Customer Reviews

Radio [Explicit]

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Run Dmc sat the standards for how Hip Hop was going to sound in 1984 with Run-D.M.C. and 17 year old LL Cool J continued the trend the following year with this one that became another classic. This album was also the first album to be released from Def Jam that had been founded by Rick Rubin with the help from Russell Simmons the previous year. "Radio" demonstrates Rick Rubin's production style more then any other album with it's minimalistic beats and stripped down no BS sound that often also used rock beats, just like Run Dmc. The album is throughout cohesive, considering that Rubin produced all of the songs and for a Rap album at the time it gained considerable attention. Ll Cool J on the other hand sound exactly like a product of the 80's old skool rap with b-boy attitude and street smart lyrics about anything from having fun to charming the girls to cockyness. The opener "I Can't Leave Without My Radio" that also appeared on "Krush Groove" is the best example of 80's Hip Hip and what to expect the rest of the album to sound. "You Can't Dance" and "Dangerous" about having fun shows alot of scratching and b-boy attitude while it's pretty obvious that he's not having high thought of the girl from "Dear Yvette" but certain words are not used, infact LL never sued foul words in his music. However, the majority of songs about women on LL recordings are tender ballads like "I Can Give You More" and "I Want You". These songs can be noted as the first Hip Hop ballads even if the minimalistic sound here make it hard to distinguish, he later perfected it with the seminal "I Need Love" from his following album Bigger and Deffer. "Rock The Bells" and "I Need Love" are among the best old skool hits and not only shows the style of the sound but the culture of Hip Hop in the mid 80's. "That's a Lie" is just funny, and is some kind of duet between him and Simmons where he's bragging and LL is claiming it's all lies while there's plenty of bragadocio on "You'll Rock" that is simular to "I Can't Live Without My Radio". Eventhough the sound of this album was getting olf by 1990 it's a vastly important Rap album and stands as one of the brickstones for the evolution of the genre. It was also just the beginning for LL Cool J, over 20 years later he's still around and still making hits. That itself make him the longest serving Rapper in the game and one of a few that's been though Hip Hop from the peak of it's popularity to it's current form. "Radio" would be a a great addition to you collection, cause it's one of the old skool albums that really sticks out.

Sparse, yet beat-heavy, arrangements lend RADIO a raw stripped down feeling, which is enormously appealing compared to the almost laughably grandiose production that plagues much of today's hip hop. The best aspect to this minimal production is that it puts LL's voice into the foreground, and let's him loose to do his thing. Whether he's putting on his loveman persona ("I Can Give You More," "I Want You") or delivering his trademark kiss-offs ("Dear Yvette," "That's A Lie"), LL's undeniable charisma shines through brighter on RADIO than anywhere else.

The ratio of production and performance strike a perfect balance on the hard-hitting classics "Rock The Bells" (#17 R&B) and "I Need A Beat," both of which really give LL meaty hooks to sink his teeth into. The album sold Platinum despite narrowly missing the Top 40 on the Hot 200, while the semi-title track, "I Can't Live Without My Radio," was also a single and charted at an impressive #15 on the R&B chart. With the uncluttered production, clever lyrics, and impassioned delivery, RADIO represents hip hop at it's purest.

There is not much to say about this album other than that it is great! This is my first LL album and I must say I was quite impressed. Favorite songs: Radio (Truly amazing song), Rock the Bells, I Need a Beat, Dangerous. Also, note that the "Bonus Song" is acually a short (1min 18sec) skit.

A lighthearted teenager with swagger and some bragadoccio sprinkled in steps on the scene and delivers a strong album. LL was 16 years old at the time. Compared to the current young rappers in that age group, not only is his album very complex, but it trumps a lot of the stuff being put out now. This album is a very solid effort, and after listening to what's on the airwaves right now, this album has an effect comparable to when you open up a window to a room with stagnant air. Not only do you feel refreshed, but you regain some of the brain cells that you lost when you turned on todays radio.

All rap fans should do themselves a favor and put this one in their cd players every once in a while. It'll renew your spirits and help you remember why you loved hip hop in the first place.

For someone who was only about 16 years old and made his own beats with an electronic drum machine given to him by his grandfather, this is one heck of an album. The rhymes give the impression that LL is someone who is wise beyond his years, as his storytelling abilities would make a listener believe that he wasn't just a minor at the time. "I Can't Live Without My Radio" is a self-explanatory song, but it is great nonetheless. From there, the album remains strong with stories of a girl going down the wrong path ("Dear Yvette"), teenage crushes ("I Can Give You More" and "I Want You"), and straight-up boasting ("Rock the Bells"). This album is highly reccommended, as this is arguably the best LL album out there.

LL Cool J is one of the all-time greats in hip hop, bar none. If you've been a fan of hip hop for a while like me, then you know the kind of precedent he set, such as MCs having true sex appeal(ask Big Daddy Kane). This debut made LL a bonafide star, and it's indeed a classic, one of his best recordings. Here's the review:

Album Highlights: Even though EVERY song stands out on this album, the true highlights of this album are I Can't Live Without My Radio, Dear Yvette, and Rock The Bells.

Production: Thumbs up.

Lyrics and Subject Middle: Thumbs in the middle, leaning slightly towards up.

Originality: Thumbs up.

The Last Word: The first classic gem from the man know as LL. He showed true talent and charisma on this album, and remained a dominant force in the industry over the next several years. Overall, I recommend this album.

Although it may sound old by today's standards, you should still apreciate this release from LL Cool J and pay respects to one of the greatest rappers of all time. I've gotten used to the stripped down break beats and actually have started liking them because I've been listening to more and more old school rap, but for someone who is into the newer stuff, this is probably not for you. Anyways, it includes two of LL Cool J's better songs, "I Can't Live Without My Radio" and "Rock the Bells".

Very few hip hop albums have stood the test of time but LL Cool J's Radio has. Especially since you consider that it has a totally 80's B-Boy sound. A sparse sound with hard hitting beats, guitar riffs, awesome scratches by DJ Cut Creator and of couse LL's signature flow. The production style is unique to that era and it kind of brings LL's rapping to the forefront. Gives it a little more kick but his lyrical skills were so good that he probably could have rapped over any beat. This and Bigger and Deffer are my favorite albums by him. Anyone who thinks that LL got soft in his later years really needs to listen to this album. At the time he really raised the bar for other rappers. The album itself is a good listen from beginning to end and there really aren't any weak tracks on it. At the time people were listening to cassette tapes and bumping them in boom boxes. I think Rick Rubin produced this album so that it would be hard hitting from beginning to end. That way you could jam this cassette in your box without having to skip or fast forward any tracks. With only 11 songs including the little bonus El Shabazz skit, the album really isn't that long but what it lacks in quantity it makes up for in quality. As I've said the whole album is great. In a way this album is like the hip hop version of Michael Jackson's Thriller. They both have only a few songs but all of them are great. They both sold very well for their genres. They both can be listened to time and time again without sounding old or dated. I'll probably be listening to both albums until I'm well into my seventies. Maybe longer than that if I live that long. At 17 years old LL was rapping better than rappers twice his age. Now in 2011 there aren't any new rappers that can match him lyrically. Sadly, we may never see another rapper like him come into the game at such a young age and have a career that spanned over 20 years. The days of hip hop being about the rhymes are long gone and hip hop is declining more and more each year. Eventually it will dissappear altogether but at least we have classic albums like this one to remind us of how wonderful hip hop used to be.

Remember this? I sure do. In 1985, a young, brash , handsome 16 year old named James Todd Smith took our breaths away ans established a long and fruitful rap career. We first got a glimpse of him in the 1985 hip hop classic "Krush Groove" ("BOX"!). and since it's beeen a great ride. His debut album, Radio, sounds as good as it did those many summers ago. It's pure ols school hip hop; from the thumping bass of "I Can't Live Without My Radio", the DJ fury of "Rock The Bells", the transfixed trickery of "I Need A Beat". Even some of the lesser known songs are good; the verbal scolding of the neightboor tramp("Dear Yvette") to the neighborhood braggart("You're A Liar") and LL's first many hip hop's love song("I Want You"). Essential old school hip hop.

there are only a few unforgettable rap greats in history- mobb deep;infamous, snoop;doggystyle, dre;the chronic & 2001 and ll cool j's radio. with is mix of hard hitting big beats and memorable lyrics (ll cool j is hard as hell!) to name one this is not just an old school classic, it is a hip hop classic. only once in a while a real dope record comes out and this falls into that category, also being one of the best