you ain't got to get ready." -Suga Free

in his direction he seemed more mellow and not as hyped. he knew he had won when he dropped 14 shots nothing else left to prove thereafter. for good or bad or indifferent depends on where you stand on his music and career before and there after.

mistermaxxx R.Kelly, Michael Jackson,Stevie wonder,Rick James,Marvin Gaye,El Debarge, Barry WHite Lionel RIchie,Isleys EWF,Lady T.,Kid creole and coconuts,the crusaders,kc sunshine band,bee gees,jW,sd,NE,JB

Miami Heat, New York Yankees,buffalo bills

Fo Sure.

mistermaxxx R.Kelly, Michael Jackson,Stevie wonder,Rick James,Marvin Gaye,El Debarge, Barry WHite Lionel RIchie,Isleys EWF,Lady T.,Kid creole and coconuts,the crusaders,kc sunshine band,bee gees,jW,sd,NE,JB

Miami Heat, New York Yankees,buffalo bills

life always offers you a 2nd chance...it's called tomorrow. use it wisely

Bigger and Deffer is a close #2, or maybe 1A. BUt Momma Said had so much riding on it after Walking WIth A Panther and he and Marley killed it across the board. With enough songs to cover all bases (street shit, check, girl shit, check, radio play, check, truck shit, check) without pandering to anyone, it was probably the most complete album he's ever put together front to back.

And I've said it before and will say it again, Cheesy Rat Blues is one of the dopest things LL ever wrote, hands down.

<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up...
__________________________

Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect.
Game: Like Gladys Knight.
Jay: Aretha Franklin.
Game: Word, I like her too.
Jay: Nigga...

was one of the best sophomore albums I've ever heard. That had HARD beats throughout.