LL Cool J recording new album exclusively with Timbaland: Are We Excited?

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http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1484171/20040106/ll_cool_j.jhtml

I searched and didn't find a thread for this, apologies if one already exists. Apparently, Mr. Ladies Love has decided against the usual production-by-committee and is recording the whole thing with Timbaland....

I'm actually pretty pumped. I'd love for LL to get away from the "Brian McKnight of rap" loverman schtick a little. Also, I really like when an artist works solely with one producer (it worked great back in the day and for more newer stuff like Clipse and Bubba Sparxxx)....Also, the last time he did a similar move (with Marley Marl) it resulted in the great return-to-form Mama Said Knock You Out.

thoughts?

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 17:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Interesting. Speaking in terms of singles alone, I wouldn't mind a sudden "Mama Said Knock You Out" equivalent that surprises the hell out of everyone...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 17:49 (twenty-one years ago)

I wouldn't mind a sudden "Mama Said Knock You Out" equivalent that surprises the hell out of everyone...

yeah, me too...It's like rap comebacks are so rare it's hard not to pull for him...

(not maybe commercial comeback, more artistic comeback, I guess Luv U Better probably was a pretty big hit for him...)

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 17:51 (twenty-one years ago)

I think Luv U Better was pretty good.
That was before the smoov-R&B Neptunes side had showed up so it was a refreshing switch up for them.

― djdee2005, Tuesday, 2 March 2004 17:54 (twenty-one years ago)

i do not think this sounds good. i feel bad for timbaland.

― William Wiggins, Tuesday, 2 March 2004 17:55 (twenty-one years ago)

i was listening to "mama said..." today, and wondering what this chap was up to. i'm not so much excited as cautiously optimistic. llcoolj has aged extremely well looks-wise, so perhaps the music will follow a similar path.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 18:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Is Tim dropping his prices, as he does for artists he specifically wants to work with (a la Bubba)? If not, this must be costing LL shitloads, and thus a very expensive gamble.

― Nick H (Nick H), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 18:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Timbo always whines about he doesn't like to do just one or two songs per album, that he'd rather do the bulk of someone's album and establish a good working relationship with the artist, so he probably strikes some kind of deal to make that kind of thing happen.

― Al (sitcom), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 18:33 (twenty-one years ago)

I think it should be pretty good. I'd still like to see Q-Tip do an album with Timbaland though, and I curse the day Dan Perry put the fucking idea in my head.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 18:35 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm just not sure that LL has the originality, ideas or flow for Timbaland. Then again, Timbaland's career has been plodding lately too. It's a bit of a who-cares for me.

― paulhw (paulhw), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 18:37 (twenty-one years ago)

I think al otm....plus, I would imagine Timbaland would probably consider it a bit of an honor to work with LL, who I would imagine he looked up to in his younger days.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 18:44 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah let's not forget ll's been in the game a lot longer than timbaland, and could never make another record and retire a very happy (and wealthy) man.

i'm...moderately excited. neither of them have been doing it for me lately (and ll's slide has been far, far more pronounced. but i've always distrusted his sensetive thug schtick since i was like 10. but then i remember he made what might be one of my three or four favorite rap singles of all time. so who knows.)

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 19:04 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm psyched because I made this recommendation in a review a year ago!

― Begs2Differ (Begs2Differ), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 19:08 (twenty-one years ago)

its like when i repped donut bitch's outkast vs. the english beat bootleg in pazz & jop and the next year they made "hey ya"

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 19:13 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm just not sure that LL has the originality, ideas or flow for Timbaland.

This is kinda why I think it'll work well, cuz Timbaland is good at making ridiculously fresh sounding tracks with not-exactly-fresh lyricists.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 19:14 (twenty-one years ago)

haha yeah, cf. timbaland

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 19:14 (twenty-one years ago)

LL now stands for Lazy Lyrics, but he used to be capable of incredible weirdness in his flow and his vocabulary, and I'm hoping Tim can push him. Younger beatmakers just seem to go "o god it's Uncle L" and he phones it in. Have hope y'all!

― Begs2Differ (Begs2Differ), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 19:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Personally I'm hoping for more shark raps.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 19:25 (twenty-one years ago)

its like when i repped donut bitch's outkast vs. the english beat bootleg in pazz & jop and the next year they made "hey ya"

My god you're right! Ergo OutKast shoulda just made Lance Lockarm their producer.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 19:27 (twenty-one years ago)

I thought Paradise was very nice. I'm all for this.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 3 March 2004 00:11 (twenty-one years ago)

LL would have taken Deliverance to the bridge.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 3 March 2004 00:11 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm actually hoping that LL does inspire Timbo to do a few more "smooth" tracks (Barima's right, some of those Kiley Dean tracks are great!). The worst-case scenario is a whole albums of weak wannabe "Mama Said Knock You Out" tracks using Timbo's faux-hard hip hop groove trick over and over again. I mean Timbaland could pull a rabbit out of a hat and suddenly start doing that sort of track well again, but a precedent has been set.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 3 March 2004 02:04 (twenty-one years ago)

I just want more rhymes about breakfast cereals

― Nate in ST.P (natedetritus), Wednesday, 3 March 2004 02:19 (twenty-one years ago)

or more rhymes about wanting Alice Kramden's ass and eating his neighbor's hedges

― Begs2Differ (Begs2Differ), Wednesday, 3 March 2004 05:01 (twenty-one years ago)

I know that he's gone all ladies'-man the last few years, but really, I don't think he ever stopped being a weird motherfucker. Need I remind you that his last album featured a song called "Niggy Nuts"? NIGGY NUTS.

― Al (sitcom), Wednesday, 3 March 2004 05:14 (twenty-one years ago)

LL is nasty

― asfdzxc (asfdzxc), Wednesday, 3 March 2004 05:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Could this be part of a trend where currently hot producers go to work with "golden age" rapper? See also Dre and Rakim.

― Nick H (Nick H), Wednesday, 3 March 2004 13:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Thanks, Tim.

Has LL ever done a determinedly old-school album/tracks since the end of the 80s (cf. 'Hello Nasty' and the final part of Run DMC's career and even Rubin and Jay-Z - that's the old school Def Jam crew for ya)? Because my concern is whether Tim may merge the 'Uncle LL' persona to the Under Construction 'series', the idea of which doesn't set my world on fire.
Example: This Is Not A Test's major flaw is repeating the old school motif. That, and allowing some of the Missy-produced tracks in - has anyone heard her Fabolous track, 'Sickalicious', and wonder why she didn't save it for her own record?.

Tim is right about Mr Moseley (can't use 'Tim' twice like that) perhaps doing some more smooth soul stuff - it's actually sort of untapped for him at the moment. I don't want him to repeat the Kiley formula significantly (Tim hasn't been good at repeating formulas on different records) because we might get different permutations of Twista's 'Slow Jamz' and another nail in his hip hop coffin if he gets widely accused of losing his originality. One of those Kiley tracks, 'Blessed', is real similar to Kanye West but with predictably much better beats and Kiley, who has a better (and more inspiring) voice than almost any singer Tim has worked with (which is why he signed her, obv.) and also why I'm not so psyched for the new Brandy wax he's produced - I don't think she'll inspire him like the Beat Clubbers do.

Which brings me to my next observation - Beat Club has inspired some of his best tracks - from 'Big Head' and 'Ching Ching' (by a brassy, Lady of Rage-esque rapper) to 'Keep It Movin'', 'Cross The Line' and 'Blessed' (by a one-time Britney backer with the voice of an angel) to 'Ugly', 'Twerk A Little' and 'Comin' Round' (by the white trash king of the New South). And so on. If LL and Tim achieve anything resembling the synergy Tim seems to have with 'his' acts (Magoo is of course an anomaly), then this will be a good record at least. If we're all lucky, LL might still possess the kind of faceted personality and/or quality that makes Tim give his varied and creative best.

― Barima (Barima), Wednesday, 3 March 2004 14:03 (twenty-one years ago)

"Don't call it ANOTHER comeback..."

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 3 March 2004 15:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Need I remind you that his last album featured a song called "Niggy Nuts"? NIGGY NUTS.

Good title, but nowhere near he peak wierd-song-titling of "Pink Cookies in Plastic Bag Being Crushed By Buildings"

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 3 March 2004 17:10 (twenty-one years ago)

I find the criticisms of Missy's old-school referentialism to be blown way the fuck out of proportion. As if Missy's music would be improved if she seemed to be coming out of no historical context whatsoever?! The music is ridiculously groundbreaking, and excorsizing the old-school references in her music seems rather unneccessary to me.

― djdee2005, Wednesday, 3 March 2004 17:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Dee, my criticisms were in the model of 'diminishing returns'. If I could have criticised Under Construction instead, or hey, even Tim's Rakim homage in 'Cop That Shit', I would have. But they're great, so I didn't.

I'm not the sort of dumbass who pointed at 'Pass That Dutch' and said "Great, another old school sample ('Potholes In My Lawn'), Tim is SO repetitive!", but the old school repeat over 2 Missy albums a year apart yet without the usual notable ground broken per Missy album was one reason why Tim's best '03 work was with Bubba and Kiley. Also, maybe it wasn't specifically aimed at me, but I don't necessarily want old-school free Tim/Missy music. But that made for some of their least interesting music/rapping last time round.

BTW, Missy never needed 'historical context' to make interesting music before...

― Barima (Barima), Wednesday, 3 March 2004 18:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah Barima OTM - I wrote a mini-essay about a year ago defending Missy's old-skoolism on Under Construction and I'd still hold to it now. But TINAT is just a weaker version of the same idea. I imagine if Missy had made another "ghetto" record after Da Real World (which I also love) it would have also been disappointing. Part of the fun with Missy is her kid in the costume shop versatility. So with TINAT it's like that episode of The Simpsons where Marge has the *one* good dress that she keeps on wearing to the country club (a comparison that maybe fits too well because many of my friends say I'm exactly like the woman in that ep her idly tries to destroy her - 'I thought changing suits had gone out of fashion' etc.)

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Thursday, 4 March 2004 05:10 (twenty-one years ago)

three months pass...

most things sound kind of amazing at 2:30am, but "head sprung" (the 1st single, i believe) sounds kind of amazing. timbo keeps pushing the sound wider and bigger, chickenscratch guitar itching at the edges and reverstrings whizzing past while the ol' chorus angels show up and coo real ethereal like. LL's completely (and convincingly) anonymous though - i didn't think this was the real thing until i got to the chorus. i was expecting low-level 'consciousness' after that kay slay joint, but this is straight up club talk (and prob the better for it). (i'm still not completely convinced that this is him). it's a hell of a lot better than that new and crap and also-timbo-produced shawnna single, at any rate.

― m. (mitchlnw), Friday, 11 June 2004 23:43 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.mixtapekings.com/hiphop/djs/sickamore-drop_another_day.asp

I guess it's him, as It's on this mixtape, along with...
Lenny Kravitz & Jay-Z - Storm (!!!)

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Friday, 11 June 2004 23:59 (twenty-one years ago)

I wouldn't mind a sudden "Mama Said Knock You Out" equivalent that surprises

i wouldn't mind an album's worth of "phenomenon" equivalents.

― vahid (vahid), Saturday, 12 June 2004 00:23 (twenty-one years ago)

i cant imagine it being too good. LL isnt exactly the most nimble or greatest rappers these days, ditto for timbaland as a producer. both seem to have forgotten their strengths so i cant see this being brilliant. it seems somewhat forced. id rather LL did an album with rick rubin.

― thesplooge (thesplooge), Saturday, 12 June 2004 09:09 (twenty-one years ago)

okay, this is a lot less good now.

― m. (mitchlnw), Saturday, 12 June 2004 14:47 (twenty-one years ago)

After watching his appearance at the Tonys on The Daily Show, I think he should be recording his new album exclusively with Carol Channing.

― El Diablo Robotico (Nicole), Saturday, 12 June 2004 14:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Was it just SENSATIONAL?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 12 June 2004 14:53 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't mind "Head Sprung" actually. It's a bit like what "Dirt Off Your Shoulders" should have been. It also reminds me of Young Buck's "Welcome To The South". I'm surprised that Mitch hates Shawnna's "Shake That Shit" so much. It's not mindblowing but it's above average wrt to Timbaland's recent work.

It's always so hard to download LL Cool J tracks though. They're all fifteen minutes of bleeps.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Thursday, 17 June 2004 05:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Orbital remixes of LL Cool J?! Where?!

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Thursday, 17 June 2004 07:31 (twenty-one years ago)

i guess i don't HATE it Tim, but it just disappoints 'cos it feels like further confirmation of timbaland decline. 'head sprung' is alright, yeah.

― m. (mitchlnw), Thursday, 17 June 2004 11:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Have you heard "Get On This Motorcyle" yet Mitch?

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Thursday, 17 June 2004 20:59 (twenty-one years ago)

"get on this motorcyle" really is enough to half-renew my faith

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 17 June 2004 21:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Explain further.

― Crickets Dance On Tequila Booty (Barima), Thursday, 17 June 2004 21:11 (twenty-one years ago)

tim wrote about it on skykicking this week, and he explains it better than i can. it's on the petey pablo album.

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 17 June 2004 21:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Thanks.

― Crickets Dance On Tequila Booty (Barima), Thursday, 17 June 2004 21:15 (twenty-one years ago)

barima you'll love it. I have to credit you for possibly providing me with my entire theory as to the Timbaland phenotype - as in melodic sampladelic sparkly-sounds Timbaland rather than "slammin' beats" Timbaland.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Thursday, 17 June 2004 21:15 (twenty-one years ago)

No way!

― The Grateful Barms (Barima), Thursday, 17 June 2004 21:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Skipping 34 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

is it a reference to Freeway's verse from "2 Words"?

― Al (sitcom), Saturday, 19 June 2004 15:15 (twenty-one years ago)

dunno, not sure i've even heard "2 words". but speaking of slightly retarded people on timbaland beats, jon doe on "dat ting"! (which is actually pretty hot!! it bares more than a passing resemblance to "the jump off" but i'm not complaining really)

― m. (mitchlnw), Saturday, 19 June 2004 16:12 (twenty-one years ago)

That there Petey Pablo song is pretty good, strings at the end obv. make me think of "Kashmir" but it also has the same sense of build and release. Made me think as well of Eminem's more goth moments (ie, when he's good).

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 19 June 2004 17:42 (twenty-one years ago)

two months pass...

timbaland hasn't been as warm as "hush" for a long, long time.

― m. (mitchlnw), Thursday, 26 August 2004 23:48 (twenty-one years ago)

word is that after that talk about him easing up on the love jams and doing a bunch of club bangers, he turned around and made an album full of girly songs again. this is the tracklist:

1. Headsprung
2. Rub My Back
3. I'm About to Get Her
4. Move Something
5. Hush
6. Every Sip
7. Shake It Baby
8. Can't Explain It
9. Feel The Beat
10.Apple Cobbler
11.1 in the morning

― Al (sitcom), Friday, 27 August 2004 00:09 (twenty-one years ago)

however this message board post intrigues me:

"Rub my Back is aight... Timmy is on the hook sayin' RUB MY BACK! RUB MY BACK! RUB MY BACK! it's different... it doesn't sound like a love joint."

― Al (sitcom), Friday, 27 August 2004 00:12 (twenty-one years ago)

"apple cobbler"?

― m0stly clean (m0stly clean), Friday, 27 August 2004 00:47 (twenty-one years ago)

RUB APPLE COBBLER ON MY BACK!

― Al (sitcom), Friday, 27 August 2004 00:50 (twenty-one years ago)

There's a song they're playing on the radio (not Headsprung) that I thought was from this album - it sounds like LL rapping over a beat that's entirely made up of sampled beatboxing noises under a soft, mellow keyboard, and it sounds like it should be called "My Way" from the chorus of the song. However based on this tracklisting, something tells me this isn't a new LL Cool J song.

― billstevejim, Friday, 27 August 2004 03:42 (twenty-one years ago)

I'll be buying this shortly in conjunction with the new Bjork.
Just as soon as i get some scratch.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Friday, 27 August 2004 03:45 (twenty-one years ago)

I said something on my blog about "Headsprung" being his "D'Ya Think I'm Sexy?" if he genuinely filled his album with more lova raps I'm totally standing by this.

― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Friday, 27 August 2004 03:48 (twenty-one years ago)

this'll be rushed and based on incomplete downloads:

Rub My Back - strangely menacing clockwork beat, punctuated with guitar stabs, those same "cry me a river" synths, and more cooing.

I'm About to Get Her - features r kelly. 'exotic' spanish guitar type thing. think "thoing thoing".

Move Something - pretty unremarkable banger, dancehall-y. ll namechecks "pon di river".

Hush - gorgeous intro, reverse vocals coming in from deep space, resolving into a gentle funk.

Every Sip - kinda like the r&b take on "i'm so fly", but not as good as that. clap-driven, kinda like an almost grooveless diwali. nice.

Shake It Baby - big, meaty, rather satisfying funk with sampled wailing. i haven't heard much of it.

Can't Explain It - the breeze that ran through "try again" is now an enormous gust - epic enchanted loverman stuff.

Feel The Beat - yes yes y'all oldschool minimalism. not much of interest unless something amazing happens later that i haven't gotten to.

Apple Cobbler - fake south banger (banger in its most literal sense, the beat is someone beating on a metal garden shed with a rake. sounds like plasticman's "industrial graft". well, not really. embarrassing southernisms from ll.

1 in the morning - strangely hard to twig, perhaps the closest thing here to an updated stab at "knock you out". reasonably sparse, some maracas somewhere very low in the mix. triumphant-ish horns (?).

like i said, these are preliminary observations, but ll doesn't seem to be trying very hard at all. i keep feeling that the best tim work here (and there isn't anything as suprising as a "get on dis motorcycle", not even close) would sound better with someone else on it.

― m. (mitchlnw), Friday, 27 August 2004 09:55 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't know whether I'm looking forward to this or not.

― Jimmybommy JimmyK'KANG (Nick Southall), Friday, 27 August 2004 10:58 (twenty-one years ago)

The song I was referring to is "Hush." I heard it again on Hot 97 about half an hour ago.

― billstevejim, Friday, 27 August 2004 19:31 (twenty-one years ago)

A near ditto to Nick.

― R.I.M.A. (Barima), Friday, 27 August 2004 19:37 (twenty-one years ago)

>I'm About to Get Her - features r kelly.

Shit. I was gonna buy this album, too.

― pdf (Phil Freeman), Friday, 27 August 2004 20:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, it's alright, isn't it? Apple Cobbler is like a Missy tune that got rejected and LL said "OK then, I'll do it", which is weird because it's probably better than a lot of tracks on Not A Test. Headsprung I really like, also Rub My Back and Move Somethin'. LL seems to spend a lot of the album not sounding at all like LL, like he's doing impressions of people. And yet he still raps exclusively about himself - the word 'platinum' must be in every other fucking song!

― Jimmybommy JimmyK'KANG (Nick Southall), Monday, 30 August 2004 18:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Also compares himself to wallabies shoes, this is not good. is he the hiphop Richard Ashcroft?

― Jimmybommy JimmyK'KANG (Nick Southall), Monday, 30 August 2004 18:40 (twenty-one years ago)

In its favour, only 11 tracks and 45 minutes, no skits. Not quite as lunatic as I'd hoped though. maybe I need to plough it through ehadphones.

― Jimmybommy JimmyK'KANG (Nick Southall), Monday, 30 August 2004 18:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Checking credits, and only 6 of the 11 tracks are by Timbaland. Hush is lush.

― Jimmybommy JimmyK'KANG (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 18:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Also compares himself to wallabies shoes, this is not good. is he the hiphop Richard Ashcroft?

Dude have you heard of Ghostface?

Anyway I'm downloading LL now, I heard the song on MTV for a minute and was torn...I need to give it closer inspection.

― djdee2005, Tuesday, 31 August 2004 21:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, but I can't make out a word Ghostface says!

― Jimmybommy JimmyK'KANG (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 21:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Who listens to lyrics anyway, eh?

― Jimmybommy JimmyK'KANG (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 21:25 (twenty-one years ago)

"ayo this rap is like ziti!"

Incidently, "Headsprung" is pretty good. Almost like Timmy doing Neptunes.

― djdee2005, Tuesday, 31 August 2004 22:25 (twenty-one years ago)

"Move Somethin" REALLY sounds like Timbaland doing Neptunes. My favorite so far is "Rub My Back" (nobody called the Can "Come Sta La Luna" sample yet but it kinda rules).

― jjj, Thursday, 2 September 2004 00:12 (twenty-one years ago)

I agree about "Rub My Back" (he's sampling krautrock!?), especially about three minutes in w/ that beautiful descending keyboard thing.

― djdee2005, Thursday, 2 September 2004 00:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, I'm pretty sure he sampled the Prisoner theme before but it was stabs so I was never 100%. This one you can hear clearly.

― jjj, Thursday, 2 September 2004 00:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Is "One In The Morning" the closest he's come to a political statement? What with the dismissive mention of Al Sharpton and all that. He sounds very invested, it's a great track (tho his politics are dud, of course.)

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Friday, 3 September 2004 15:24 (twenty-one years ago)

it's the only one of the agressive tracks where he sounds like he's actually pissed off, as opposed to the other ones which are a lot more "whatever dude, I'm rich".

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Friday, 3 September 2004 15:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Can I just quickly get it on record that "paradise is very nice", from "Paradise," is the worst hook rhyme in the 25 years of hip-hop?

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Friday, 3 September 2004 15:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Worse than 100 Clowns? NOOOOO-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

― R.I.M.A. (Barima), Friday, 3 September 2004 15:38 (twenty-one years ago)

one month passes...

this album could have been so brilliant. alas, bloody LL cool J had to rap on it and ruin what are some of timbaland's greatest beats ever. timbaland almost always prefers shit MCs like bubba sparxxx to good ones like mad skillz (well he at least used to be good at one point, unlike bubba who has never been good).

― splooge (thesplooge), Monday, 4 October 2004 22:27 (twenty years ago)

i like bubba as a rapper....he's not like a chino xl dude or anything but something about his delivery is charming to me...actually writes some good lyrics IMO too...

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 4 October 2004 22:54 (twenty years ago)

true, but he just *sounds* so dull to listen to.......

― splooge (thesplooge), Monday, 4 October 2004 22:55 (twenty years ago)

he's a big loveable lunk....i dunno, i really dug that last album ALOT...but i like country alot too and it was basically just the country/rap thing i'd been waiting for....he's really plainspoken like ronnie van zandt, i like that about him....i see what your saying about the fact that he could bore some people though.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 4 October 2004 22:59 (twenty years ago)

my personal take on timbaland is he makes all his best beats for all his worst MCs. i know bubba and missy have 'personalities' but so do a lot of the other MCs he could have worked with from around VA. this LL record is a huge shame, such such amazing beats but such such dire rapping.

― splooge (thesplooge), Monday, 4 October 2004 23:04 (twenty years ago)

part of it i think is he doesnt want the MC to outshine his role as the star of the record.

― splooge (thesplooge), Monday, 4 October 2004 23:04 (twenty years ago)

honestly though, skillz is a real funny punchline/mixtape dude that seems to have tough time doing anything else (esp. hook writing and doing more compelling cinematic stuff)....so maybe it's hard to write compelling albums with skillz for timbaland..

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 4 October 2004 23:09 (twenty years ago)

Man, did this album completely and totally fucking tank or what?

― Mr. Snrub, Monday, 4 October 2004 23:22 (twenty years ago)

Signs point to yes.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Monday, 4 October 2004 23:24 (twenty years ago)

lol i didnt even know it was out :[

― \(^o^)/ (Adrian Langston), Monday, 4 October 2004 23:32 (twenty years ago)

some of timbaland's greatest beats ever

Um really, no, not at all. I mean yes, LL is v. boring, but the beats are lacking much invention either. (Take Rub My Back... awesome first 10 seconds Can sample... goes nowhere). I wouldn't be suprised if Timbaland had to tone it down a bit to suit LL/

― bugged out, Monday, 4 October 2004 23:37 (twenty years ago)

this album didn't tank! the first single was pretty huge and the 2nd is doing well so far. it'll probably sell at least as well as the last one, which went platinum.

― Al (sitcom), Monday, 4 October 2004 23:59 (twenty years ago)

compared to some of the boring beats timbaland offered missy lately, these beats are a revelation!

― splooge (thesplooge), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 09:26 (twenty years ago)

http://www.stylusmagazine.com/review.php?ID=2330

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 09:31 (twenty years ago)

i pretty much agree with the review but i found my main problem was that the beats were squandered by LL as he couldnt help himself rapping complete girlified tripe over beats that WOULD have been bangers in anyone else's hands. he's been over as an MC since the time of 14 shots to the dome. in spite of a few flashes of decency since that album, hes severely fallen off. its not even what hes rapping about, its just that hes so uninspired/uninventive doing it. all he has in his favour are his voice, his ability to keep up to step with different flows/cadences, and as he keeps reminding everyone, his reputation.

― splooge (thesplooge), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 09:45 (twenty years ago)

I always thought he was deliberately releasing one good single/collabo/guest spot per year post 14 Shots, while the rest of his output became watered-down lovers' rock. This rule then got shot down when he tried to do a Timba-style beat, on that single with Dre (Zoom?), and it's all been ignorable since then. The idea of an album with Tim inspired a) hope that he knew where it had all gone wrong and was trying to fix shit inna karmic stylee and b) dread that he wouldn't be able to match up to the beats after so long slacking...

all he has in his favour are his voice, his ability to keep up to step with different flows/cadences, and as he keeps reminding everyone, his reputation.

he shouldn't NEED anymore than the first two! if he's using those properly he's better than any other rapper ever! but droning monotonously about sex in the champagne room over lame beats not by Marley or Bobcat /= using them properly.

― kit brash (kit brash), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 10:16 (twenty years ago)

LL is so not better than any other rapper ever. he meets the first two criteria but he ruins them as he has nothing to rap about anymore, is only good at making songs about girls, but even then, for every one good girly song, he has about ten others that are complete chaff. even if he did have something he had to say (and im not talking about rubbish like 'father'), im not sure as a writer, he still has the knack to do it in an entertaining or interesting way.

i forgot about zoom, never thought it was timbo-like, i could be wrong though. i thought that was one of his better 90s songs.

― splooge (thesplooge), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 10:35 (twenty years ago)

4, 3, 2, 1 was pretty good...he's had some good singles pretty much all through his career.

i don't know how the album is selling, but man i hear "headsprung" on the local "hot hip-hop and R&B" station ALL THE TIME....

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 13:10 (twenty years ago)

canibus (and well everyone) murdered LL on 4,3,2,1. but yeah, it was still a good record.

― DVD (dickvandyke), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 13:14 (twenty years ago)

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