Radio (LL Cool J album)
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| Radio | |||||
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| Studio album by LL Cool J | |||||
| Released | November 18, 1985 | ||||
| Recorded | 1984-1985 Chung King House of Metal New York, New York |
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| Genre | Hip-Hop/Rap | ||||
| Length | 47:04 | ||||
| Label | Def Jam/Columbia CK-40239 |
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| Producer | Rick Rubin | ||||
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| LL Cool J chronology | |||||
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| Singles from Radio | |||||
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Radio is the debut album of hip hop artist LL Cool J, released November 18, 1985 on the Def Jam label.[5] The first full-length album released by Def Jam Recordings, Radio was surprisingly successful for a hip-hop album in the mid-1980s.[6] As of April 14, 1986, it has been certified platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America.[7] Reflecting the "ghettoblaster" and new school culture of the 1980s, the album belongs to a pivotal moment in hip hop's history, as its popularity contributed to the decline of old school rap and to the rise of new school.[8] LL Cool J's uncompromising lyricism 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.[9]. 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.[10]
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[edit] History
[edit] Release
In March of 1984, during the time when NYU student Rick Rubin and promoter/manager Russell Simmons founded their, then, independent Def Jam label, 16 year-old Queens rapper James Todd Smith was producing demo tapes in his grandparents' home, with a mixing table bought by his grandfather, and sending them to various record companies.[11] This attracted the interest of Rubin's and Simmons's new label and, under his new stage name, LL Cool J was signed, leading to his first single, the 12" "I Need a Beat".[12] As Smith later said, "I sent my demo to many different companies, but it was Def Jam where I found my home".[13] That same year, Smith made his professional debut performance at Manhattan Center High School, which helped reassure himself of his future in hip hop[14]:
| “ | 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" |
” |
The song sold over 100,000 copies and helped establish both Def Jam and LL as a rapper. The success of "I Need a Beat", along with the Beastie Boys's "Rock Hard", helped lead to a distribution deal with Columbia Records the following year.[15] Soon after this success, LL dropped out of his Andrew Jackson High School to record his debut album.[16] Recording sessions took place at Chung King Studios in Chinatown under Rubin's direction, which included small personnel. Notable from the personnel was LL's DJ Jay Philpot, or better known as "Cut Creator". Also a Queens native and a former trombonist, Philpot met Todd Smith at a block party and began performing together.[17] The audio mastering was handled by mastering engineer Herb Powers at 130 West and 42nd Street in the Frankford Wayne Mastering Labs[18] 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 tracks from the album had already or would later be released as singles.[19]
| A minimalist homeboy who knows his beats. -Nelson George |
[edit] Aftermath
Radio became both a critical and a commercial success, selling over 1 million copies in its first five months after release[20] and peaking at #6 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop chart and at #46 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.[21] The experiences and attitudes of inner-city youth that surface 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" are arguably considered to be the first hip-hop ballads.[22] Its release capitulated with the growing new school hip hop scene, which marked the beginning of hip-hop's "golden age", and its success introduced a larger audience to hip-hop.[23] With this, LL Cool J became one of the first hip-hop artists to achieve mainstream success, along with Kurtis Blow and Run-D.M.C., whose successful LP's have also gained them popularity during this period. In effect, 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.[24] 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 of "ghetto blasters". This new style was highlighted in the album by the song "I Can't Live Without My Radio", which 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.[25] The decline of old school led to the closing of Sugar Hill Records, one of the labels that helped contribute to early hip-hop and that also, coincidently, rejected LL's demo tape.[26] 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.[27] 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 an impact on future hip-hop productions.[28] Produced by Rubin, the record, according to album liner notes, was also managed by "Sean 'Puffy' Combs for Bad Boy Management". Steve Juon of RapReviews.com wrote of Radio's effect, in that "....It seems this album was the launching pad for a lot of different success stories: Rick Rubin as a musical pioneer, LL Cool J as a household name, and Russell Simmons and Sean Combs as moguls in the music industry....".[29]
[edit] 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".[30] Ira Robbins of the Trouser Press called the album a "primary classic of hip-hop's original commercial surge", and went on to say [31]
"LL Cool J remains a pure entertainer (no pretense of shoot-'em-up malevolence here) and, at heart, a rap traditionalist — the very thing that has doomed virtually all of his original peers to the commercial past tense.
From the very beginning, he came to play with a catchy pop instinct, an exuberant good nature and sharp, straight confidence on the mic. 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."
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.
In 2003, the album was ranked number 478 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[32] The album was also included in Rolling Stone magazine's 1997 issue of "The Essential
200 Rock Records".[33] In 1998, Radio was selected as one of The Source's "100 Best Rap Albums of All Time".[34]
[edit] 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 | n/a |
| 4 | "I Can Give You More" | 5:08 | Rick Rubin | LL Cool J | n/a |
| 5 | "Dangerous" | 4:40 | Rick Rubin | LL Cool J | n/a |
| 6 | "Untitled" | 1:18 | Rick Rubin | LL Cool J | Hidden a cappela track on track listings; refered 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 | n/a |
[edit] Chart and single history
[edit] Album Chart Positions
| Year | Album | Chart positions | |
| Billboard 200 | Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums | ||
| 1985 | Radio | #46 | #6 |
[edit] Singles Chart Positions
| Single cover | Single information |
|---|---|
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"I Need a Beat"
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"I Can't Live Without My Radio"
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"I Can Give You More"
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"I Want You"
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"Rock the Bells"
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"You'll Rock"
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[edit] Personnel
| Person | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| James Todd Smith a.k.a. LL Cool J | vocals | n/a |
| Jay Philpot a.k.a. DJ Cut Creator | disc jockey | n/a |
| Russell Rush | guest vocals | Appears on track #9 |
| Rick Rubin | producer | "Reduced by Rick Rubin" |
| Steven Ett | engineer | n/a |
| Sean "Puffy" Combs | management | Credited in liner notes as "Sean 'Puffy' Combs for Bad Boy Management" |
| Steve Byram | design | n/a |
| Nelson George | liner notes | n/a |
[edit] 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..
- ^ Radio ratings at AcclaimedMusic.net (see ref. 10)
- ^ http://www.moviemars.com/Store.aspx?view=item&ItemID=974979 MovieMars.com - Discount DVDs, CDs, Movies, Music, Video Games, BooksThis website and its contents... Radio product reviews
- ^ http://rateyourmusic.com/list/scottbdoug/the_source_magazines_5_mic_rap_albums The Source's 5 Mic albums at RateYourMusic.com
- ^ Spin's Book of Alternative Albums, Ratings 1-10 (USA October 10, 1995)
- ^ http://www.headsprung.net/discography.php LL Cool J career discography at HeadSprung.net
- ^ http://www.enotes.com/contemporary-musicians/l-l-cool-j-biography eNotes features online study guides, lesson plans, and other reference material.... - Def Jam Took Notice
- ^ RIAA database search item Radio, retrieved 24 May 2008
- ^ http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/345049/LL-Cool-J Encyclopedia - Britannica Online EncyclopediaProvides complete text of Encyclopaedia Brit.... - Def Jam & new school hip hop info
- ^ http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:8s5PfZjw5RsJ:www.unlockaustin.com/Band/LL%2BCool%2BJ+ll+cool+j+Radio+best+work&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=11&gl=us Unlock Austin - About Us PageUnlock Austin is privately funded by our wonderful investors. The UA....LL's album reviews by fans
- ^ http://www.acclaimedmusic.net/Current/A645.htm Best of All-time Lists, Best of Decade Lists, etc.
- ^ http://videoeta.com/person/726 VideoETA - The best source for DVD release datesDVD and Blu-ray release dates for upcoming movies plus...
- ^ http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/ll_cool_j/artist.jhtml#bio MTV brings you a free and extensive collection of Music Videos, Artist.... - LL Cool J Bio
- ^ Def Jam Recordings - LL Cool J Biography. Retrieved on 2008-05-25.
- ^ http://www.tribute.ca/people/LL+Cool+J/2045/8892 LL Cool J bio: Edison Force ActorTribute.ca movie showtimes and listings for all theatres and cinemas in Canada ... Since emerging onto the rap scene...
- ^ http://www.addressdefjam.com/ Address Island / Def Jam Records - Contact informationContact info and address to Island / De... Def Jam history
- ^ http://www.biography.com/search/article.do?id=16450351 Biography.comRead biographies,.... LL Cool J Biography (1968-)
- ^ http://www.cutcreator.com/bio.html DJ Cut Creator biography at Official Website
- ^ http://www.discogs.com/artist/Herb+Powers+Jr. Herb Powers Jr. discography and bio at discogs.com
- ^ http://www.discogs.com/artist/LL+Cool+J James Todd Smith profile and discography at Discogs.com
- ^ RIAA database search (see reference 7)
- ^ http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/LL_Cool_J_-_Discography/id/5216923 Global Oneness - The meeting place for Cultural Creatives... LL discography w/chart positions
- ^ http://www.warr.org/llcoolj.html Professional review of Radio by Wilson & Alroy
- ^ http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/345049/LL-Cool-J Encyclopedia - Britannica Online EncyclopediaProvides complete text of Encyclopaedia Brit.... - Def Jam & LL Cool j info
- ^ http://www.askmen.com/men/entertainment_100/100_ll_cool_j.html Biography and other LL Cool J information at Askmen.com
- ^ http://www.casenet.com/people/llcoolj.htm CaseNet.com - LL Cool J: LL Cool J's Profile and Upcoming Films
- ^ http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/BTTL_radio.html LL Cool J :: Radio :: Def Jam RecordingsLL Cool J :: Radio :: Def Jam Recordings ** RapReviews "Back to the Lab" series ** as reviewed by Steve 'Flash' Juon.
- ^ http://www.rhino.com/Features/liners/72851lin.html Kurtis Blow Presents: The History Of Rap, Vol. 1: The Genesis
- ^ http://top40.about.com/od/popmusicproducers/p/rickrubin.htm About.com Top 40 / Pop: Songs, Charts, Lists, Reviews of Top 40 ...Top 40 and pop music songs, charts, news, and reviews.... Rick Rubin's Style and Approach
- ^ (See RapReviews reference 27)
- ^ http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv1-86.php Christgau consumer guide '86
- ^ http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=ll_cool_j LL Cool J review at TrouserPress.com
- ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6627604/478_radio Rolling Stone magazine 500 Greatest Albums of All Time cover story - 478) Radio
- ^ http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/rs200.html 200: The Essential Rock Collection at rocklist.net
- ^ http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/source.htm 100 Best Rap Albums of All Time at rocklist.net
