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

LL Cool J was coming off of a major success in his sixth LP Mr. Smith. The album went triple platinum, and once again made LL a superstar in the mainstream scene. He figured he would keep the momentum going by dropping an album the very next year.

LL is well known for changing his style of music to suit what is currently popular. His seventh LP Phenomenon supports this fact. In 1997, Diddy s Bad Boy Entertainment label was the hottest thing around, with their pop oriented hits and samples of previous hit songs. For his new LP, LL would involve himself heavily with Bad Boy. Despite the labels success, many fans have had heavy criticisms for their style of music. How would LL s run with them turn out?

Track Listing

Phenomenon (*****)
Candy (*****)
Starsky and Hutch (ft Busta Rhymes) (***)
Nobody Can Freak You (ft Keith Sweat and Leshaun) (***)
Hot, Hot, Hot (****)
4,3,2,1 (ft Redman, Method Man, Canibus and DMX) (*****)
Wanna Get Paid (ft The Lost Boyz) (*****)
Father (*****)
Don t Be Late, Don t Come Too Soon (ft Tamia) (*****)

Both LL Cool J and Bad Boy Entertainment are well known in the hip hop world for being commercially successful. Phenomenon is filled to the brim with bouncy, colorful and catchy jams. Perhaps no other album in LL s catalogue (up to this point) flexes his commercial appeal more than Phenomenon. For the most part, all the commercially appealing tracks work very well. The title track, Phenomenon, is an excellent club banger, and LL combines sharp, party oriented lyricism that is laid out in a catchy manner over thumping, quick paced bass strings and record scratches. LL even manages to create interesting subject matter over the club music. Wanna Get Paid is another excellent track that is equally catchy as it is intriguing. LL discusses the risks people will take just to get money in their pocket, over the thumping percussion mixed with chimes and short vocal samples. The Lost Boyz create an excellent hook, and LL gives a great mic performance with his solid scenario telling .Then she got pregnant, abandoned the kid/ Met this drug kid, set him up and slid/ Now she 23 full blown in the mix/ Sizing up wits than more cliques is getting chips/ She down for whatever, as long as it pays/ She tipped off the kids and got them blazed/ She was in the same Yukon, laughing with the thug ..Hot, Hot, Hot is yet another enjoyable gem musically, and LL mixes more interesting lyricism in. Here, he delivers a message to women who go after men only for their money. I think it s easy to say that LL is a great rapper to mix with Bad Boy s music.

Phenomenon has its share of excellent moments, but it isn t all wonderful. I can t help but think this album could have been much better. The energetic collaboration with Busta Rhymes could have been more enjoyable, but both emcees don t seem to be on top of their game, and it seems they are more concerned with letting the average beat bang, rather than demonstrate their good chemistry. I came to that conclusion with their short verses and, at times, lackluster bar trading. Despite all this, it was a nice addition to the album overall. Nobody Can Freak You is similar, in the sense that it isn t very good, but it isn t too bad either. It just seems like another raunchy type track, in which all artists involved seem uninspired. Female rapper Leshaun is involved once again with an LL track, and this one feels like a half hearted remake of massive hit single Doin It . Tracks like these could have been much worse though, and despite their underwhelming feel, they were still average efforts.

For a large portion of this album however, there are many great tracks to be found. Some of which, are some of his most personal. Father is about as deep and personal as it gets with LL, as he tells the listener the entire story of his father and stepfather, and the negative effect they had on LL s childhood. From the shooting of his mother and grandfather, to the unnecessary beatings L would receive as a child, Father is truly a track that keeps you more than interested all the way through. The choir vocals on the hook were also a nice touch. Candy is also somewhat personal, as LL dedicates the track to his wife, and reflects on their earliest days up to where they are now. The production really shines here, with upbeat piano keys, glitter sounds and excellent fitting male vocals that are sung on the hook. There is a lot of emotion stored on this track, and it makes it an enjoyable listen every time. The Tamia featured Don t Be Late, Don t Come Too Soon isn t a personal ballad, but is about as good. It has a much slower, and R&B-ish sound, and Tamia s slow, high pitched vocals were an excellent addition. LL doesn t even have to come that great with his rapping to make this a memorable track.

But the best track, apparently unanimously, is the posse cut 4,3,2,1. All of the guest rappers, which include Method Man, Redman, and DMX come impressive with their battle lyricism, but the star of the track, in my opinion, is none other than the gravely voiced lyrical genius, Canibus. This was perhaps the verse that really set his career off .I'm the illest ni**a alive, watch me prove it/ I snatch your crown with your head still attached to it/ Canibus is the type who'll fight for mics/ Beating ni**az to death, and beating dead ni**az to life/ When you look at me long enough, I start to read your thoughts/ if the signal was strong enough, and then I'll call your bluff ..Many know the story behind this track. Canibus said something in his verse that got LL offended, LL responded with a great verse on the same track, (yep, it s here) Canibus comes out with one of the greatest disses ever, rips up L, not too pretty. Regardless, every rapper involved here does a very good job at the very least, and this is another memorable LL track. Despite my average feelings about the track he s on, Busta Rhymes does come pretty nice lyrically on Starsky and Hutch. The underwhelming performances of Leshaun and Keith Sweat don t hurt Nobody Can Freak You too much. The rest of the guests are handed chorus duties, and Tamia and The Lost Boyz make excellent additions to their respective tracks. Overall, the guests on Phenomenon were pretty good.

As I stated before, the production on this album is heavily influenced by Bad Boy Entertainment. This means that the beats on the album are very poppish, and appealing to the mainstream audience. Some hip hop fans may see that as a negative no matter what, but I though it worked very well on this album. It goes from the catchy, club oriented beat of the title track, to the smooth, passionate sound of Don t Be Late, Don t Come Too Soon, and gets very passionate on Candy with its perfect mix of pop elements. For the most part, it is all catchy, or party oriented though, and I have to say, it was enjoyable through the whole duration of the album.

Phenomenon is another one of LL s more underrated releases. Critics were not fans of the album, specifically because of the pop oriented nature of the album. Also, the album only has ten tracks, and there is material on here that was somewhat underwhelming. A rapper of LL s caliber should be doing better than that. It gave you the idea that he was getting lazier with his work. The album did eventually go platinum however, and I have to say that this was another solid effort from LL Cool J. LL puts enough great tracks on here to at least make it a decent listening experience. If you are a fan of the pop sound in hip hop music, then this is specifically for you. If you consider yourself a die hard hip hop fan, there is no reason not to give this a spin .


Reviews in the LL Cool J Series

Radio

Bigger and Deffer

Walking With a Panther

Mama Said Knock You Out

14 Shots To The Dome

Mr. Smith

Phenomenon

G.O.A.T. (The Greatest of All Time)

10

The DEFinition

Todd Smith