If LL COOL J wasn’t the world’s first fashionable rap star, he was definitely the template. Combining heartthrob seems, the braggadocio of a badass, and regular craftsmanship, the MC rapidly proved he might make the whole lot from defiant anthems (“I’m Bad”) to surprisingly tender love songs (“I Need Love”). By the top of the ’90s, every of his albums had been RIAA-certified Gold or higher, additional cementing his standing as one of the vital commercially and critically profitable spitters of all time. By 2004, it was unclear whether or not he might sustain the tempo and stay related. However, in a second of resurgence, he responded with The DEFinition (2004), an LP that reaffirmed LL’s standing as one of the vital enduring all-around hitmakers in rap historical past.
LL flaunts his customary mix of playboy slick discuss and machismo as he oscillates between moods and aesthetics with seamless ease. On the Timbaland-produced “Rub My Back,” he glides throughout a mattress of sun-soaked electrical guitar and jittery synths as he dives into his tricking bag; it feels like an island trip with robots serving you seashore facet drinks. In the meantime, for “Feel The Beat,” he laces subdued growth bap with agility and charisma that evoke rap’s golden age — you possibly can virtually see LL decrease his fitted hat earlier than he decides to crush the cypher.
LL tailored to the crunk soundscapes of the period, too. On the N.O. Joe-produced “Move Somethin’,” he bounces throughout quirky synths and the kind of marching band percussion you can hear at an HBCU homecoming. After which, in fact, there’s the Timbaland-produced “Headsprung.” Right here, LL and Timbo be a part of forces for an instrumental that’s without delay mysterious and irresistible. The hook retains that very same power, evoking a clandestine evening of membership thrills and pulsing cool.
Whereas The DEFinition is probably LL’s strongest album of the 2000s, it isn’t historically thought of considered one of his classics. That’s simply what occurs whenever you’re your individual competitors. Nonetheless, it’s a reminder of an artist with the mic presence and flexibility to command followers’ consideration throughout a number of generations. Though the names and sounds would possibly change, with regards to the idea of “rap superstar,” LL COOL J’s at all times been the definition.
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