Mr. Smith (album)

Mr. Smith is the sixth studio album by American hip hop recording artist LL Cool J, released on November 21, 1995 by Def Jam. The album has been certified Double Platinum in the US by the RIAA.[1]

Mr. Smith
Studio album by LL Cool J
Released	November 21, 1995
Recorded	1995
Genre	East Coast hip hop hardcore hip hop
Length	58:25
Label	Def Jam PolyGram
Producer	Rashad Smith Chyskillz Chad Eliott Trackmasters Easy Mo Bee
LL Cool J chronology
14 Shots to the Dome (1993) Mr. Smith (1995) All World: Greatest Hits (1996)
Singles from Mr. Smith
"Hey Lover" Released: October 31, 1995 "Doin' It" Released: February 20, 1996 "Loungin" Released: June 25, 1996

Overview

Mr. Smith was produced by Rashad Smith, Chyskillz, Chad Eliott, Trackmasters and Easy Mo Bee. Artists such as The Emotions, Terri & Monica, Boyz II Men, Fat Joe, Keith Murray, Prodigy of Mobb Deep and Foxy Brown also made guest appearances on the album.[2]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Robert Christgau	[4]
Entertainment Weekly	(B)[5]
Q	[6]
Rolling Stone	[7]

Mr. Smith garnered positive reviews from music critics who found it a return to form after the West Coast-influenced 14 Shots to the Dome flopped. AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine praised the album for working more towards LL's romantic side that while toned down remains sexually invigorating, concluding that "Mr. Smith isn't a perfect record – there are too many slack moments for it to qualify as one of his best – but it proves that LL Cool J remained vital a decade after his debut."[3] Robert Christgau cited "Doin' It" as a "choice cut",[4] indicating a good song on "an album that isn't worth your time or money."[8] Mike Flaherty of Entertainment Weekly praised the album for balancing the various personas LL adopts throughout the tracks, concluding that "while his cutting-edge days are well behind him, this is far from the self-parodying effort we had every reason to expect."[5] Cheo H. Coker of Rolling Stone also praised the album for delivering both hardcore rap songs and love ballads that contain great production and lyrical dexterity. But Coker noted that tracks like "No Airplay" and "Get da Drop on 'Em" showcase LL better as a tough lyric spitter, concluding with, "Maybe one day LL will realize that it's his electrifying flow, not his Casanova aspirations, that have made him a rap superstar for 10 years running."[7]

Track listing

No.	Title	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"The Intro (skit)"		1:33
2.	"Make It Hot"	Trackmasters	4:31
3.	"Hip Hop"	Trackmasters	5:00
4.	"Hey Lover" (featuring Boyz II Men)	Trackmasters	4:44
5.	"Doin It" (featuring LeShaun)	Rashad Smith	4:53
6.	"Life As..."	Easy Mo Bee	2:44
7.	"I Shot Ya" (featuring Keith Murray)	Trackmasters	3:51
8.	"Mr. Smith"	Chyskillz	3:59
9.	"No Airplay"	Chad Elliot	5:43
10.	"Loungin" (featuring Terri & Monica)	Rashad Smith	4:12
11.	"Hollis to Hollywood"	Trackmasters	3:58
12.	"God Bless"	Rashad Smith	3:47
13.	"Get da Drop on 'Em'"	Trackmasters	3:57
14.	"Prelude (skit)"		0:30
15.	"I Shot Ya (Remix)" (featuring Keith Murray, Prodigy, Fat Joe and Foxy Brown)	Trackmasters	5:03

Bonus track

No.	Title	Length
16.	""Papa Luv It""	4:57

Track notes

• "No Airplay" was edited on both the edited and explicit versions of the album. The explicit version only backmasks on the song, while the edited version even edits the intro.
• "Hollis to Hollywood" is sampled from his verse of Craig Mack's "Flava In Ya Ear (Remix)" on the chorus.

Singles

Year	Song	Chart positions
		Billboard Hot 100	Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	Hot Rap Singles
1995	"I Shot Ya"	-	#55	-
	"Hey Lover"	#3	#3	#1
1996	"Doin It"	#9	#7	#2
	"Loungin"	#3	#4	#1

All of LL Cool J's music videos off this album were directed by Hype Williams.

Charts

Chart (1995–96)	Peak position
Australian Albums Chart[9]	97
Dutch Albums Chart	33
German Albums Chart	75
Swedish Albums Chart	60
UK Albums Chart	90
US Billboard 200	20
US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums	4

Year-end charts

Chart (1996)	Position
US Billboard 200	28

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[10]	Gold	50,000^^
United Kingdom (BPI)[11]	Silver	60,000^^
United States (RIAA)[12]	2× Platinum	2,000,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "LL Cool J: Mr. Smith". RIAA.com.
2. LL Cool J: Mr. Smith. Def Jam Records. 1995.
3. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Mr. Smith - LL Cool J". AllMusic. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
4. Christgau, Robert. "CG: LL Cool J". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
5. Flaherty, Mike (December 8, 1995). "Mr. Smith". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
6. "Mr. Smith (CD) by LL Cool J". Tower. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
7. Coker, Cheo H. (February 8, 1996). "LL Cool J - Mr. Smith". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
8. Christgau, Robert. "Key to Icons". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
9. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 169.
10. "Canadian album certifications – LL Cool J – Mr. Smith". Music Canada.
11. "British album certifications – LL Cool J – Mr. Smith". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Mr. Smith in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
12. "American album certifications – LL Cool J – Mr. Smith". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.