Don't Call It a Comeback!
Firstly, how did they not choose the title track to kick this album off? It seems odd to me. If I had a dollar for every time I played that song, I'd be a rich man. 'Around the Way Girl' is LL's first attempt at a pop rap song that really works. While his first couple of albums in particular sound quite dated, 'Around the Way Girl' almost sounds like it could drop today.
Upon revisiting this for the first time in many years, after the first 3 songs I was thinking that I would definitely increase my rating from 3.5/5, and I am, but the album drops off a bit from there. 'Mr. Good Bar' is good, but it lacks a memorable hook, that all the previous songs have. After the title track, aside from maybe the remix of 'Jingling Baby', that maintains its contagious hook, there is nothing to add to LL's best of. In saying that, they are all worthy listens, and unlike his previous albums, there aren't any dull moments. I'm fairly sure 'Farmers Blvd (Our Anthem)' is the first we see of a rap feature on an LL album, and Big Money Grip and Bomb don't let LL down. 'Milky Cereal' is entertaining, featuring cereal metaphors about a different girl he meets in each verse.
Almost every song is a 3.5/5 or higher. It features some of his greatest songs, and it continued to be a step up from his first two albums. Many of the hooks throughout the album are great too, and in some cases help elevate the songs to be worthy of a replay from their verses.
Beats: ★★★☆
Rapping/Bars: ★★★★☆
Hooks: ★★★★
Best Tracks: The Boomin' System, Around the Way Girl, Eat Em Up L Chill, Mama Said Knock You Out, Jingling Baby (Remixed but Still Jingling)
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