Best album title ever. Just pure poetry.

I think it’s worth mentioning how LL Cool J entered my life as a Millennial. I grew up after his prime music career, meaning the LL Cool J I know is the one starring in NCIS and hosting (whatever he hosted). I can’t help that - I was born when I was born. So this is a good exercise to go back in time and listen to this guy’s music as if I didn’t see him as more of a TV character than a rapper. That’s not disrespect, that’s just the problem you have listening to an artist from before your time, especially one who’s had so many other careers in addition to music.

You might say this is the mission of this Best Albums Ever project - to learn to appreciate older music that’s new to me, just as much as we appreciate brand new music. Nothing wrong with discovering something after everyone else. Even 33 years after everyone else.

It’s also unique to listen to music from a formative time in the genre, when the state of the art has progressed so far. How to evaluate art that’s been updated and used as an influence for so long? A deep question - too deep for me right now.

Also I hate to break it to you Gen Z, but “bet” isn’t new. This album actually seems to be speaking to the younger generations, the main message being “you ain’t shit.” I’m not saying that’s true about the generations after mine - but it’s funny that this sentiment is found in every generation. Whoever comes next just becomes our rival by default.

This is an important album, it was obviously innovative and involved serious amounts of talent, and it’s just from before my time. I get all that and I still can’t get past how dated it sounds enough to put in rotation. Both are true - it’s great, and it’s only got a place in my 90’s party playlists. I’m glad I listened all the way through, and I’d recommend it to anyone.

It’s OK for things to sound old - you can’t help when you were born. Listening to older music that you have pre-conceived ideas about is a specific experience that depends on you, what your parents listened to, and a million other variables.

But more on that later.

New Jams:

“Farmers Blvd. (Our Anthem)”
“Mama Said Knock You Out”
“To Da Break Of Dawn”

Originally part of How To Appreciate Music From Our Past.

From the roundup Jamwise #36 - Best Albums of 1990.