Phenomenon

About

The seventh album from LL Cool J, <i>Phenomenon</i>, builds on LL’s unexpected late-1990s renaissance, a period that spawned years of radio-dominating pop hit, R&B guest spot, high-profile soundtrack appearance, and unrelenting mixtape fire. His double-platinum smash <i>Mr. Smith</i> had seamlessly united hip-hop, R&B, and pop, thanks to a handful of Bad Boy Records cohorts—and this follow-up would be executive produced by CEO Sean “Puffy” Combs himself. The collaboration couldn’t have been better timed: <i>Phenomenon</i> arrived in 1997, at the height of the shiny suit era, and when all eyes (and ears) were trained on Puffy, thanks to albums like Notorious B.I.G.’s <i>Life After Death</i>, Ma$e’s <i>Harlem World</i>, and his own solo debut. As a result, the majority of <i>Phenomenon</i> was handled by the two biggest production teams of the Jiggy Era: Combs’ in-house production team The Hitmen and his frequent collaborators Trackmaster. Ye, the label says Def Jam—but the sound is pure Bad Boy. Much of <i>Phenomenon</i> gets its lush, opulent, hedonistic vibe straight from the disco floors and skating rinks of the late 1970s and early 1980. New Edition’s 1983 hit “Candy Girl” gets interpolated on “Candy,” LL’s ode to teenage love, complete with guest harmonies by the group’s Ralph Tresvant and Ricky Bell. And LeShaun, the lusty lady from “Doin’ It,” returns for a sweat-soaked second round on “Nobody Can Freak You,” a song built on a high-octane Steve Arrington groove. And on “Starsky & Hutch,” LL does a Run-D.M.C.-style back-and-forth routine with Busta Rhymes over Peter Brown’s opulent 1978 disco funker “Dance With Me.” .

via Apple Music

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