Phenomenon [PA] - J, LL Cool (CD 1997)

This is my seventh review in my series of appreciating hip hop through my faith in the true hip hop artist and in LL Cool J's longevity as a hip hop icon. It's part of MadTheory's Hip Hop Appreciation Week Write-Off.

There were two unique things about LL's seventh solo album (he would count it as his eighth with his greatest hits package All World). One was that he was scribing his life and coming out with his autobiography around the same time he was dropping his album. Phenomenon was supposed to be a soundtrack to I Make My Own Rules, and while there were some definite personal songs, I wouldn't exactly say the album was as autobiographical.

The other unique thing actually came out afterward. The hottest song on the album, 4, 3, 2, 1 featured Redman, Method Man, DMX, and this youngster named Canibus. Supposedly Canibus went after LL in a verse that said something to the effect of:

Ripping an arm out a socket
Taking a mic off it and letting a real MC rock it

This of course was alluding to LL's tattoo on his arm which is a rather large microphone. Now I'm not sure this happened or not, but the story goes that Canibus allegedly inquired about LL's tattoo and getting one of his own (or he mentioned it in a verse). And LL supposedly said something like "you have to earn it". And that is what might've sparked Canibus' directed verse. Obviously that scathing verse was taken out of the song. And then LL went back into the studio, redid his verses, directed all his lines at Canibus, and then dissed Canibus when it came to making the video by not including him. This caused a battle between the two resulting in 2nd Round Knockout and LL's reply which was The Ripper Strikes Back. The war would soon die off as Canibus would direct more shots at LL, but he wasn't as publicly seen in the game as LL, and LL's replies were on his next album G. O. A. T., but by then, the public lost interest. Lyrically, Canibus probably got him because he's a real gifted MC and has a knack for battling. It's his forte. And while it did inspire LL to get after it a little more than usual on some tracks on G. O. A. T., he played it off as he was too high and mighty and simply degraded Canibus by pointing to the scoreboard (aka who makes more money).

Ok, that really had nothing to do with the album itself, but had I not talked about it, it wouldn't have done the history of this album justice.

Now what was not unique about this album is that the then Puff Daddy oversaw the production. P. Diddy and his hitmen produced a few songs and the Trackmasters did much of the rest, so you know this album was sample happy. And since it was 1997, it was definitely an album for that jiggy time. The first single was Phenomenon which Puffy and Ron Lawrence produced. The original name of the album was supposed to be Smithsonian but my guess is that Diddy wanted to change it to as to not sound so old and monumental. Thus the album was changed to the same name as the first single, and I actually like it much better. Phenomenon wasn't the type of hit they wanted out of the box and it probably hurt the initial album sales. It's still a cool song, but it didn't vibe with the youngsters enough at the time. The only real song that screams single is Candy which I think was later released to radio. Now I would've thought Candy would've blown up. It featured Ricky Bell and Ralph T. from New Edition and takes from New Edition's Candy Girl. It's an ode to his wife and about how they met as youngsters. Yes, an LL Cool J ballad. What's new, you might ask? Well, it's one of the most thoughtful and sweet shout outs to a significant other I've ever heard. And you can't but like the chorus with Ralph T. and Ricky Bell reprising their roles.

Father was a rather surprising song if you hadn't yet read the book. In the book, LL describes how his grandfather was the only significant father figure in his life. His real father was abusive toward his mother and even came looking for her with a gun, shooting her, and her father. His mother's second husband was a drug and child abuser. LL would receive daily beatings for dumb stuff. In this song he basically raps of his abuse but it's more of a song about forgiveness as LL was able to overcome it. It samples Father Figure by George Michaels and that gives it a certain cheesiness, but it's still a good song.

Being that the album was overseen by Diddy, it has a very commercial sound to it. While LL's albums always had a certain funkiness to them, this was different. It sounded like a Bad Boy album in 1997 with LL Cool J rapping instead of Mase, or even Diddy himself. Hot, Hot, Hot is a fun song that would get reamed by true heads for being so club sounding. Starsky And Hutch featuring Busta Rhymes is much of the same. LL and Busta seem like they're having a little too much fun. Brooklyn's Finest this is not. Nobody Can Freak You with Keith Sweat and LeShaun is nothing more than a party song with LL's horny lyrics.

The album has such a party vibe to it, that you think LL is getting a little too jiggy with himself. But that's until the aforementioned 4, 3, 2, 1. It's the one song that doesn't even feel like it should be on the album. It's so different from the tone on the rest of the songs, and it's refreshing. The song features Meth, Red, DMX, and Canibus killin' it, but the way the song is set up, it's like they are the undercard and LL is the main event. And it actually works because since it is LL's album, it gives him a bigger than life introduction and he finishes it. He starts his verse with:

When young sons fantasize of borrowing flows
Tell little shorty with the big mouth the bank is closed

And you know who that is targeted at. The song pretty much caps a fun album that was missing anything edgy until 4, 3, 2, 1. It was a total Diddy style album, which is basically fun, without many redeeming qualities. It leaves you wanting more because of the little meat to go along with the ton of potatoes.

He would release G. O. A. T. where he'd try to cement his status as an all time great, while still being commercial at the same time. Would the two philosophies work?

Great Music To Play While: Spending Time With Your Candy Girl