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LL Cool J - 14 shots to the dome

Tremor said: "great review!! and the part about being a sellout i liked... cuz why is a rapper who makes money like he did, 50, anyone who does endorsements and that stuff called a sellout, but when an atlete from the same type of enviroment does a nutella commercial its ok/?? anyways nice review, it was thourough, and i liked how well you explained your opinon!! cheers"

sledge said: "A lot of people view LL Cool J as somewhat a sell out, as never fullfilling his potential...but personally i see him as a shrewd entertainer who knows how to cover his markets and core fanbase in equal proportion. From early hits such as 'radio' when at only 16 he stepped on the scene and ripped it open, to his second album bigger and deffer(bad) he stayed true to the mix of 'songs for the ladies' such the dreadful "i need love" to the out right battle rap\braggadacio of tracks such as "i'm bad". His 3rd album, "walk with the panther" was a surefire disaster..with no notable standout tracks, however his next two albums more than compensated for that error, "mama said knock you out" had atitle track that will remain in hip hop history for all time for its sheer power and emotion. And this leads me to 1994s '14 shots 2 the dome'... For me this is probably one of the most slept on albums of all time, from the qd111 production to the initial raw sounds of "how i'm comin" through to the ominous orchestral sounds of "crossroads" this album rarely falls off track! How I'm Comin' > a straight up hip hop track, a perfect opener that signalled LLs intentions with this album. Buckin' Em Down > the title says it all "buckin em down"..a clear message to his detractors. another hard beat, with hard ll style braggadacio. a classic song. Stand By Your Man > a track for the ladies, as you'd expect from an LL album..but, not as cheesy as the most part of his other 'crossover' records. Actually a very good song. A Little Somethin' > a decent track, not anything memorable. easy listening, easy rhymin, easily forgettable. Pink Cookies In A Plastic Bag Getting Crushed By Buildings > despite the long and strange title, this track is actually pretty good..this was the first track i heard of this album and it inspired me to buy it all those years ago so, it cant be that bad! lol Straight From Queens > self explanatory title. another bumpin track. nothing special, but still better than a lot of hip hop around at the time. Funkadelic Relic > LL asserting himself and his status "relic" and this was 10 years ago, a good track. All We Got Left Is The Beat > one of my favourites on the album, a scathin torrent on the industy, over a brilliant beat. Classic LL in a similair vein to "mama said knock u out" (NFA) No Frontin' Allowed > another good, but not distinctly memorable track. Back Seat > a classic track, the qd111 beat on this is pure class , another song that haters would deem for the ladies, but in actual fact it sees LL talkin of more 'playeristic' escapades in the 'back seat of his jeep' lol..rather than his traditional romantisised crooning. Soul Suvivor > again LL re-affirming that despite being subjected to harsh critiscism, he was still there while a lot of his piers etc had fallen off. Dope track. Ain't No Stoppin' This > Again, in the same vein as teh above, however it ranks higher and hits harder. Excellent track! Diggy Down > an excellent track with a haunting hook, a step above the majority of what already was a tight album. Crossroads> this track takes on a more concious vibe, with an apocalyptic feel to it, the haunting strings and chorus, LL sends out a message more prophetic than at any other point in his career. The sheer force of the beat alone makes you sit up and take notice. Overall out of the 14 tracks there are a few fillers, but good fillers and def not anything cringe worthy as LL tended to veer towards with later efforts. Although LL may have since failed to replicate anything close to any of his albums Mr Smith and prior, he remains one of the most important figureheads in hip hop, and in my opinion should be recognised as such and be acknowledged for his diversity and shrewdness even if you are not a fan, i suggest u check this album out."

Buck said: "[I]Tight Review You Got Your Point Across And Yes This Is Slept On.....[/I]"