Mama Said Knock You Out [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED]

L.L. Cool J, L.l. Cool J (bb)

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 27, 1990)
• Original Release Date: August 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.com Sales Rank: #8,326 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  #16 in	Music > Rap & Hip-Hop > Old School
  #78 in	Music > Rap & Hip-Hop > East Coast

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording
LL Cool J's egotism is his m.o., his sex appeal, his greatest strength. He'd been on top of the world since he started scoring hits as a teenager, but anyone who's been in the rap game for five years, as he'd been when Mama arrived, has something to prove. So he came out swinging--literally--with the title track, which claims boxing trash talk as proto-rap and turns it into a declaration of ongoing mastery. Beyond that, Mama, with its ultrahard Marley Marl production, pumps up his love-man rep (the sweetly affectionate "Around the Way Girl" and an even hornier remix of "Jingling Baby") and his ego (pretty much everything else). It's mostly just old-school boasting, but damn if it isn't deserved. --Douglas Wolk

Product Description
Strictly Limited Edition with Special 'cardboard (LP-STYLE) Sleeve. Plus Bonus Extra Track 'around the Way Girl' Marley Rub Mix. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 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 "Dubwiser Extraordinaire" (Georgetown, Delaware) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars HIS LAST GREAT DISC, May 6, 2000

By	[e-mail] "mistermaxxx" (usa) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

I Haven't Dug Any LL COOL J Disc all The way Thru Since this one.Reason Being He was On A Mission after the Horrible Walking With A Panther.This Album Knocks You Out From the Title Cut.THE BOOMIN' System Still Rocks a House.Jingling Baby&Around The Way Girl are The Jams.The Music&VIbe were Strong on this Set.

1 of 1 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 (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

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!