#478 - LL Cool J - Radio

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Rap is one genre that does not age very well. Case in point: LL Cool J's Radio. Upon its release, Radio was a groundbreaking album, well known for its hard hitting beats and storytelling lyricism. It was the first album release on Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons founded Def Jam Records. Listening to it now, I honestly just had a hard time getting through it.

In high school, I owned my fair share of LL albums: Mama Said Knock You Out, Mr. Smith, Phenomenon, and G.O.A.T. Looking back on them now, I don't feel the same way about them as I once did (barring a few select tracks). That is not to say I was every astounded by LL, but I found him relatively enjoyable (besides his constant focus on his lips and abs). (For reference, just press play on the link twice...don't worry about the high or low buttons) The point is I am able to name tracks off those albums that I would listen to at this point in time, even though not one of them would be included in my top 20 favorite rap songs. Unfortunately, Radi0 only provides me with one re-listenable track ("Rock the Bells").

This album is part of the particular group included on "greatest" lists due to their groundbreaking merit, despite their inability to capture modern listeners. It was one of the first rap albums to reach such a high magnitude of record sales. It was a fresh addition to the still newly emerging rap genre. Unfortunately, it just doesn't grab me and I am fairly positive Mike will reciprocate my argument.

No cover this week. Instead, LL Cool J's shining moment. Check out the 7:30 mark.

.d

Look, I love LL. I really don’t think you can find a more genuinely likable guy in rap. So don’t take any of the following complaints as dislike for the artist. I just don’t get this albums place on the list. It’s a good album, and it has historical significance out the ass. But does it really deserve to be higher than the albums we’ve already reviewed? Is this a better rap record than Life After Death? I’m not sure I can answer either of those in the affirmative. Undoubtedly this is one of the most influential pieces of hip hop, being the first to use traditional pop music formats (verse-chorus-verse-chorus)., but I don’t think this is even LL’s best. That would probably be Momma Said Knock You Out (in my opinion a more ambitious record).

Nonetheless, there’s a reason people voted Radio on the list. Right off the bat you get hit with Rick Rubin’s sparse production. Rubin has always been good at creating great music without having one typical sound that defines him. He’s the anti-Lil Jon. You actually have to get four tracks deep before you’ll find an instrument other than drums. The occasional piano of "I Can Give You More" keeps the album from getting to monotonous, and right in the nick of time. The positive side to the bare bones beats is LL’s insane lyrics. The kid was light years ahead of anyone else at the time. "I Can’t Live Without My Radio" is a nonstop assault, tearing apart everything that rap had been before the day Radio was released.

"Dangerous" might be the best boast track ever. This song, above all others here, should be required listening for any prospective mc. The only issue I have with it is that about half the song is just drumbeat with random scratching. That can get a tad boring, but the lyrical play is just too good to knock the song. "I Need A Bea"t was the hit single, which baffles me. Mostly a showoff track for DJ Cut Creator, it doesn’t have much to offer from LL’s standpoint. The constant cutting throws the beat off every stanza, which game me a wicked headache. Maybe it was top level deejaying at the time, but it’s practically prehistoric by today’s standards.

Maybe that’s part of my problem. For what was a groundbreaking album, it now seems to define an era that hasn’t aged all that well. The vocal’s are undeniable. You could put new music to them and half a hit any time you chose. But the production, while top shelf in 1985, has been rendered so obsolete by the advances Rubin himself has been most responsible for. So basically, Rick Rubin is so good at pushing the evolution of hip hop that he has made his older work sound bland. That says a hell of a lot about one man's talent and ability to stay relevant. Unfortunately, LL Cool J hasn’t had the same ability.

Here’s two competing covers. Lagwagon vs. Street Sweeper Social Club

-TFM