{"id":340,"date":"2013-09-13T16:41:46","date_gmt":"2013-09-13T16:41:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/batterymedia.com\/blog\/?p=340"},"modified":"2013-09-30T15:57:35","modified_gmt":"2013-09-30T15:57:35","slug":"rs-470-l-l-cool-j-radio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/batterymedia.com\/blog\/?p=340","title":{"rendered":"RS #470: L.L. Cool J, Radio"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"L.L.
Takes 16 “D” Batteries.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

#470<\/p>\n

L.L. Cool J,\u00a0Radio<\/em><\/h3>\n
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Release Date:<\/strong>\u00a01983<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Previously Owned:<\/strong>\u00a0No<\/div>\n
First Time Listen:\u00a0<\/strong>No<\/div>\n
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Impressions:<\/strong>\u00a0 Before he was doing the NCIS thing or battling sharks<\/a>, L.L. (along with Run DMC) was one of the first big crossover rap stars that moved hip-hop from the secret mix tapes and 12″ records we passed around at school to the mainstream. I haven’t listened to this album since way back when. Let’s take it for a spin… From the get-go, the sound is\u00a0classic boom-bap minimal\u00a0Rick Rubin production. “I Can’t Live Without My Radio” has lots of the prototypical old-school “lemon to the lime\/lime\u00a0to the lemon rhyming” style. Enjoyably nostalgic, and heavily sampled, but sometimes LL seems kind of boring as a rhyme artist. I\u00a0guess that’s the problem with seminal works, they tend to…WAIT, HE WAS 17 YEARS OLD<\/em> WHEN HE DID THIS? Holy shit!! I take back everything I just said. I mean, I couldn’t even do my own laundry when I was 17. My Kangol hat is off to you, Young Cool James. Seriously though, I think my ears are little worn out from LL’s basic rhyming style due to all the imitiations and bad rap parodies in the ’80s aping this record. (Remember this number from “3 Men and a\u00a0Little Lady?”<\/a>) \u00a0Regardless, “Rock the Bells” is still as thrilling as the day it came out and and between the Yes sample and diss lyrics, “That’s A Lie” made me laugh out loud.<\/p>\n

Starred Songs:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0“I Can’t Live Without My Radio,” “Rock the Bells”<\/div>\n
Sneaky Track:<\/strong>\u00a0“That’s A Lie”<\/div>\n
Should this album be on the\u00a0list?\u00a0<\/strong>Yes.
\nWill you listen to this again?<\/strong>\u00a0Yes.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Verdict:<\/strong>\u00a0 Fun, influental hip-hop album that hasn’t exactly dated well, but still offers delights.<\/div>\n
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Rating:<\/strong>\u00a0\u2605\u2605\u26053\/4
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