Customer Reviews

Walking With a Panther

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

LL has always been one of my favorite rappers. In a way, he was the Richard Roundtree (John Shaft) of his day. A cool dude who defined the masculine black man down to the Tee. Through claiming his microphone superiority, Having all the women, and firing back at any MC who dare oppose or questions his skills, He was (and still is) a Bad muthaf*cka in his own right.

Walking with A Panther has his best as well as his most dreadful tracks he ever recorded. If this overlong 20 track album was trimmed down to a 12 track opus, It would rival Mama Said Knock you Out as being his best album. But as it stands, classic gems like "Droppin Em" and "Im that Type of Guy" are seqeunced with forgettable tracks like the rap ballads One shot at love, You're my Heart, and Two Different Worlds. While Big Old Butt is one of his classic skirt chasing (A** chasing rather) tracks, 1-900 Cool J tries to duplicate that potency to no avail. This CD should be remastered with and trimmed down by dropping the filler

Desired track selection:

1. Droppin Em

2. Smokin Dopin

3. Fast Peg

4. Clap Your Hands

5. Nitro

6. I'm That type of Guy

7. Why do you think They call it Dope?

8. Going Back To Cali

9. It gets No Rougher

10.Big ole Butt

11.Jealous

12.Jack the Ripper

This would of made a 4.5 star album instead of a barely above average album.

While Cool James and rappers like Ice T and Kool Moe Dee may have had their differences, there is no denying that LL Cool J is representative of the mid to late 80s rap scene. Partly due to his flamboyant style (whose idea was it to put a gold chain on a panther anyway?) and boyish good looks and partly due to his ability as a rapper, LL Cool J was part of the crowd (including party-anthem writer Rob Base and Kid-N-Play - remember House Party?) that helped to push rap out of the streets and into suburban malls.

While LL Cool J's abilities as a lyricist are at times questionable (ok, you're dope, we got it), songs like I'm That Type of Guy and Going Back to Cali are classic LL. My personal favorite, Big Ole Butt, is clearly a precursor to Sir Mix A Lot's One-Hit-Wonderdom, and Jingling Baby reinforced why LL was LL (ladies love him). There are several other songs on this album that are significant for one reason or another, but as with most things, success in pop culture continues to define the albums overall success almost 15 years later.

Bottomline: If you are a big fan of 80s rap, grab this one. If not, pass. But either way, more people remember LL than Kool or T (despite his being crowned the world's greatest pimp), so ole' James must have been doing something right!

Though a big commercial success upon it's release (it hit the Top Ten and sold Platinum), WALKING WITH A PANTHER is largely considered to be a disappointment by many of LL's biggest fans. True, it is not in the same league as RADIO or BIGGER AND DEFFER in terms of consistency and cohesiveness, but PANTHER is actually quite good on it's own terms.

LL's emotional range as a performer remains as impressive as ever. He can run the gauntlet from explosively bold ("Nitro") to smoothly seductive ("You're My Heart") to deliriously horny ("Jingling Baby") and back again. The best track is easily the sophisticated jazz-rap tour de force "Going Back To Cali" (#31 Pop, #12 R&B), which had been previously released on the LESS THAN ZERO soundtrack. This surprising maturity is also found in the deep lyrics to "Jealous" (which is one of the more sparsely-produced tracks here) and the disturbing "Fast Peg" (which starts out like a typical ode to lust but comes to a chilling end).

The album's biggest hit was the boasting "I'm That Type Of Guy" (#15 Pop, #7 R&B, #1 Rap), but the disc's best macho anthem is actually the tight and very funny "Clap Your Hands." Unfortunately, LL's humor mostly falls flat elsewhere, with the dull "Big Ole Butt" and "1-900 LL Cool J" (both of which have no hooks or wit) being the prime offenders. Even worse are the crop of "I Need Love"-rip-offs. "You're My Heart" succeeds due to LL's intense performance, but "One Shot At Love" and "Two Different Worlds" are almost laughably lame.

The biggest problem with PANTHER is that it does not have enough quality material to justify it's long 76 minute runtime and many of the strong tracks get bogged down by filler. However, PANTHER has more than enough strong moments to make it a good release. Interestingly enough, the B-side to the "Going Back To Cali" single (the terrific "Jack The Ripper") wasn't included here, even though it's actually much better than half the songs that did make the cut.

By the time Walking released, LL was definitely at the top of his game. But with lots of rappers calling him out, Mr. Smith spends most of the album boasting how great he is. Well, it's tolerable, considering his lyrics are finely polished for this joint. "Droppin' Em" is the best song on the album, period. The beat is ready, and the lyrics are punishing, as L states that he "flips lyrics like an acrobat." On "Clap Your Hands", he says, with confidence, "I work myself harder than a boxer's trainer." And he definitely holds it down with all the hits. "I'm That Type of Guy" appears, as does the dance tune "Big Ole' Butt" and "Going Back to Cali". And, a less-thumpin version of "Jingling, Baby" is here. The hits are there. But the ballads...well, let's say they're nowhere near "I Need Love". After a while, LL's continuous boasting just gets tired. But, as a new school rap cat, I found that "Walking with a Panther" is better than half of the stuff out there today, but compared to "Radio" and "Bigger and Deffer", "Walking" seems like a collaboration: good but featuring songs he could've done without. But as L says on "Why Do You Think They Call it Dope": "It seems like people, will never understand/On the microphone,I'm not your average man."

Walking With A Panther is the third release of L.L. Cool J where he explored more with diverse subjects and taking control of production. The lead-off, "Droppin' Em" is a lyrical attack with punchlines and metaphors of superiority to contenders. Slowing the pace with gloomy effects on "Smokin', Dopin'" compares his artistry as being addictive. "Fast Peg" is quite short and simple with a tale of abuse and violent life of a woman. With lyrical content such as "...her man be smaking her up / backing her up / to the wall..." gives vivid images to accompany the story. Giving the audience the opportunity to participate on "Clap Your Hands" the funk lead guitar adds to the experience. The chemically balanced song "Nitro" proves that the pen is mightier than the sword delivered with a vengeance. Opening himself to a seldom seen subject of hip-hop/rap to love on "You're My Heart" over dramatic r&b chords. "I'm That Type Of Guy" has a burgulary mystic where L.L. skillfully takes another man's woman with an impressive spoken flow. Tongue tied delivery displays the ability, skill and versatility on "Why Do You Think They Call It Dope?" to answer its own question. Relaxing to the exotic jazz blend of the horn section on "Going Back To Cali" highlights this album by expanding genres. Opposite of his name "It Gets No Rougher" is fueled by a guitar giving the edge. As Ladies Love journey to his strength and appeal on "Big Ole Butt" and "1-900 L.L. Cool J" over looped samples. "Jealous" is attacking a personality trait of some people who may criticize as the simple harmonized chorus to compliment the slow groove. Aimed as a head nodder on "Jingling Baby" showing off the movement of ladies earrings is like aphrodisiac for Cool J. Taking a more mellow angle on "Def Jam In The Motherland" meshed with a jazzy feel over the incessant vibes. As there were a few failed attempts theres more than enough material for entertainment. Seen as the earlier years of L.L. Cool J should be a model for many of today's artist in rap/hip-hop because of evident versatility. Walking With A Panther is a deadly path to cross for adversaries containing classic material within.

Walking with a Panther

Released in the spring of 1989, Walking with a Panther" is one-time "Prince of Rap" LL Cool J's third album. For this outing LL serves as the main producer (with Bigger and Deffer collaborators Dwayne Simon & Darryl Pierce). The LP's opening song, "Droppin' Em" is a solid return to form, as are "Smokin' Dopin'" and "Clap Your Hands". "One Shot at Love" and "Two Different Worlds" push the rap-ballad envelope a little too further than it needed to be, but the synthesizer-propelled "Am I Still Your Heart?" is on point. "Fast Peg" is a cautionary tale about a mob moll who takes her lifestyle for granted: "...Her man messed up the money, ridin' around thinking everything's funny; went to a disco, came outside; somebody pushed her in a beat-up ride; she had to pay for her man's mistakes..."

On the first single "I'm That Type of Guy", LL depicts himself as a sneaky playboy who can't wait to romance another guy's woman; the follow-up hit, "Big Ole Butt", continues the theme, as LL recounts his fetish for prominent rear ends. The Bomb Squad-produced "It Don't Get No Rougher" and "Nitro" find LL spitting battle-rhymes with fierceness. "Change Your Ways" features live drums & guitar; and the original "Jingling Baby" lifts the theme to blaxploitation movie "Black Belt Jones". Also tacked on to the disc is LL's 1987 pop smash "Going Back to Cali", originally featured on the Less than Zero movie soundtrack.

Admittedly, LL was in full party mode with this album. But surprisingly, at the time of its release, LL took a beating from urban fans who felt he had gone pop. Afrocentric, political hip-hop and gangster rap had recently become all the rage, and by comparison LL's quasi-hedonism of good times was deemed socially irresponsible. But for fair-minded listeners, there's more funk for your trunk than you might think.

Note: At the time of its release, "Panther" was one of the first double-LPs for rap. Tracking at over 75 minutes, there were a few songs left off the CD that should hopefully show up on a double-disc re-release. They would be "Jack the Ripper", which was LL's response to then-rival Kool Moe Dee's harangues, and "Crime Stories".

This album is great hip-hop, from 1989. Surprisingly, LL took a beating from fans who felt he had gone pop. But if you really take a listen, there's more funk for your trunk than you might think.

Okay, "One Shot at Love" and "Two Different Worlds" push the rap-ballad envelope a little too further than it needed to be. But the synth-propelled "Am I Still Your Heart?" is on point, and you can't front on the bass-driven jams like "Fast Peg", "Smokin', Dopin'", "Big Ole Butt", "It Don't Get No Rougher", and "Jack the Ripper". LL shows his rock influence on "Droppin' Em", "Change Your Ways", and the original "Jingling Baby". Admittedly, LL was in full party mode with this album? But is anything really wrong with that? Especially in light of today's champagne-drenched Italian-designer clad rap performers, the "Panther" album was really prophetic, in a way. Check it out, y'all!!!!

I just can't comprehend why this disc continues to be held in such low esteem by so many. Hip-hop has had it's share of criminally underrated discs, but in my opinion "Walking With a Panther" is the most underrated hip-hop-album of all time (M.U.H.O.A.T.).
I realize that back in the day it was maligned for being out of step with the conscious era and for the ill-advised decision to include not one but THREE ballads, but I would have expected revisionism to treat this one a little more kindly.
I agree with the reviewer who said that if this album had been cut down to about 12 tracks it would be a classic to rival "Mama Said...". In my opinion, at it's best this album contains some of the most vital and engaging hip-hop ever produced, especially in the opening three tracks.
Having said that, I realize that I'm not here so much to editorialize as to help potential buyers decide whether or not this disc would make a good purchase. I'd say yes; if you're interested in LL or golden era hip-hop in general then this definitely is worth your while (just be wary of censored copies). Also, if you're new to Cool J, don't make this your first disc. Try "Radio" or "Mama Said Knock You Out" instead.
In fairness, given the option I would have rated this 3.5 stars. There's a lot of filler here, and three ballads on one hip-hop LP is just unforgiveable. Still, the classic material on here is SO classic, and LL so obviously believed in and gave his all to this project, that being a fan I'm inclined to round up rather than down.

This is far from a bad album. Anybody who says this is LL's worst album must not have heard The DEFinition, Todd Smith, 10, and Phenomenon or must be on some type of drug you should stay away from. What stopped this album from being great is the terrible songs for the ladies like You're My Heart, One Shot At Love and Two Diferrent Worlds. LL mastered the hip hop love jams with I Need Love but he fell on his face with these soulless tunes. Also drab songs like Jealous and Change You Ways(failed inspiration song) arent that hot. What saves this album are the number of classic LL Cool J joints like Droppin Em, Smokin Dopin, Clap Your Hands, Nitro, Why Do You Think They Call It Dope?, It Gets No Rougher and Jingling Baby. Past Peg was a cool story with an valuable lesson learned. Commercially aceepted songs like Big Ole Butt, Going Back To Cali and Im That Type Of Guy are pretty good too. On this album, everytime LL stays with the hip hop songs he excells but when he tries his hand at the love songs he fails miserably. There is enough classic LL tunes to make this album a part of your collection. Standout Tracks: DROPPIN'EM, CLAP YOUR HANDS, NITRO, IM THAT TYPE OF GUY, WHY DO YOU THINK THEY CALL IT DOPE?, IT GETS NO ROUGHER, BIG OLE BUTT, JINGLING BABY and DEF JAM IN THE MOTHERLAND.

When Cool J. dropped this album he angered a lot people with his flaunting of materialism. On the album cover he has numeras gold chains on, a bottle of expensive wine ,a large name ring made of diamonds, and a black panther with a fat gold chain around his neck. All this sounds somewhat normal in these days and times of bling-bling but this album was done in the 1989. Lyrically this is one of his best albums. It includes the hit's "Going Back to Cali" "Jingling Baby" and "I'm That Type of Guy" which are good dance tunes. For the rougher crowd that remembers that with the proper motivation LL can still rip the mic there are songs like "Jack Da Ripper", "It Gets No Rougher", "Why do You Think They Call It Dope" and "Droppin Em". In my opinion the song "Jack Da Ripper" has got to be the best track on the album and possibly one of the best battle raps of all time. LL really pulls no punches and proves why he is considered to be one of the top lyricist's in the world of hip-hop. LL enters unstable territory with the 2 slow tempo love songs but the rest of the album more then makes up for it. This is the young brash LL that we all have come to know and love. Peace