Mr. Smith
Studio album by
LL Cool J
ReleasedNovember 21, 1995
Recorded1994–1995
Genre
Length58:25
Label
Producer
LL Cool J chronology
14 Shots to the Dome
(1993)		 Mr. Smith
(1995)		 All World: Greatest Hits
(1996)
Singles from Mr. Smith
  1. "Hey Lover"
    Released: October 31, 1995
  2. "Doin' It"
    Released: February 20, 1996
  3. "Loungin"
    Released: June 25, 1996

Mr. Smith is the sixth studio album by American hip hop recording artist LL Cool J, released on November 21, 1995, by Def Jam. The album has been certified Double Platinum in the US by the RIAA.[1]

Overview

Mr. Smith was produced by Rashad Smith, Chyskillz, Chad Elliott, Trackmasters and Easy Mo Bee. Artists such as The Emotions, Terri & Monica, Boyz II Men, Fat Joe, Keith Murray, Prodigy of Mobb Deep and Foxy Brown also made guest appearances on the album.[2]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Entertainment WeeklyB[4]
Q[5]
Robert Christgau(choice cut)[6]
Rolling Stone[7]

Mr. Smith garnered positive reviews from music critics who found it a return to form after the West Coast influenced 14 Shots to the Dome flopped. AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine praised the album for working more towards LL's romantic side that while toned down remains sexually invigorating, concluding that "Mr. Smith isn't a perfect record – there are too many slack moments for it to qualify as one of his best – but it proves that LL Cool J remained vital a decade after his debut."[3] Robert Christgau cited "Doin' It" as a "choice cut",[6] indicating a good song on "an album that isn't worth your time or money."[8] Mike Flaherty of Entertainment Weekly praised the album for balancing the various personas LL adopts throughout the tracks, concluding that "while his cutting-edge days are well behind him, this is far from the self-parodying effort we had every reason to expect."[4] Cheo H. Coker of Rolling Stone also praised the album for delivering both hardcore rap songs and love ballads that contain great production and lyrical dexterity. But Coker noted that tracks like "No Airplay" and "Get da Drop on 'Em" showcase LL better as a tough lyric spitter, concluding with, "Maybe one day LL will realize that it's his electrifying flow, not his Casanova aspirations, that have made him a rap superstar for 10 years running."[7]

Track listing

Mr. Smith track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."The Intro (skit)"
Trackmasters1:33
2."Make It Hot"
Trackmasters4:31
3."Hip Hop"
Trackmasters5:00
4."Hey Lover" (featuring Boyz II Men)
Trackmasters4:44
5."Doin It" (featuring LeShaun)
Rashad Smith4:53
6."Life As..." (previously featured on the Street Fighter soundtrack)
Easy Mo Bee2:44
7."I Shot Ya" (featuring Keith Murray)
Trackmasters3:51
8."Mr. Smith"
3:59
9."No Airplay"
Chad "Dr. Seuss" Elliott5:43
10."Loungin" (featuring Terri & Monica)
Rashad Smith4:12
11."Hollis to Hollywood"
Trackmasters3:58
12."God Bless"
  • J.T. Smith
  • B.R. Smith
  • J. Brown
Rashad Smith3:47
13."Get da Drop on 'Em"
  • J.T. Smith
  • Olivier
Trackmasters3:57
14."Prelude (skit)"OlivierTrackmasters0:30
15."I Shot Ya (Remix)" (featuring Keith Murray, Prodigy, Fat Joe and Foxy Brown)
  • J.T. Smith
  • Olivier
  • J. Brown
  • Collins
Trackmasters5:03
Bonus track
No.TitleLength
16."Papa Luv It" (previously featured on The Show soundtrack)4:57

Notes

  • "No Airplay" was edited on both the edited and explicit versions of the album. The explicit version only backmasks on the song, while the edited version even edits the intro.
  • "Hollis to Hollywood" is sampled from his verse of Craig Mack's "Flava In Ya Ear (Remix)" on the chorus.

Sample Credits[2]

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Mr. Smith
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[19] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[20] Silver 60,000*
United States (RIAA)[21] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ "LL Cool J: Mr. Smith". RIAA.com.
  2. 1 2 LL Cool J: Mr. Smith. Def Jam Records. 1995.
  3. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Mr. Smith - LL Cool J". AllMusic. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
  4. 1 2 Flaherty, Mike (December 8, 1995). "Mr. Smith". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
  5. ↑ "Mr. Smith (CD) by LL Cool J". Tower. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
  6. 1 2 Christgau, Robert. "CG: LL Cool J". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  7. 1 2 Coker, Cheo H. (February 8, 1996). "LL Cool J - Mr. Smith". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  8. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Key to Icons". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  9. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 169.
  10. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – LL Cool J – Mr. Smith" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – LL Cool J – Mr. Smith" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – LL Cool J – Mr. Smith". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  15. ↑ "LL Cool J Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  16. ↑ "LL Cool J Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1996". Billboard. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1996". Billboard. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – LL Cool J – Mr. Smith". Music Canada.
  20. ↑ "British album certifications – LL Cool J – Mr. Smith". British Phonographic Industry.
  21. ↑ "American album certifications – L.L. Cool J – Mr. Smith". Recording Industry Association of America.
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