Radio (LL Cool J album)

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Untitled

Radio is the debut album of hip hop artist LL Cool J, released November 18, 1985 on Def Jam Recordings.[1] Recording sessions for the album took place at the Chung King House of Metal in New York City,[2] after which it became the first full-length album released by the Def Jam label.[3] On April 14, 1986, it was certified platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America.[4]

Reflecting the "ghettoblaster" and new school culture of the mid 1980s, the album belongs to a pivotal moment in hip hop's chronology, as its popularity contributed to the displacement of old school rap with new school hip hop, and to the mainstream success hip hop would enjoy during this period.[5] LL Cool J's lyrics and producer Rick Rubin's sparse production were praised and the album became widely regarded as LL Cool J's magnum opus amongst fans and critics alike.[6] Radio's rankings near the top of many “best hip-hop/rap albums” lists have given it a reputation as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time.[7]

History

Release

In March of 1984, when NYU student Rick Rubin and promoter/manager Russell Simmons founded the independent Def Jam label, 16 year–old Queens rapper James Todd Smith was creating demo tapes in his grandparents' home using a mixing table bought by his grandfather. Smith sent his demos to various record companies, including Def Jam.[8] Under his new stage name, LL Cool J (Ladies Love Cool James)[9], Def Jam released his first single, the 12" "I Need A Beat".[10] As Smith later said, "I sent my demo to many different companies, but it was Def Jam where I found my home".[11] That same year, Smith made his professional debut performance at Manhattan Center High School.[12]:


They pushed the lunch room tables together and me and my DJ, Cut Creator, started playing. ... As soon as it was
over there were girls screaming and asking for autographs. Right then and there I said "This is what I want to do"


LL's debut single sold over 100,000 copies and helped establish both Def Jam as a label and LL as a rapper. The success of "I Need a Beat", along with the Beastie Boys's "Rock Hard", helped lead Def Jam to a distribution deal with Columbia Records the following year.[13] Soon after his success, LL dropped out of Andrew Jackson High School to record his debut album.[14] Recording sessions took place at Chung King Studios in Manhattan's Chinatown under Rubin's direction.[2] Notable from the personnel line-up was LL's DJ Jay Philpot, better known as "Cut Creator". A Queens native and former trombonist, Philpot met LL at a block party and they began performing together.[15] The audio mastering was handled by engineer Herb Powers at 130 West and 42nd Street in the Frankford Wayne Mastering Labs[16] and the album was released as Radio in November of 1985, containing a dedication in the liner notes from LL to his mother and grandparents. Six of the album's tracks had already or would later be released as singles.[17]

Aftermath

Radio became both a critical and a commercial success, selling over 1 million copies in its first five months after release[4] and peaking at #6 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop chart and at #46 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.[18] The experiences and attitudes of inner-city youth that surface in Radio, such as the b-boy attitude ("I Can't Live Without My Radio", "Rock the Bells") and teenage promiscuity ("Dear Yvette"), along with LL's "teenage energy", as described by Nelson George, helped appeal to a younger audience. "I Want You" and "I Can Give You More" have been called the first hip-hop ballads.[19] Its release coincided with the growing new school hip hop scene, which marked the beginning of hip-hop's "golden age".[19] LL Cool J became one of the first hip-hop acts to achieve mainstream success along with Kurtis Blow and Run-D.M.C.. Gigs at larger venues were offered to LL as he would join the 1986-'87 Raising Hell tour, opening for Run-D.M.C. and the Beastie Boys.[20] Another milestone of LL's popularity was his appearance on American Bandstand as the first hip hop act on the show.[21]

This period was also marked by the end of the disco rap stylings of old school hip hop that had flourished before the mid-80s and the rise of a new style featuring "ghetto blasters". This new style was highlighted in the album by the song "I Can't Live Without My Radio", an ode to the boombox.[2] The song was featured in the 1985 hip-hop film Krush Groove, which was based on the rise of Def Jam and acts such as Run-D.M.C. and the Fat Boys.[22] The decline of old school also led to the closing of Sugar Hill Records, one of the labels that helped contribute to early hip-hop and that, coincidently, rejected LL's demo tape.[23] The album's success also helped Rick Rubin's credibility as a producer. Radio, along with Raising Hell and Licensed to Ill, would form a trilogy of New York City-based, Rubin-helmed albums that helped to diversify hip-hop.[24][2] Rubin's production credit on the back cover reads "REDUCED BY RICK RUBIN", referring to his minimalist production style, which gave the album its stripped-down and gritty sound. This style would serve as one of Rubin's production trademarks and would have a great impact on future hip-hop productions.[25]

Critical reception

Radio was welcomed with praise by many critics soon after release, including Robert Christgau of the Village Voice, who described it in a January 1986 article as "the most engaging and original rap album of the year".[26] Ira Robbins of the Trouser Press called the album a "primary classic of hip-hop's original commercial surge", and went on to write:

Following his electrifying appearance in Krush Groove (the film that essentially chronicles the birth of the Def Jam label and the launch of the Fat Boys), New York rapper L(adies) L (ove) Cool J(ames Todd Smith) released Radio, a great full-length album ("reduced by Rick Rubin") that promptly went gold. From the monster boombox on the cover to grooves like "I Can't Live Without My Radio" and "You Can't Dance", LL touches all the right cultural totems, delivering his sharp-tongued lines with adolescent urgency and a deliciously snotty attitude. The rhythm tracks are stripped-down and aggressive; raps on familiar subjects sidestep clichés and are clever enough to warrant repeated listening. One of the earliest full-length rap albums to be issued, it was Def Jam's first longplayer.[27]

Radio was later ranked at #2 on ego trip's "Hip Hop's 25 Greatest Albums (1980-98)", #69 on Rolling Stone's "100 Best LPs of the 80s", and #71 on Blender's "100 Greatest American Albums of All Time" list.[7] Template:RS500[28] The album was also included in Rolling Stone magazine's 1997 issue of "The Essential 200 Rock Records"[29] and ranked number 23 on Piero Scaruffi's list of the "Best Hip Hop Albums of All Time".[30] In 1998, Radio was selected as one of The Source's "100 Best Rap Albums".[31]

Track listing

All songs written by James Todd Smith/Rick Rubin, execpt where noted otherwise.

# Title Time Producer(s) Performer (s) Notes
1 "I Can't Live Without My Radio" 5:28 Rick Rubin LL Cool J Appears on the Krush Groove soundtrack
2 "You Can't Dance" 3:37 Rick Rubin LL Cool J Contains samples from "Apache" by Incredible Bongo Band
3 "Dear Yvette" 4:07 Rick Rubin LL Cool J
4 "I Can Give You More" 5:08 Rick Rubin LL Cool J
5 "Dangerous" 4:40 Rick Rubin LL Cool J
6 "Untitled" 1:18 Rick Rubin LL Cool J Hidden a cappela track on track listings; referred to as "El Shabazz"/"Three the Hard Way"
7 "Rock the Bells" 4:01 Rick Rubin LL Cool J Contains samples from Trouble Funk's "Pump Me Up", Bob James's "Take Me to the Mardi Gras",
& AC/DC's "Flick of the Switch"
8 "I Need a Beat (Remix)" 4:32 Jazzy Jay LL Cool J Written by Rubin, LL, and Adrock; remixed by Jazzy Jay.
9 "That's a Lie" 4:42 Rick Rubin LL Cool J, Russell Rush Contains samples from "Owner of a Lonely Heart" by Yes
10 "You'll Rock" 4:44 Rick Rubin LL Cool J Contains samples from "Frisco Disco" by Eastside Connection
11 "I Want You" 4:51 Rick Rubin LL Cool J

Chart history

Album

Year Album Chart positions
Billboard 200 Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums
1985 Radio #46 #6

Singles

Single information
"I Need a Beat"
  • Released: 1984
  • B-side: "I Need a Beat (Zootie Mix)"
"I Can't Live Without My Radio"
"I Can Give You More"
"I Want You"
  • Released: 1985
  • B-side: "Dangerous"
"Rock the Bells"
  • Released: 1985
  • B-side: "El Shabazz"
  • Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks #17
  • Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales #24
  • Hot Dance Music/Club Play #35
"You'll Rock"
  • Released: 1986
  • B-side: "I Need a Beat"
  • Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks #59

Personnel

Person Credit Notes
James Todd Smith a.k.a. LL Cool J vocals
Jay Philpot a.k.a. DJ Cut Creator disc jockey
Russell Rush guest vocals Appears on track #9
Rick Rubin producer "Reduced by Rick Rubin"
Steven Ett engineer
Sean "Puffy" Combs management Credited in liner notes as "Sean 'Puffy' Combs for Bad Boy Management"
Steve Byram design
Nelson George liner notes

See also

References

  • Nelson George (1985). Fresh: Hip Hop Don't Stop. Random House, New York, NY. ISBN 9780394544878.
  • Radio album liner notes by Nelson George. Def Jam Recordings.
  • Kurtis Blow Presents: The History of Rap, Vol. 1 & 2 album liner notes by Kurtis Blow. Rhino / WEA International Inc.

Notes

  1. ^ "LL Cool J career discography at HeadSprung.net". Headsprung.net. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  2. ^ a b c d "Radio cd product notes". Muze Inc. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
  3. ^ "eNotes features....reference material". eNotes.com, Inc. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  4. ^ a b "RIAA searchable database". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
  5. ^ "Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia ... Def Jam, LL, & new school hip hop". ©2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  6. ^ "Unlock Austin - album comments". unlockaustin.com. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  7. ^ a b "Radio Ratings and Rankings". www.acclaimedmusic.net. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
  8. ^ "VideoETA....LL Cool J bio". VideoETA.com Inc. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  9. ^ "Acronyms and abbreviations by the Free Online Dictionary". Farlex, Inc. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  10. ^ "MTV.com - LL Cool J Bio". MTV Networks. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  11. ^ "Def Jam Recordings - LL Cool J Biography". The Island Def Jam Music Group. Retrieved 2008-05-25.
  12. ^ "LL Cool J bio: Edison Force ActorTribute.ca..." Tribute Entertainment Media Group. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  13. ^ "Address Island / Def Jam Records ... Def Jam history". GoDaddy.com, Inc. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  14. ^ "Biography.comRead.... LL Cool J Biography (1968–)". A&E Television Networks. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  15. ^ "DJ Cut Creator biography at Official Website". Cut Creator.com. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  16. ^ "Herb Powers Jr. at discogs.com". Discogs. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  17. ^ "James Todd Smith at Discogs.com". Discogs. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  18. ^ "Global Oneness ... LL discography w/chart positions". Global Oneness Community. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  19. ^ a b "Wilson & Alroy's Record Reviews - Radio". © 2007 - 2008 Gridwerk. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  20. ^ "Biography and other information at Askmen.com". IGN Entertainment, Inc. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  21. ^ "Career overview at McgillisMusic". World Wide Entertainment USA, Inc. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  22. ^ "CaseNet.com - LL Cool J". CaseNet. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  23. ^ "LL Cool J :: Radio ** RapReviews "Back to the Lab" series ** by Steve "Flash" Juon". RapReviews.com; Flash Web Design Exclusive. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
  24. ^ "Kurtis Blow Presents: The History Of Rap, Vol. 1: The Genesis". Rhino Entertainment. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  25. ^ "About.com ... Rick Rubin's Style and Approach". The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  26. ^ "Christgau consumer guide '86". Village Voice LLC. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  27. ^ "LL Cool J at TrouserPress.com". Trouser Press LLC. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  28. ^ "Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All Time cover story - 478) Radio". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  29. ^ "200: The Essential Rock Collection at rocklist.net". Rolling Stone, rocklist.net. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  30. ^ "List at Scaruffi website". Piero Scaruffi. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  31. ^ "100 Best Rap Albums of All Time at rocklist.net". The Source, rocklist.net. Retrieved 2008-06-24.

External links


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