10

Personnel includes: LL Cool J, P. Diddy, Usher, K-Ci & Jo-Jo, Amerie, Jennifer Lopez.
Producers include: DJ S&S, Tone & Poke, Richie Nice, The Neptunes, Zukhan.
"Luv U Better" was nominated for the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.
Personnel: Rich Nice (vocals, guitar, drum programming, scratches); Free, Marc Dorsey (vocals).
Audio Mixers: Glen Marchese; Commissioner Gordon; Jason Goldstein; Patrick Viala; Big Joe.
Recording information: Electric Lady, New York, NY; Master Sound Recording Studio, Virginia Beach, VA; Power Plant, New York, NY; Sony Studios, New York, NY; The Head Quarters Studios, NJ; The Hit Factory, New York, NY.
Photographer: Roger Erickson.
LL Cool J's tenth album for Def Jam, the label he helped to create, is as you'd expect something of a triumphant affair. The rapper's long career (his first hit was in 1985) and extensive experience have earned him a unique place as something of an elder statesman in an industry where careers are often literally short-lived. He's based his on a singular reliance on smart rapping and tightly arranged material, not just beats overlaid with scrappy keyboard figures. Thus 10's first impression is of a fully realized, expansively conceived project.
Of course, a rapper can never go far wrong shouting out to his home turf. With nods to Queens and Brooklyn on "Fa Ha," and "Niggy Nuts" LL Cool J proves (as if proof were needed) that despite his extensive success, his heart has never strayed far from home, despite the exotic lifestyle he depicts in "Amazin'." Two obvious conclusions to draw from the material on offer here: the star remains a little in awe of his success, and he's done more with that success and with his chosen genre than quite a few of his contemporaries.