#246 LL Cool J, 'Mama Said Knock You Out' (1990)

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LL Cool J hit the scene when was 17 years old. Two years later, he released his second album which was a major career breakthrough. The following album, while successful, was panned by Hip Hop fans for being too commercial and having too many ballads. That brings us to ‘Mama Said Knock You Out,’ LL Cool J’s fourth record. “Don't call it a comeback, I been here for years/I'm rockin' my peers, puttin' suckers in fear,” raps LL Cool J on the title track. The reality is that it was his comeback. With this record, he had regained the respect of his peers and his fans. Chris Rock named this as his sixth greatest Hip Hop record ever in an article he wrote for Rolling Stone and the album was named in multiple lists.

His rhymes are cheeky and clever, his flow smooth and beats phat. This album is the perfect transition between ‘80s Hip Hop and ‘90s Hip Hop. You can literally hear the sound developing as the record progresses. Of course, this album influenced so many artists to come, but one of the most notable? I won’t mention them by name, but these lyrics from ‘Cheesy Rat Blues’ might give it away: “Yo, run the jewels, run the jewels, run the jewels/Can you feel it?”

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