Mama Said Knock You Out [Original recording reissued]

L.L. Cool J | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 27, 1990)
• Original Release Date: 1990
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued
• Label: Def Jam
• ASIN: B0000024II
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #38,711 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #55 in Music > Rap & Hip-Hop > Old School

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars My favorite of LL's CDs (not having heard them all), December 22, 2002

By 

Patrick G. Varine "Make beats, not war, haha..." (Georgetown, Delaware) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mama Said Knock You Out (Audio CD)

I have to admit, I was not a big fan of LL Cool J back in the day, with the exception of this album. I had this one on cassette, and I just couldn't stop listening to it. The songs all had a nice rough edge to them, even the more pop numbers. Marley Marl throws down some of his best beats for LL to rhyme over.

First of all, "The Boomin' System" is one of the best songs ever to kick off an album. LL extols the virtues of 12" subwoofers over a track that requires them.

There are plenty of great songs here. "Farmers Blvd." is a great posse cut over a simple, effective piano riff. "Milky Cereal" is a hilarious relationship saga in the style of Coolio's "Ghetto Cartoon" and Ghostface's "The Forest." Of course, Uncle L did it years before either of those two.

Leaving out "Mama Said Knock You Out" isn't doing justice to the album, but everyone knows about that song. What you might not know about is "Jingling Baby (Remixed But Still Jingling)," and my favorite of LL's "I will pimp you no matter what" songs, "Mr. Goodbar."

In an eternal paradox, the Almighty makes his way into LL's lady-pleasing on "The Power of God," and LL gets hassled by the cops on "Illegal Search."

Not having listened to all of LL's albums, I can only claim this one as the best by ignorance. But it's pretty good.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars CHILLLLLLL...... (eat em up L), November 29, 2002

By 

a fan (amazon.com) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mama Said Knock You Out (Audio CD)

"Mama Said Knock You Out" definitely came on time for LL Cool J, after his third album "Walking With a Panther" disappointed heavily. LL rose up from that flat album and a battle with substance abuse to make this comeback, which is one of rap's greatest albums. It came right on time, as the album kicks off with the stereo anthem "Boomin' System". Then the ladies lover praises Black women with the smash single "Around the Way Girl". "Mr. goodbar" is the attogant LL at his best, licking his lips and burning machismo. "Murdergram" has him waging war on anybody with the guts to battle him. ("Pass the brass knuckles, lemme break his jaw!") "Cheesy Rat Blues" has L tackling those who are materialistic and only care about money (it's also pretty funny). Then he comes swinging on the title track, one of hip hop's hardest songs. THEN he does the unthinkable. He disses three MC's in one song. He ripps apart Kool Moe Dee, MC Hammer, and Ice-T on "Til' the Break of Dawn", saying to Hammer that "my old gym teacher ain't supposed to rap". Tracks like these prove why LL is a genius in the battle rap. Songs like "6 Minutes" and "Milky Cereal" are downright catchy, but of course you can't forget the ... chorus of "Jinglin', Baby" (They're jingling, baby/Go 'head baby". That song still rocks any party. Those who hate on LL need to just chillllll, and let him do his thing, and this album controls you from the beginning to the end.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars COOL MAMA!, July 11, 2000

By 

Pieter "Toypom" (Johannesburg) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Mama Said Knock You Out (Audio CD)

Replete with the 3 R's -- rhyme, rhythm and reason - this album by Mr Cool is distinguished also by its humour. There are lots of very good songs lurking beneath the rap which makes his music palatable even to those not into hiphop. Mr Good Bar contains some hilarious declarations while elsewhere LL proves that rap can be every bit as soulful as, well, soul music. That doesn't mean he's lost his roar - the titl track and Illegal Search are sizzling roots rap pieces bobbing on a funk train. There's also some gospel rap on the last track!