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LL Cool J Reveals 'Todd Smith' On New Album


bigted

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Damn every track on the album has a guest appearance, btw didn't Ryan Toby used to be down with A Touch Of Jazz?...

http://billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_di...t_id=1001996786

LL Cool J Reveals 'Todd Smith' On New Album

LL Cool J

February 14, 2006, 4:45 PM ET

Clover Hope, N.Y.

March 21 has been set as the release date for LL Cool J's 12th Def Jam album, "Todd Smith." His first self-titled affair features guest appearances by Mary J. Blige, 112, Ginuwine, Freeway and Juelz Santana, with production by Timbaland, Pharrell, Scott Storch and Trackmasters, among others.

A video for Jermaine Dupri-produced lead single "Control Myself," featuring Jennifer Lopez, was recently shot in New York and Atlanta by director Hype Williams. A spring tour is also in the works.

"Todd Smith" -- taken from the rapper's given name, James Todd Smith -- will be the follow-up to 2004's "The Definition," which peaked at No. 4 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 747,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

LL Cool J discussed the new album during a recent interview for a Billboard Stars special feature that will appear in the March 11 issue of the magazine (on sale March 3).

"All I can really do is what I do and what comes natural, what I love," he said when asked if, as a veteran artist, he consciously tried to appeal to a younger audience. "If you pay attention to that, then hopefully someone should be able to relate to it. Whatever project I'm involved with, I try to make it positive and fun and as cool. I just make it to my taste, in other words, and go from there."

And with more than 20 years of rap seniority under his belt, the artist said the difficulty comes in innovating and reinventing each time around.

"The challenge always becomes trying to do the best work you can, trying to make the best music you can, trying to do something that's really exciting -- and at the same time not repeating yourself," LL said. "So it becomes more and more of a challenge for me. I don't take it for granted. That's why I like to work with a lot of talented people."

Having already tackled film and television, LL is also venturing into fashion with the launch of two new signature collections. He premiered his high-end line Todd Smith and the active wear line TS last week during Olympus Fashion Week in New York.

Here is the "Todd Smith" track list:

"It's LL and Santana," featuring Juelz Santana

"Control Myself," featuring Jennifer Lopez and Jermaine Dupri

"Favorite Flavor," featuring Mary J. Blige

"Freeze," featuring Lyfe Jennings

"Best Dress," featuring Pharrell

"Preserve the Sexy," featuring Teairra Mari

"What You Want," featuring Freeway

"I've Changed," featuring Ryan Toby

"Ooh Wee," featuring Ginuwine

"Down The Aisle," featuring 112

"We're Gonna Make It," featuring Mary Mary

"So Sick" (Ne-Yo Remix featuring LL Cool J)

Edited by bigted
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Thanx 4 that!! I dont like that there's a guest artist on every track. But at least personally, i only don't really like 3 of them. I saw the "Control Myself" video when he premiered it on 106 + Park the other day. I love it. It's just a fun, flashy video with loads of artistic special efx. It's definitly something new for the clubs and the radio. Promo singles for "Control Myself" and "We're Gonna Make It" are already floating around.

When he waz on 106 + Park, they talked about his history with fueds on wax. He said these days that he wants 2 be creative and not competitive....which i totally respect. I can't wait 4 this album 2 drop!!

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Yeah this has about the same amount of guest appearances as his "G.O.A.T." album but this one has much less mainstream hip-hop artists than that one, so this album'll have a much smoother vibe, it might be harder to get hip-hop fans into the album though if they don't like r&b, like there should be more balance between hip-hop and r&b collabs, he shoulda put Queen Latifah on the album instead of Teiarra Mari... This album looks like an updated version of "Phenomenon", where there's only like 2 street jams on it, I guess he really ain't trying to be competitive now... btw, I saw this video on Rap City I think it looks a lot like Beyonce's video "Check On It", there's a lot of energy....

Edited by bigted
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Cannot wait for this album to come out, I just wish he would put more songs on his albums, the DEFinition only had 11 tracks, same with this one, plus the So Sick remix. Its okay, 11 songs from LL is better double that from 99% of the other rappers out right now.

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I dont know man.. I dont want another 10.. I hope this gonna turn out good. From the 4 Tracks iI heard, I think 2 are amazing and 2 ok. I like the Street LL more than the R&b one.. Still it can be dope when its done good. I just hope he kils it on this album. I`m looking out to the 112 Feauture tho.

Edited by Turntable
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"We're Gonna Make It"'s by far the best song that I've heard so far from the songs that got released from the album...

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I like both sides of LL as well, I'd like to see this album have the balance that a lot of his albums have 'cause that's what makes him a great mc, a lot of people are gonna get the album off of LL's name alone so all these guest appearances ain't really necessarily 'cause he's a veteran artist, you figure Def Jam would show more confidance in him than that, even though a lot of those guest appearances on "The G.O.A.T." album were great LL really didn't like that and was threatening to leave the label after that, people on their 1st or 2nd albums like Kanye depend on these guest appearances more, but LL is trying to be a lil' more humble recently now so it might've been his idea though this time to have these collabs 'cause he said he wanted to open up to working with more artists than he has been recently, as long as they make strong contributions and don't take away what LL does it's all good, at the end of the day as long as the album's another LL album that people'll enjoy is all that matters...

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I notice that they're pushing LL's album release date back until May 2nd, maybe they're gonna add more tracks to it, maybe it's not too late to get a collab with Will after all, lol...

http://www6.defjam.com/site/home.php

Edited by bigted
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Ahhh...i hope the wait is worth it. That's just 4 days b4 my b-day. I'm kinda liking the the new release date. I already have the "We're Gonna Make It" CD promo on it's way 2 me in the mail. I'm hoping 2 get my hands on the "Control Myself" CD promo very soon 2.

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I hope he shoots a video for "We Gotta Make It" before the album drops, that's the type of song that'd get the album to platinum status right away...

Edited by bigted
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