Todd Smith
No other rapper from the '80s has had LL's longevity. That said, everyone--LL included--knows that the brash Queens teen ofRadiois long gone. Since the mid-90s, LL's been best with crossover, R&B;/rap songs hardcore types supposedly hate (but their girlfriends love). Todd Smith overflows with that. Despite half-hearted attempts at unleashing his "Jack the Ripper" skills on songs like "LL and Santana" (that'd be Juelz, not Carlos) and "What You Want," Cool James sounds more convincing when he's not trying so hard to be hard. Skip past the overly syrupy "Down the Aisle" and "Ooh Wee" and check out the old-school funkiness of "Control Myself" or "Favorite Flavor," with a throwback sound reminiscent of "Around the Way Girl." Toward the end, LL offers up "We're Gonna Make It," a rousing, feel-good song about perseverance and an apt anthem for LL's own 20-year career.--Oliver Wang