Why was LL Cool J able to stay relevant in music way longer than his 1980’s rap peers?

[Art Barr]

Any emcee after 1983.
Is for all intents in purposes.
Under the boykings's ll cool j's family tree.

Plus under the scrutiny Of trying to match ll in any drawing avenue to a pop crowd.

Of which arguably only one emcee via a full skilled tool box has been able to do.

Which is rakim.

The first variable to rakim being better than ll long term. Falls into evolution of the technical rubrics and standard syllable count per bar. As well as adaptation.
to the ever changing sonic landscape.
with the highest quality vocal tonality.


Art Barr

 

[re'up]

He was ahead of the curve in making music for women and the mainstream and he could adjust to pretty much any era.

Look at the records LL Cool J was making in 1995-1996








These LL Cool J were just as good as anything Bad Boy or Death Row released.....


Now look at what Whodini was doing in 1996.......they sounded completely out of touch despite Jermaine Dupi updating their sound.




Look what Rakim dropped in the 1997 in the heart of the Puffy and Bad Boy era. Gangsta Rap and Street Rap had dominated and he just looked corny, still rapping about microphones. This record didn't even chart.....it was completely wack and out of touch.





If you don't update your sound and connect with what's new and hot, you will fall off. LL did it really well.


Even Mc Lyte did a good job at it with records like Cold Rock a Party (Bad Boy Remix)

exactly and excellent audio analysis and comparison.

could we have a whole thread on songs like that Rakim one from 1997? Where rappers missed their mark, or their opportunity to shift themselves a little. Those are great forgotten moments. And pretty hilarious. What the fukk was the video treatment about lol

 

[Diyhai]

different producers
rick rubin
marley
neptunes
timbaland
exactly why Nas linked with hitboy
a newer producer will keep your music sounding fresh

 

[DaMos Supreme]

I remember that Rakim record getting some spin. I'm not saying it was a hit. But it got spin. And I don't recall anybody saying it was corny either.

I don’t remember anyone calling the record corny either, and it was getting spins, and I was in N.C.…. I don’t think people were too fond of the video though . I want to say that was following the verse he dropped on Mobb Deep’s ‘Hoodlum’. In fact, there were some anticipation for the 18th letter due to his hiatus. I agree at that time, It was Bad Boy, Wu Forever, No-Limit were who were running things.

 

[MJ Truth]

LL kept reinventing himself and his music and expanding outside of music, and targeted women before anyone else. Plus he had more charisma than the rest of those rappers from the jump.

 

[Devil Plisken…CMS]

Did somebody in here say “Guess Whose Back?” Was wack?

 

[Devil Plisken…CMS]

I heard this more than enough in them days. “Guess Whose Back” got a placement in the most recent Spider Man

 

[Why]

Illuminati got his mind soul and his body

 

[Awesome Wells]

Why did Big Daddy Kane get such a negative feedback when he tried to switch over?

do you feel the Def Jam emblem(branding) made it more acceptable for fans to gravitate towards LL and not Kane?

Or Kane music afterwards was just that "wack"

People thought Kane was trying too hard to crossover.

It wasn't that the music got wack at first, but he kept doing really weak R&B songs on his own albums. The thing where he was trying to be mad smooth, on some Luther Vandross sh*t was what really did him in. Doing nude photoshoots with Madonna and wild sh*t. He bought into the "sexy" lane, and started doing tracks with Barry White and Patti Labelle. So it got to the point where you felt like is he even an MC anymore or an R&B crooner? Then after that, when Hip Hop got more hardcore, he started popping up with bandanas on and with one pants leg rolled up and he just looked crazy.

 

[Ziggiy]

KRS wasn’t and isn’t washed from a skills perspective but as far as mainstream-wise LL had the complete package. Women loved his looks, men liked his style, he’s legitimately skilled and he’s an underrated song writer. That plus he made a successful transition into acting ala Will Smith that allowed him to flourish and cross pollinate in two industries.

LL is a great study in career longevity. Him, Will Smith, and Ice Cube literally made ALL the right moves when it comes staying relevant in the industry.

 

[up in here]

People thought Kane was trying too hard to crossover.

It wasn't that the music got wack at first, but he kept doing really weak R&B songs on his own albums. The thing where he was trying to be mad smooth, on some Luther Vandross sh*t was what really did him in. Doing nude photoshoots with Madonna and wild sh*t. He bought into the "sexy" lane, and started doing tracks with Barry White and Patti Labelle. So it got to the point where you felt like is he even an MC anymore or an R&B crooner? Then after that, when Hip Hop got more hardcore, he started popping up with bandanas on and with one pants leg rolled up and he just looked crazy.

When I was a shorty I honestly thought BDK was always on some Luther Vandross shyt. It wasn't till I got older that I realized he was legitimately a great MC.

 

[Art Barr]

I don’t remember anyone calling the record corny either, and it was getting spins, and I was in N.C.…. I don’t think people were too fond of the video though . I want to say that was following the verse he dropped on Mobb Deep’s ‘Hoodlum’. In fact, there were some anticipation for the 18th letter due to his hiatus. I agree at that time, It was Bad Boy, Wu Forever, No-Limit were who were running things.

I believe ra shipped and went gold like he generally always did.

plus the album debuted in top five on the billboard top 200.
Plus was at least a top five on the rnb rap chart as well. Sheit I looked it up. It peaked at number one on the rnb rap chart. Which ra created the credible seguway to.

By accepting and beating Jody Whatley rap over rnb production challenge. Which rap bodied and finally gave rap much needed credibility. To snob out of touch music critics and fans in any genre.



Art Barr

 

[Art Barr]

People thought Kane was trying too hard to crossover.

It wasn't that the music got wack at first, but he kept doing really weak R&B songs on his own albums. The thing where he was trying to be mad smooth, on some Luther Vandross sh*t was what really did him in. Doing nude photoshoots with Madonna and wild sh*t. He bought into the "sexy" lane, and started doing tracks with Barry White and Patti Labelle. So it got to the point where you felt like is he even an MC anymore or an R&B crooner? Then after that, when Hip Hop got more hardcore, he started popping up with bandanas on and with one pants leg rolled up and he just looked crazy.

Hold up.


Kane was making the worse rap songs of rhe crossover variety upon debut. With the now revisionisit review of the day u're mine. Now being revised as far as review. Yet back then...
Just like I had to re-iterate to another younger poster. Who had took to attempt to review the second Kane album. That culturally Kane was violating as early as his debut. Then was definitely culturally violating with the teddy Riley single on the sec9nd album as well. Then Kane made it all worse with a piss poor showing over rnb landscape on back on the block.

While also never recovering after taste of chocolate and prince of darkness.
It looks like a job for Is the only Kane album.
that is hardcore with no real wavering or pandering. as far as direction. Yet Kane then lost us all again. On the lackluster quality of veteran's day. If not for platinum plus and macula.
to the later twelves to re-establish Kane.

Kane would not be viewed with much like.
as far as an actual artist discography wise.

If not for those three to four records. Two being mackula, and platinum plus the big l post humpia fewture. Plus the two twelve inches.

Bdk would not be viewed favorably at all.


Now granted as far as who inherently is my original favorite rapper after the boy king ll is kane. Yet and still rakim is rakim.
That others still do not and can not match up to completely longterm.
in the history of rap in skillset, discography and metric.
As far as a major label signed artist.
in the history of the culture's most profitable business model called rap.



Art Barr

 

[⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐]

flagship Def Jam product

 

[Art Barr]

When I was a shorty I honestly thought BDK was always on some Luther Vandross shyt. It wasn't till I got older that I realized he was legitimately a great MC.

Kane is the rapper we all wanted to be no bullshyt.
As Kane and rakim are arguably the common idea of the black man visage.

The first album features arguably the most hype shyt ever featured on any debut album. Plus any rap album ever recorded.


Set it off
Raw
Wrath of Kane : the twelve inch version
Ain't no half stepping : the one record every nikka should be trying to be in life.

fukk this bout to go play my kane playlist right now.

fukk all the bullshyt.

Art Barr



Hits play:::


Here's iconic...

"I'm comin" scratches.




Art Barr


*Goes crazy.