Ladies have loved cool James since ‘85, which might be why his newest album Authentic Hip Hop is slated to drop two days before Valentine’s, on February 12, 2013. Alongside R&B crooner Joe, LL Cool J has dropped his first official track from that album in the form of the sexually mellow “Take It,” which harkens back to his days as Mr. Smith.
At age 44, LL no longer needs his mama to knock anyone out, and is still capable of making quality jams some twenty-seven years into the game. That’s seven more than the ageless Kareem Abdul-Jabbar put in. The music video for “Take It” features a nostalgic visualization of that time span as his love interest catches a glimpse of the many LL’s we’ve seen over the years.
Famous for timeless hits like “Mama Said Knock You Out,” “I Need Love,” and “Doin’ It,” Mr. Deep Blue Sea has partnered with the Trackmasters, who have worked with Nas, 50 Cent, and Jay-Z, to put together Authentic Hip Hop. At fifteen tracks long, and featuring a minimalist and subdued cover art, Authentic aims to be a record for peeps who were raised on the rich sounds of yesteryear’s hip-hop.
