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Radio is the 1985 debut album by LL Cool J, released on Def Jam and Columbia when he was 17. It was Def Jam’s first album.

The story

LL sent demos to Rick Rubin while he was still a teenager in Queens. “I Can’t Live Without My Radio” and “Rock the Bells” made him a star, and the album went platinum.

Sound and production

The credits read “reduced by Rick Rubin,” and that says it all: booming 808 drums, sharp scratches and almost nothing else, leaving room for LL’s aggressive delivery.

Legacy

Radio set the template for Def Jam’s minimal, hard-hitting sound and launched one of rap’s longest careers.

Tracklist & credits

Produced by Rick Rubin

  1. A1
    I Can't Live Without My Radio
    5:27
  2. A2
    You Can't Dance
    3:37
  3. A3
    Dear Yvette
    4:06
  4. A4
    I Can Give You More
    5:07
  5. A5
    Dangerous
    5:37
  6. A6
    El Shabazz
    1:16
  7. B1
    Rock The Bells
    4:00
  8. B2
    I Need A Beat (Remix)
    4:31
  9. B3
    That's A Lie
    4:41
  10. B4
    You'll Rock
    4:42
  11. B5
    I Want You
    4:51

Tracklist and producer credits: Discogs. Gear credits: Breakbeat Archive, sourced on each credit.

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