Walking with a Panther

Released in the spring of 1989, Walking with a Panther" is one-time "Prince of Rap" LL Cool J's third album.  For this outing LL serves as the main producer (with Bigger and Deffer collaborators Dwayne Simon & Darryl Pierce).  The LP's opening song, "Droppin' Em" is a solid return to form, as are "Smokin' Dopin'" and "Clap Your Hands".  "One Shot at Love" and "Two Different Worlds" push the rap-ballad envelope a little too further than it needed to be, but the synthesizer-propelled "Am I Still Your Heart?" is on point. "Fast Peg" is a cautionary tale about a mob moll who takes her lifestyle for granted:  "...Her man messed up the money, ridin' around thinking everything's funny; went to a disco, came outside; somebody pushed her in a beat-up ride; she had to pay for her man's mistakes..."

On the first single "I'm That Type of Guy", LL depicts himself as a sneaky playboy who can't wait to romance another guy's woman; the follow-up hit, "Big Ole Butt", continues the theme, as LL recounts his fetish for prominent rear ends.  The Bomb Squad-produced "It Don't Get No Rougher" and "Nitro" find LL spitting battle-rhymes with fierceness.  "Change Your Ways" features live drums & guitar; and the original "Jingling Baby" lifts the theme to blaxploitation movie "Black Belt Jones".  Also tacked on to the disc is LL's 1987 pop smash "Going Back to Cali", originally featured on the Less than Zero movie soundtrack.

Admittedly, LL was in full party mode with this album.  But surprisingly, at the time of its release, LL took a beating from urban fans who felt he had gone pop. Afrocentric, political hip-hop and gangster rap had recently become all the rage, and by comparison LL's quasi-hedonism of good times was deemed socially irresponsible. But for fair-minded listeners, there's more funk for your trunk than you might think.

Note:  At the time of its release, "Panther" was one of the first double-LPs for rap.  Tracking at over 75 minutes, there were a few songs left off the CD that should hopefully show up on a double-disc re-release.  They would be "Jack the Ripper", which was LL's response to then-rival Kool Moe Dee's harangues, and "Crime Stories".
Walking with a Panther

Released in the spring of 1989, Walking with a Panther" is one-time "Prince of Rap" LL Cool J's third album. For this outing LL serves as the main producer (with Bigger and Deffer collaborators Dwayne Simon & Darryl Pierce). The LP's opening song, "Droppin' Em" is a solid return to form, as are "Smokin' Dopin'" and "Clap Your Hands". "One Shot at Love" and "Two Different Worlds" push the rap-ballad envelope a little too further than it needed to be, but the synthesizer-propelled "Am I Still Your Heart? " is on point. "Fast Peg" is a cautionary tale about a mob moll who takes her lifestyle for granted:  "... Her man messed up the money, ridin' around thinking everything's funny; went to a disco, came outside; somebody pushed her in a beat-up ride; she had to pay for her man's mistakes... "

On the first single "I'm That Type of Guy", LL depicts himself as a sneaky playboy who can't wait to romance another guy's woman; the follow-up hit, "Big Ole Butt", continues the theme, as LL recounts his fetish for prominent rear ends. The Bomb Squad-produced "It Don't Get No Rougher" and "Nitro" find LL spitting battle-rhymes with fierceness. "Change Your Ways" features live drums & guitar; and the original "Jingling Baby" lifts the theme to blaxploitation movie "Black Belt Jones". Also tacked on to the disc is LL's 1987 pop smash "Going Back to Cali", originally featured on the Less than Zero movie soundtrack. Admittedly, LL was in full party mode with this album. But surprisingly, at the time of its release, LL took a beating from urban fans who felt he had gone pop. Afrocentric, political hip-hop and gangster rap had recently become all the rage, and by comparison LL's quasi-hedonism of good times was deemed socially irresponsible. But for fair-minded listeners, there's more funk for your trunk than you might think. Note:  At the time of its release, "Panther" was one of the first double-LPs for rap. Tracking at over 75 minutes, there were a few songs left off the CD that should hopefully show up on a double-disc re-release. They would be "Jack the Ripper", which was LL's response to then-rival Kool Moe Dee's harangues, and "Crime Stories".