RADIO
Radio is the debut studio album by American rapper LL Cool J. It was on November 18, 1985, by Def Jam Recordings and was the record label’s first full-length album release. The album experienced a significant amount of commercial success and sales for a hip hop record at the time, earning U.S. Billboard chart success and selling over 500,000 copies within its first five months of release. On April 19, 1989, Radio was certified platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), following sales in excess of one million copies in the United States. Initial criticism of the album was generally positive, as LL Cool J’s lyricism and Rick Rubin’s production were praised by several music critics. Radio has been recognized by music writers as one of the first cohesive and commercially successful hip hop albums. (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)
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LL Cool J – the initials stand for “Ladies Love Cool James” (his real name is James Todd Smith) – is one of the forefathers of pop rap according to Wikipedia. To date, he has released 13 albums and 2 greatest-hits collections.
About his first album, Radio (1985), Wikipedia says: “Reflecting the new school and ghettoblaster subculture in the U.S. during the mid-1980s, Radio belongs to a pivotal moment in the history and culture of hip hop. Its success contributed to the displacement of the old school with the new school form and to the genre’s mainstream success during the period. Its success also served as a career breakthrough for LL Cool J and [producer] Rick Rubin. Radio has been recognized by music writers as one of the first cohesive and commercially successful hip hop albums.”
(September 2016)
