LL Cool J

Originally due out two years ago, LL Cool J finally delivers his last album under the Def Jam umbrella, Exit 13. An appropriate farewell to the label that made him a household name, much of Exit 13 comes from the lighter and poppier, pre-"Mamma Said Knock You Out" days when the MC could be seen strutting with an oversized boom-box in tow.

In true LL fashion, the big band-themed album opener "American Girl" is a good time set to music. Among the strongest tracks on the disc, this is a song that exemplifies the good-times vibe that the hip-hop legend has held onto throughout his career. Following that flow, the soul-filled "Baby" (featuring The Dream) delivers some stereotypically straightforward, yet still fun, beats and lyrics. By adding a little extra flavor, the rock remix of the same song, featuring Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora, serves as a more listenable rendition. Borrowing liberally from the book of 50 Cent, "Come And Party With Me" (with guests Fat Joe and Sheek Louch) brings a bit of hardcore to the table, while 50 himself (once rumored to produce the album) sits in on the horn-filled "Feel My Heartbeat." Paying tribute to the dawn of hip-hop, LL brings in one of rap's earliest stars, Grandmaster Caz for the old-school, "This Is Ringtone Murder." A couple of moments that do little more than drag the overall vibe of Exit 13 down come from the Wyclef Jean-backed "Mr. President" and generically retro tracks like "You Better Watch Me" and "New School Old School."

It can be safely said that LL Cool J's film career has brought the performer much more credibility than his musical endeavors ever could, but hip-hop is where his heart lies and Exit 13 is a testament to that statement. With a fairly even amount of hits and misses and very few songs that have any staying power or substance, it will be hard to see this album as anything more than an entertaining disc to toss in from time to time.

–Ryan Ogle
09.18.08

Wrapped in what is possibly the most prog rock sleeve design in hip-hop history, Exit 13 marks LL Cool J's departure from Def Jam, the pioneering label the MC helped build. It begins with "It's Time for War," an embittered reclamation where he sounds more like he's shooing kids off his lawn than reigning over his territory. There are a couple tracks where LL sounds as on fire as ever, usually when his targets are specific rather than general, as on "You Better Watch Me" and "This Is Ring Tone M..." Still, the album's tone tilts toward the reactionary in its clear desire to sound just like a standard 2008 mainstream rap album, with unnecessary references to Petron and Cognac and in-your-face evidence that LL really wants you to know he's not behind the times. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide