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Is LL Cool J "In Too Deep"?

© Steve Juon

Rap legend. Sitcom TV star. Yes, even Hollywood actor can be added to the growing length of job descriptions on the resume of James Todd Smith, alias "L.L. Cool J" (is hard as hell). Even though early roles in such flops as "Toys" and "The Hard Way" nearly tanked his career, he has scored recent success in blockbuster hits such as "Halloween H20" and "Deep Blue Sea".

This success brings up the inevitable question - is he still rappin', or is he acting? Will Smith managed to succsesfully navigate between the two worlds with his album "Big Willie Style" but still suffered a questioning of his credentials and lingering accusations that rappers such as Nas penned his hits. Basically, nobody believed that the former "Fresh Prince" still had skills after five years away from the mic. Whether or not he proved the naysayers wrong is academic since he sold over eight million copies of the album; either on the strength of his name, the crossover pop appeal of his songs, or both.

With Mr. Smith though, more lingering and persistant questions will damage the receipt of his new songs. He already had one "comeback" in rap after the (somewhat unfairly) lambasted "Walking With a Panther" lead to the hardcore revival "Mama Said Knock You Out". Since then his rap career has been, at best, uneven -- ranging from the mildly tolerable "Mr. Smith" to the horribly atrocious "Phenomenon". The irony of the latter is that it's most successful hit, "4, 3, 2, 1" was fueled by lingering speculation that the final verse of the song by Cool J was a diss to Canibus, who appeared ON the song. Canibus then squelched all doubt by retorting with the fiery "2nd Round Knock Out" and LL in turn responded with a diss of Canibus and Wyclef (his manager) and so on and so on.

One thing became apparent through all the controversy surrounding his feud with Canibus though -- LL was no longer on top in the rap game. Canibus said he'd battle him on his own sitcom "and wait for the studio audience to applaud". That statement seemed eeriley apt given the fact that recent songs from LL such as the confusing "Say What?" on the Violator Album compilation and the movie cut "Deepest Blue" seem directionless and out of touch; especially the latter. LL is now reprising lines from songs he made over a decade ago and reusing beats that have appeared in other songs countless times (this one in particular was in Method Man's "You're All I Need" and Notorious B.I.G.'s "My Downfall"). Artistically, he needs help.

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