Friday, 20 September 2024

Hanging on the telephone

LL Cool J - 1-900 L.L Cool J
(From Walking With A Panther album; 1989)



What's an LL album track beloved by you and seemingly only you? I'm a 1-900 L.L Cool J type of guy, meself. Uncle L used the 1-900 number concept before The Convicts or Roc-A-Fella, and hit the same Watermelon Man loop as the Dolly My Baby remix before Super Cat, Biggie et al. And LL did it while sounding effortlessly smug in a flow which probably made MC Shan real mad. In a perfect world 1-900 L.L Cool J woulda been the 4th single from Walking With A Panther instead of the nauseating ballad One Shot At Love.

Shit's got me thinking about what the first Rap song to start with a phone call was. Earliest I can think of is Spoonie Gee's The Big Beat. If not, The Big Beat was definitely the first Rap song to feature a "freak this" breakdown with the sound of squeaking bed springs. Insert your own Puffy joke here ----> _________.

28 comments:

  1. Love that Blondie tune (that entire album really)

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  2. One of the best albums ever 4 real. Blondie made that song their own like the Ramones made Do You Wanna Dance? their own.

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  3. Nitro was my favorite cut on that album LL with Bomb Squad was perfection.

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  4. Mr. Goodbar should have been released as a single off Mama Said... instead of 6 Minutes of Pleasure.

    Have you watched The Substance yet?

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  5. Negative. Any good?

    Haven't managed to watch Miracle Mile yet either. Hopefully tomorrow on that if it turns out to be a wet Sunday.

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  6. Yeah, loved it. Well worth seeing it at the cinema.

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  7. My plan is to go see it at my local indie spot when it comes on there next Friday. Cysed for the body yuck.

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  8. it's wild that on an album filled moet and caviar that he bragged about cooking chicken with shake-n-bake

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  9. My favorite LL album tracks:
    "Imagine That"
    "The Crossroads"
    "Father"
    "That's a lie"
    "Eat em up L, chill"
    "30 Decembers"

    "The Substance" is very stylish. Bit too arch for my taste.

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  10. Need someone to come through and rep for Hollis To Hollywood.

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    Replies
    1. "Hollis to Hollywood" sucks. Why didn't Mr Smith bother to look up "metaphor" in a dictionary before penning that doozy? But without that track, there wouldn't be this track:
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBwlrPR1zWg

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  11. I preferred “Mr Controversy” which I’m guessing was the unreleased original concept for this song.

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  12. Here to rep for The Truth on that Kay Slay tape

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  13. Yohan, The Truth is definitely one of his best non-album tracks.

    Hooligan, that was supposed to be the sequel to 1-900 L.L Cool J. Recorded for Mama Said Knock You Out. That's Marley's voice during the intro.

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  14. Illegal Search (Pre-Trial Hearing mix) is my pick for G.O.A.T LL remix. Blows the album version outta the water.

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  15. "make it hot" on mr. smith. really enjoyed trackmasters era LL.

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  16. Agreed. That particular album is a very good mix of jiggy and street.

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  17. actually this has been bothering me... I actually change that choice and wish to add "Hip-Hop" the song directly after "Make It Hot" on Mr. Smith hahaha

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  18. Good back in the day song. Get The Drop On 'Em is another fave deep cut on that album.

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  19. Mr Smith>>>>16 shots to the dome

    I actually don't think I've listened to the later albums, Luv U better + Ill bomb can't be the only good joints.

    Walking with a panther is great but i was genuinely surprised by how many shit love songs were on there, I thought it got a bad rap cos of the flossy cover or something lol

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  20. Fav LL performance is Doin It at some award show where hes essentially daggering the fake lashaun on a motorbike at one point, only enhanced by supposedly his wife n kids being in the crowd lol

    Fake lashaun barely rasping through her parts added to the filth imo

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  21. I've been watching a buncha those Salute The Sample videos you recommended. LL,, Greg Nice and Z-Trip are a very entertaining combo.

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  22. Yeh I hope they never stop, they really have a rhythm going now.

    There's actually a similar show that's popped up since(or before idk) where they break down songs W stems and stuff that's a bit more dry n academic but z-trip mixing can't be replicated. I think my fav episodes are when LL describes some imaginary movie scene over a loop lol

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  23. "This shit sounds like one of them movies with 6 English dudes in a car loading shotguns!"

    There really shoulda been an LL & Greg Nice song on the new album.

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  24. A Kool Moe Dee, Hammer, Ice-T and Canibus posse cut is a must for the next LL album.

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  25. Ad libs from Darlene and the shark from Deep Blue Sea.

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