All World (1996)

One of rap's original B-boys, LL Cool J, didn't survive on his charm or waggish vocal chops alone. As the relentlessly engaging hits package, All World, proves, he deftly segued from snarling boasts to cuddly come-ons, just as his tracks kept improving — from the early electro-beats of ''Rock the Bells'' through the funky swing of ''Jingling Baby'' and beyond. An essential hip-hop collection — even if it doesn't include 1989's naughty-by-nature ode ''I'm That Type of Guy.'' A