Mama Said Knock You Out

On Mama Said Knock You Out, LL Cool J makes the leap from ’80s pioneer to ’90s superstar. Even for a rapper known to boast about his toughness, the title cut is intense. Rhymes are fists and the listener’s ears are punching bags, and studio ace Marley Marl powers the song with mercilessly hard funk. The drums on "Murdergram" are just as brutal, but he brings a lighter, slinkier touch to "Around the Way Girl," which captures LL at his most romantic.