This may sound funny. Mr. Smith, LL Cool J’s sixth album during his legendary run with Def Jam, was his coming-of-age LP.
Released in 1995, Uncle L was living out his 10th year as a national recording artist. He’d never known any other level but the highest, and he went through growing pains as a person and a performer.
Smith wasn’t an MC clinging to his youth, trying to be an extension of the artist who debuted in 1985. This was LL leaping forward, realizing he’d reached an entirely different level. It was a level of personal, creative, and artistic maturity.
Cool J commanded respect. Hence, the album title.
On the topic of subject matter and lyrics, we could point out any song from this 15-track set – “Doin It”, “I Shot Ya”, “Make It Hot”, “Life As” – to highlight its grownup direction.
But let’s call attention to “No Airplay”, arguably the grittiest song on the album and definitely the boldest. On it, LL goes raw with no mix and no levels editing. It’s just him in the booth, the microphone, and someone to press record. Done.
Thirty years later, Mr. Smith still deserves airplay. |THIS.
[By Mr. Joe Walker]
