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Mr. Smith (album)

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Released
  
November 21, 1995

Length
  
58:25

Release date
  
21 November 1995

Recorded
  
1994–1995

Artist
  
LL Cool J

Label
  
Def Jam Recordings

Mr. Smith (album) httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediaenbbaMr

Producer
  
Rashad SmithChyskillzChad EliottTrackmastersEasy Mo Bee

Mr. Smith(1995)
  
All World Greatest Hits(1996)

Genres
  
Hip hop music, East Coast hip hop, Hardcore hip hop

Nominations
  
Grammy Award for Best Rap Album

Similar
  
LL Cool J albums, Hip hop music albums

Hip hop album review part 124 ll cool j mr smith


Mr. Smith is the sixth studio album by American hip hop recording artist LL Cool J, released on November 21, 1995 by Def Jam. After the commercially disappointing 14 Shots to the Dome, it was a success, being certified 2x Platinum. Three top 10 hits were released from the album, "Hey Lover", "Doin' It", and "Loungin". Unlike his previous release, which focused on hardcore rap, this album concentrates on the ballads for which he is now famous.

Contents

Critical reception

Mr. Smith garnered positive reviews from music critics who found it a return to form after the West Coast-influenced 14 Shots to the Dome flopped. AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine praised the album for working more towards LL's romantic side that while toned down remains sexually invigorating, concluding that "Mr. Smith isn't a perfect record – there are too many slack moments for it to qualify as one of his best – but it proves that LL Cool J remained vital a decade after his debut." Robert Christgau rated the album as a "choice cut", singling out "Doin' It" as a standout track. Mike Flaherty of Entertainment Weekly praised the album for balancing the various personas LL adopts throughout the tracks, concluding that "while his cutting-edge days are well behind him, this is far from the self-parodying effort we had every reason to expect." Cheo H. Coker of Rolling Stone also praised the album for delivering both hardcore rap songs and love ballads that contain great production and lyrical dexterity. But Coker noted that tracks like "No Airplay" and "Get da Drop on 'Em" showcase LL better as a tough lyric spitter, concluding with, "Maybe one day LL will realize that it's his electrifying flow, not his Casanova aspirations, that have made him a rap superstar for 10 years running."

Track notes

  • "No Airplay" was edited on both the edited and explicit versions of the album. The explicit version only backmasks on the song, while the edited version even edits the intro.
  • "Hollis to Hollywood" is sampled from his verse of Craig Mack's "Flava In Ya Ear (Remix)" on the chorus.

    • Singles

    All Of LL Cool J's music videos off this album were directed by Hype Williams.

    Samples

    "Make It Hot"

  • "I Like It" by DeBarge

    • "Hip Hop"

  • "Tell Me If You Still Care" by The S.O.S. Band

    • "Hey Lover"

  • "The Lady in My Life" by Michael Jackson

    • "Doin' It"

  • "My Jamaican Guy" by Grace Jones
  • "2 Much" by Wild Thang
  • "Go Stetsa I" by Stetsasonic

    • "I Shot Ya"

  • "Put It on the Line" by Lyn Collins

    • "Mr. Smith"

  • "What a Night" by Hubert Laws
  • "The Boss" by James Brown

    • "No Airplay"

  • "Blessed" by The Emotions
  • "The Boomin' System" by LL Cool J
  • "Flava in Ya Ear (Remix)" by Craig Mack
  • "Why Can't People Be Colors Too?" by The Whatnauts

    • "Loungin'"

  • "Nite and Day" by Al B. Sure!

    • "Hollis to Hollywood"

  • "The Look of Love" by Isaac Hayes
  • "Flava in Ya Ear (Remix)" by Craig Mack
  • "My Philosophy" by Boogie Down Productions

    • "God Bless"

  • "Escape-ism" by James Brown
  • "The Message from the Soul Sisters" by Myra Barnes
  • "The Def Fresh Crew" by Roxanne Shanté and Biz Markie

    • "Papa Luv It"

  • "Is It a Crime" by Sade
  • "Hydra" by Grover Washington, Jr.

    • Songs

    1The Intro (Skit)1:33
    2Make It Hot4:32
    3Hip Hop

    References

    Mr. Smith (album) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA