Disco de LL Cool J: “Mr. Smith [PA]”

Descripción (en inglés) :

Personnel: LL Cool J, Foxy Brown, Fat Joe, Keith Murray, Prodigy, LeShaun (rap vocals); Boyz II Men, Terri & Monica (vocals); TrackMasters, Rashad Smith (various instruments); Eric Cody (keyboards); Sonya Magett (background vocals). Producers: Tone, Rashad Smith, Easy Mo Bee, ChySkillz, Chad "Dr. Ceuss" Elliot. Engineers include: Paul Lanni, Mario Rodriguez, George Karras. "Hey Lover" won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. MR. SMITH was nominated for the 1997 Grammy for Best Rap Album. Personnel: LL Cool J, Foxy Brown, Fat Joe, Keith Murray, Prodigy, LeShaun (rap vocals); Boyz II Men, Terri & Monica (vocals); TrackMasters, Rashad Smith (various instruments); Eric Cody (keyboards); Sonya Magett (background vocals). Producers: Tone, Rashad Smith, Easy Mo Bee, ChySkillz, Chad "Dr. Ceuss" Elliot. Engineers include: Paul Lanni, Mario Rodriguez, George Karras. "Hey Lover" won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. MR. SMITH was nominated for the 1997 Grammy for Best Rap Album. While many of rap music's old-school artists have suffered a downfall, Def Jam's first recording artist, LL Cool J, has remained at the top of the list of successful, surviving MCs. His Lady-Lovin' personality and party-rocking rhyming style are only two reasons for the platinum success of his sixth album, MR. SMITH. Call it a comeback. MR. SMITH recalls several moments of 1990's MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT in both its smoothed-out and hard-core hits--the two sides of LL's hip-hop persona. The album's lead-off single, "Hey Lover," features harmonized crooning from Boyz II Men, and once again crowns LL as the king of the rap ballad. Likewise, on "Doin' It," he gets vocally soft and intimate for a duet with LeShaun. But the album features its tough moments as well, particularly when Keith Murray, Mobb Deep's Prodigy and others add their street flavor to a remix of the headbanger track, "I Shot Ya." While many of rap music's old-school artists have suffered a downfall, Def Jam's first recording artist, LL Cool J, has remained at the top of the list of successful, surviving MCs. His Lady-Lovin' personality and party-rocking rhyming style are only two reasons for the platinum success of his sixth album, MR. SMITH. Call it a comeback. MR. SMITH recalls several moments of 1990's MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT in both its smoothed-out and hard-core hits--the two sides of LL's hip-hop persona. The album's lead-off single, "Hey Lover," features harmonized crooning from Boyz II Men, and once again crowns LL as the king of the rap ballad. Likewise, on "Doin' It," he gets vocally soft and intimate for a duet with LeShaun. But the album features its tough moments as well, particularly when Keith Murray, Mobb Deep's Prodigy and others add their street flavor to a remix of the headbanger track, "I Shot Ya."

Back when he took a dive after releasing "14 Shots to the Dome" he came back with a vengeance with Mr. Smith. To me, this is the best album he came out with so far and should have sold more than it did. On this album, even though every one of them has samples of other songs, I can listen to it all the way through. Like I said, classic album but very underrated.

Lloyd's Favorites:

Hey Lover

Doin It

I Shot Ya! (also the remix)

Mr. Smith

No Airplay

Hollis to Hollywood (but is he good?)

God Bless

Loungin (the remix)

Mr. Smith has got to be one of my favorite albums by LL Cool J. While I am not a huge fan of his work, I recognize talent when I hear it. I enjoyed the mix of styles on this LP and the collabs with other artists such as Boyz II Men, Foxy Brown, and Fat Joe. Trackmasters did a solid job of producing beats you can not only vibe to in your car but get up and dance to when the need hits. So, Mr. Smith-- nearly twenty years later-- is not only one of my favorite albums by LL, but certainly one of the best Hip Hop albums in the history of the genre.