Music Review

Mr. Smith

EW's GRADE
B

Details Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap

L.L. Cool J Mr. Smith (Def Jam) As a hip-hop pioneer in the '80s, L.L. Cool J was an archetypal B-boy prodigy. Now, as a prime-time TV star, he's an elder statesman. This belated return to the studio finds him on familiar ground, playing equal parts cutup, seducer, and gangsta. And while his cutting-edge days are well behind him, this is far from the self-parodying effort we had every reason to expect. B

Originally posted Dec 08, 1995 Published in issue #304 Dec 08, 1995 Order article reprints
You Might Also Like

Add your comment

The rules: Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment. If you see inappropriate language, e-mail us. An asterisk * indicates a required field.

500 characters remaining
Advertisement