MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT
“Mama Said Knock You Out” is a number-one hit single by LL Cool J from his album of the same name. The song famously begins with the line “Don’t call it a comeback / I’ve been here for years.” Before “Mama Said Knock You Out” was released, many people felt that LL Cool J’s career was waning; his grandmother, who still believed in his talent, told him to “knock out” all his critics. The song was produced by Marley Marl with help from DJ Bobcat along with LL. The single reached number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100, was certified Gold by the RIAA, and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. (More from Wikipedia)
LL Cool J, Mr. Smith – I will have more to say about this gentleman, one of the founding fathers of rap, in a later post when I try to do an overview of the hip hop scene (wish me luck!). This album came out in 1995, a decade after his 1985 debut Radio; it was a #1 album for LL Cool J and represented something of a comeback for the artist (4 years after he famously started off one of his best known hits, “Mama Said Knock You Out” with the lyrics, “Don’t call it a comeback / I’ve been here for years”).
(December 2015)
