#293: LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out (1990)

Zack: For some reason, I don’t think of LL Cool J as a golden age rapper. And I don’t mean that as some sort of knock on LL Cool J, just that he’s at least retained enough cultural relevance that I don’t think of him in the same way I think of say…Slick Rick. And yet Mama Said Knock You Out is a few months older than I am and was already LL’s fourth album. On it, LL raps ferociously, especially on the title track and a few diss tracks like To Da Break of Dawn. There’s also a fair amount of diversity. For example, there’s a song entirely of cereal puns called Milky Cereal that crossed its spoon metaphors in a few places and overall was just kind of dumb. In general, I was more into the hard-hitting stuff than the softer, “I’m LL Cool J and I’m chiseled from rock so you should show me your boudoir” songs. Which I thought was interesting since it’s the latter that I associate with LL more closely. Overall, I liked Mama Said Knock You Out and I could see myself adding a few songs to some playlist down the road, but I don’t have any urge to dive into his discography any deeper.

Favorite Tracks: Mama Said Knock You Out; Illegal Search; Eat ‘em Up, L Chill

Emily: At the ripe old age of 22, LL Cool J released his fourth album, Mama Said Knock You Out, after having commercial success through the early waves of hip-hop throughout the mid-'80s. This album seems, though, what really started to bring him critical acclaim in both the hip-hop community and the mainstream music press. He starts to bridge the gap between the '80s golden age, with its goofier lyrics and heavier influence of funk and soul, and the harder sounds that came to prominence in the '90s. In general, I preferred the former side of LL Cool J. The title track, though, was my favorite because it really brings the two eras together. In the (relatively short) timeline of hip-hop and rap, LL Cool J has been a figure throughout, adapting a bit to the times while still staying true to his sound. On Mama Said Knock You Out, that adaptability shines through.

Favorite Tracks: Mama Said Knock You Out; Eat 'em Up, L Chill; Around the Way Girl

#168: Queen Latifah - All Hail the Queen (1989)

Zack: Well well well. What a coincidence. Here I am listening to this album the day after Emily “saw” Queen Latifah for free at a July 4^th concert. Such irony, if irony meant something completely different than what it actually means. I was very curious to listen to this album because, so often, women suck at rapping. The few that have been able to break through tend to oversexualize, seemingly as a way to blend in where a large portion of the songs are entirely dedicated to reducing women to purely sexual objects. But the Queen never stooped to that. Instead, she elevated herself to the status of a queen (hence the name) and made it clear that she didn’t need to be one of the boys since she was already better than them. Her skills are definitely impressive, especially considering she was able to compete with her contemporaries, which included the likes of Rakim, Big Daddy, and KRS-One (minimally featured on All Hail). That sad, I was pretty much underwhelmed. Recently, a coworker and I came up with our top 5 hip-hop albums of all time. It’s hard for me not to compare any hip-hop album I listen to with those five now that I actually was forced to think about it. It’s not even in the ballpark. Once again, I’m forced to ask why this is here. There are only 50 or so hip-hop slots on the list. Assuming that this had to work like a quota system, is this really one of the best 50 rap albums? Maybe 100, but 50? Considering that those three contemporaries I mentioned earlier have a combined 0 albums, when Paid in Full, It’s a Big Daddy Thing, and Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip-Hop are obvious musts. And what about some of the artists who got one album but could just have easily had more? Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., All Eyez On Me, Life After Death, The Black Album, Late Registration. The list goes on. How about Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star or even Black on Both Sides or The Beautiful Struggle as solo albums from those two? And then there’s the lesser publicized stuff. Personally I would rather see When Life Gives You Lemons You Paint That Shit Gold by Atmosphere of MF Doom’s Madvillainy (you’re welcome, Dan). I just easily named 13 albums I would rather see of this list than All Hail the Queen. I know we seem to go through this with every other rap album but, I mean, come on. Sorry Queen. You’re a solid MC. But you’re not that good.

Favorite Tracks: The Pros; Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children; Latifah’s Law

Emily: Every July 4^th here in Philadelphia, the city hosts the biggest free concert in the country – the Philly 4^th of July Jam. For the past few years, they’ve featured the Roots as house band for a combination of local acts and famous performers (with a few sets of their own in between of course since the Roots are hometown favorites). Now, despite having lived in Philadelphia and its suburbs my entire life, I had never attended the concert until this summer. I trekked to the Parkway after work on July 4^th with a group of friends who have been to the concert almost every year. This year’s headliners, along with the Roots, were Joe Jonas, Daryl Hall, Common, and none other than Queen Latifah. Queen Latifah was probably who I looked forward to seeing most, partially because she’s awesome and partially because I knew her debut album was coming up on the list soon. Knowing that the featured album on the list was a rap album, I really wanted to hear the Queen rap. Backed by the Roots, she took the stage first and…sung. No rap from Queen Latifah, just some jazz standards and dedications to her mother. Don’t get me wrong, she has a lovely voice, but I was really looking forward to her going back to her roots with the Roots. Well, now I’ve listened to Latifah rap on her 1989 debut, All Hail the Queen – and I don’t think I missed much at the concert. Queen Latifah was one of the first commercially successful female rappers, and I’ll give her that. However, not everything on this album quite gelled for me. Some things worked very well, like the choices of ‘80s dance samples coupled with feminist rap anthems (Ladies First is particularly great). On the other hand, her lyrics at first reminded me of a female Will Smith – delivered with passion, but clean and fairly benign – and the production was mostly underwhelming and occasionally annoying (such as the hyper electronic voices on Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children). Queen Latifah definitely broke through after this album, and her career has gone nowhere but up. Do I want to hear her rap again though? Probably not, but I’ll certainly take some jazz standards and musicals again.

Favorite Tracks: Ladies First; Dance for Me; Dance for Me (Ultimatum Remix)

#116: Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force - Planet Rock: The Album (1986)

Zack: Ah, the Golden Age of hip-hop. Truly a great time for rap music. It’s too bad that the list overlooks some of the greatest of that era (no Rakim or Big Daddy Kane or KRS-One? Seriously!?), but at least they got this one right. Afrika Bambaataa is so crucial to hip-hop culture alone that he merits a place on the list. And then you consider his impact on music and you realize that he probably should have his face immortalized on a hip-hop Mt. Rushmore or something. Of course, Mr. Bambaataa is primarily a DJ, so he had to assemble a team of rappers worthy of the opportunity to rhyme over his funky, electro beats. Enter the Soulsonic Force, a group of emcees so talented that they’ve been called the Power Rangers of rap. Well, I made that last sentence up, but still. Planet Rock is a legendary album by a legendary artist whose impact on the game has been massive, but still underappreciated.

Favorite Tracks: Who You Funkin’ With; Planet Rock; Renegades of Funk

Emily: As our loyal readers know, I’m pretty fond of the funk. Those same readers would know that I am ever-so-slowly being converted to hip-hop fandom. Those two interests collided upon listening to Afrika Bambaataa’s Planet Rock. This was my first foray into old-school hip-hop, and I wasn’t exactly sure what I was getting into. What I found was another transitional album (two in a row! Whoaaaa!) that incorporates elements of the past with a futuristic look forward. Bambaataa fuses African rhythms with funky beats, and then layers his hip-hop stylings on top. Add in a few badass guitars and shout-outs to the Zulu Nation, and you end up with something great. Afrika Bambaataa may not be as well known as the Sugar Hill Gang or Run-DMC, but he’s clearly influential in his own right.

Favorite Tracks: Looking for the Perfect Beat; Planet Rock; Frantic Situation