Radio by Ll Cool J - DeepRiffs

ALBUM Explicit

Run-D.M.C. was the first rap act to produce cohesive, fully realized albums, and LL Cool J was the first to follow in their footsteps. LL was a mere 17 years old when he recorded his classic debut album Radio, a brash, exuberant celebration of booming beats and B-boy attitude that launched not only the longest career in hip-hop, but also Rick Rubin's seminal Def Jam label. Rubin's back-cover credit ("Reduced by Rick Rubin") is an entirely apt description of his bare-bones production style. Radio is just as stripped-down and boisterously aggressive as any Run-D.M.C. album, sometimes even more so; the instrumentation is basically just a cranked-up beatbox, punctuated by DJ scratching. There are occasional brief samples, but few do anything more than emphasize a downbeat. The result is rap at its most skeletal, with a hard-hitting, street-level aggression that perfectly matches LL's cocksure teenage energy. Even the two ballads barely sound like ballads, since they're driven by the same slamming beats. Though they might sound a little squared-off to modern ears, LL's deft lyrics set new standards for MCs at the time; his clever disses and outrageous but playful boasts still hold up poetically. Although even LL himself would go on to more intricate rhyming, it isn't really necessary on such a loud, thumping adrenaline rush of a record. Radio was both an expansion of rap's artistic possibilities and a commercial success (for its time), helping attract new multiracial audiences to the music. While it may take a few listens for modern ears to adjust to the minimalist production, the fact that it hews so closely to rap's basic musical foundation means that it still possesses a surprisingly fresh energy, and isn't nearly as dated as many efforts that followed it (including, ironically, some of LL's own). ~ Steve Huey

1. I Can't Live Without My Radio

Composer: Rick Rubin
Ll Cool J; Composer
Primary Artist: Ll Cool J; Main Performer
Lyricist: Ll Cool J
Rick Rubin; Composer
Producer: Rick Rubin; Production
Recording: Steve Ett; Production
Studio Personnel: Steve Ett; Production
Composer Lyricist: Rick Rubin
Ll Cool J; Other

2. You Can't Dance

Composer: Rick Rubin
Ll Cool J; Composer
Primary Artist: Ll Cool J; Main Performer
Lyricist: Ll Cool J
Rick Rubin; Composer
Engineer: Steve Ett; Production
Producer: Rick Rubin; Production
Studio Personnel: Steve Ett; Production
Composer Lyricist: Rick Rubin
Ll Cool J; Other

3. Dear Yvette

Composer: James Todd Smith
Rick Rubin; Composer
Primary Artist: Ll Cool J; Main Performer
Lyricist: Rick Rubin
James Todd Smith; Composer
Engineer: Steve Ett; Production
Producer: Rick Rubin; Production
Studio Personnel: Steve Ett; Production
Composer Lyricist: James Todd Smith
Rick Rubin; Other

4. I Can Give You More

Composer: Rick Rubin
Ll Cool J; Composer
Primary Artist: Ll Cool J; Main Performer
Lyricist: Ll Cool J
Rick Rubin; Composer
Engineer: Steve Ett; Production
Producer: Rick Rubin; Production
Studio Personnel: Steve Ett; Production
Composer Lyricist: Rick Rubin
Ll Cool J; Other

5. Dangerous

Composer: Rick Rubin
Ll Cool J; Composer
Primary Artist: Ll Cool J; Main Performer
Lyricist: Ll Cool J
Rick Rubin; Composer
Engineer: Steve Ett; Production
Producer: Rick Rubin; Production
Studio Personnel: Steve Ett; Production
Composer Lyricist: Rick Rubin
Ll Cool J; Other

6. Untitled

Primary Artist: Ll Cool J; Main Performer
Composer: Rick Rubin
James Todd Smith; Composer
Lyricist: Rick Rubin
James Todd Smith; Composer
Producer: Rick Rubin; Production
Composer Lyricist: James Todd Smith
Rick Rubin; Other

7. Rock The Bells

Performer: Ll Cool J; Performer
Primary Artist: Ll Cool J; Main Performer
Rap: Ll Cool J; Performer
Composer: James Todd Smith
Rick Rubin; Composer
Lyricist: Rick Rubin
James Todd Smith; Composer
Producer: Rick Rubin; Production
Composer Lyricist: James Todd Smith
Rick Rubin; Other

8. I Need A Beat (Remix)

Composer: Rick Rubin
Ll Cool J
Adam Horovitz; Composer
Primary Artist: Ll Cool J; Main Performer
Lyricist: Rick Rubin
Ll Cool J
Adam Horovitz; Composer
Engineer: Steve Ett; Production
Producer: Rick Rubin
Jazzy Jay; Production
Studio Personnel: Steve Ett; Production
Composer Lyricist: Rick Rubin
Adam Horovitz
Ll Cool J; Other

9. That's A Lie

Composer: Rick Rubin
Ll Cool J; Composer
Primary Artist: Ll Cool J; Main Performer
Lyricist: Ll Cool J
Rick Rubin; Composer
Engineer: Steve Ett; Production
Producer: Rick Rubin; Production
Studio Personnel: Steve Ett; Production
Composer Lyricist: Rick Rubin
Ll Cool J; Other

10. You'll Rock

Composer: Rick Rubin
Ll Cool J; Composer
Primary Artist: Ll Cool J; Main Performer
Lyricist: Ll Cool J
Rick Rubin; Composer
Engineer: Steve Ett; Production
Producer: Rick Rubin; Production
Studio Personnel: Steve Ett; Production
Composer Lyricist: Rick Rubin
Ll Cool J; Other

11. I Want You

Composer: Rick Rubin
Ll Cool J; Composer
Primary Artist: Ll Cool J; Main Performer
Lyricist: Ll Cool J
Rick Rubin; Composer
Engineer: Steve Ett; Production
Producer: Rick Rubin; Production
Studio Personnel: Steve Ett; Production
Composer Lyricist: Rick Rubin
Ll Cool J; Other

Technical Specifications

Volume

1 volume only

Tracks

11 tracks available

Type

ALBUM

Format

Digital Media

Duration

46 minutes and 57 seconds

Explicit

Containing curse words, language, or art that is sexually, violently, or offensively oriented.

Coverart

Available and up to 1500x1500 px

Booklet

Not available

Max Quality

CD Quality (Lossless)

16bit / 44.1 kHz

Stereo

Audio Extension

Lossless: FLAC, M4A, WAV, WV, AIFF

Lossy: AAC, MP3, M4A, MP4, OGA, OGG, OPUS, WMA

Archive Format

Available in these formats: ZIP, TAR, RAR

Lyrics

10/11 tracks have lyrics

Synchronized Lyrics

8/11 tracks have synced lyrics

Genres

Rap, Hip Hop, Hardcore Rap, East Coast Rap, Old School Rap, East Coast Old School, '80s Hip-Hop Hits, Hip-Hop Hitmakers

Label

Mercury Records

Music Distribution Service

UMG Global

Country

United States

Language

English (United States)

Popularity

Release Date

Dec 31, 1984

Track Preview

Available

Delivery Charge

Free

Delivery Method

Digital download link via Email or Personal Dashboard on this site

UPC

602537402625