Radio

Performer: LL Cool J
Engineer: Steve Ett
Producer: Rick Rubin
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel includes: LL Cool J (rap vocals). Recorded at Chung King House Of Metal, New York, New York. Includes liner notes by Nelson George. Released in 1985, RADIO marks the debut of hip-hop icon LL Cool J. Only in his late teens at the time, the strikingly handsome LL (born James Todd Smith) unleashed 11 supremely confident rhymes with a powerful, fearsome delivery that marked him as a rap icon from day one. LL kicks off the album by sending out an ode, not to a lady, but to his boombox ("I Can't Live Without My Radio"), and never lets up from there, allowing his tough (yet never overly aggressive) lyrics to flow at a steady clip. RADIO is also significant as one of the first records produced by rap/rock Renaissance man Rick Rubin, who contributes the kind of minimal metal-guitar licks and spare, hard-hitting beats that defined mid-80s hip-hop, most notably on the propulsive tunes "Rock the Bells" and "I Need a Beat." Along with Run-DMC's RAISING HELL and the Beastie Boys' LICENSED TO ILL, RADIO forms a trilogy of New York City-based, Rubin-helmed albums that helped to take rap to a whole new level. For fans of old-school hip-hop, this disc is absolutely essential. The CD-reissue edition of the album contains liner notes by music scholar Nelson George.

Rolling Stone - Ranked #69 in Rolling Stone's "100 Best Albums Of The Eighties" survey. Q (9/95, p.134) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...This is elemental rap... [with] a now obvious debt to rock dynamics..." Melody Maker (7/22/95, p.35) - "...As a classic of Def Jam's Rubinned-up metallic phase...`Rock The Bells' is up there with `Walk This Way', `She Watch Channel Zero' and `Rhymin & Stealin'..."

Since releasing his recording debut while still a teenager, LL Cool J has enjoyed one of the most successful and sustained careers in rap history. His aggressive, self-aggrandizing style was one of the form's touchstones in its early incarnation. After earning Grammy Awards and platinum sales and achieving massive crossover success (with 1990's MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT), the man formerly known as James Todd Smith has moved well beyond musical superstardom to become an actor in movies and TV, as well as a product pitchman and philanthropist.

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.25