Disco de LL Cool J: “14 Shots to the Dome”

BOTTOM LINE:

There is nothing wrong with this album except that it came out around the same time that BIGGER releases dropped (namely, everything from the West Coast haha ). Too bad, cuz this album has ALL of the rapidfire funk that was in East Coast hiphop. 'Back Seat' is the all-time jeep classic!

Pink Cookies definitely got crushed by buildings; Snoop stepped on them. LOL

Looking how far the art of rap has come to change into hip hop. The artist Uncle L...For those how slept on the album miss L.L.Cool J at a great moment. This is a classic Album. It shows some of L.L's better talent and skill side. I feel it got it's bad Rap in which I think was due to the title "14 shots to the dome" it didn't get the praise it deserved.

Maybe if called "The Coming" or "A little somethin'" it might been able to catch more eyes. Now remember at this this time in 93' the west coast was starting to evolve into Gangsta Rap craze which then later overwhelm everyone.

Fortunately it was able to shoot off a couple of great singles. Again only in a brief moment in time. Pink Cookies with it's great duel meaning

shows the skills of this Artist. Which was a love song with it it's strong crossover dedication to the world of Hip Hop and Rap.

Also Stand by your man a clever piece of art using Slick Rick "For al of Ya'll" looped to a nice jingle he is know to have done so well.

Again shows to magic of rhyme and rhythm which make a complete piece.

L always displays great mic skills, however this album was a lot better produced. This is LL how he should be. There a maybe 3 or 4 cuts he could have done with out.

Not one of LL's better-known recordings, 14 SHOTS TO THE DOME initially sold well, hitting the Top Five on the Hot 200 when it was originally released. However, the disc became his first album to fail to reach Platinum status in sales, and it is largely remembered as being a disappointment. This is a shame because 14 SHOTS actually sits among LL's best work, with 60 minutes worth of strong hooks and impassioned raps. The entire album has a much harder sound than most of his previous recordings, with "Buckin' Em," "Straight From Queens," and "Ain't No Stoppin' This" emerging as three of Uncle L's most rapid-fire rhymes yet.

LL also sounds incredibly spirited on "A Little Something," as well as the sexy hits "Back Seat" (#42 Pop, #24 R&B, #2 Rap) and "How I'm Comin'" (#57 Pop, #28 R&B, #1 Rap). Even the lighter numbers ("Stand By Your Man," "Diggy Down") aren't too sappy, and prove to be highlights rather than liabilities more often than not. As a matter of fact, the clever love song "Pink Cookies In A Plastic Bag Getting Crushed By Buildings" is the album's standout track. Even though it may not have as many standout moments as incredible as those on RADIO or MAMA, 14 SHOTS TO THE DOME is a solid, consistent work that easily stands as LL's most underrated album.

I don't know why this album got all of the crap it got. I remember in 6th grade hearing Pink Cookies, title's too long, I was amazed. Beat was great, he puts a little battle twist in the beginning, then goes telling a story about him macking some chick. While macking, he puts different hiphop group names in the rhymes. The whole ablum is great, it's LL verbally murdering wack MC's. See, these were the days before Hollywood got to Mr. Smith. This was when he could spit fire, minus I need Love about 7 years prior. Great production by Marley Marl, but then again, when did he not produce fire? LL was great, from Buck Em Down to Back Seat. This was grimey, soulfull, and lyrically unstoppable. Please, LL, come back. This is what made us hip hop fans excited. Please, no more cameo's with J-Lo. No more movies. Just come back and give us quality hip hop.