Todd Smith (album)
Todd Smith | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 11, 2006 | |||
Length | 51:47 | |||
Label | Def Jam | |||
Producer |
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LL Cool J chronology | ||||
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Singles from Todd Smith | ||||
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Todd Smith is the eleventh
Music and lyrics
Todd Smith is composed of radio-friendly hip hop, with LL Cool J foregoing street material in favor of straightforward, commercial pop-rap.[1] Much of the album is built on minimalist, distilled synthesized rap, featuring thick drum swirls and bright record production.[2] The lyrics demonstrate LL Cool J comfortably rapping slow songs exclusively aimed at the opposite sex.[3][2]
Promotion
Music and lyrics
Todd Smith is composed of radio-friendly hip hop, with LL Cool J foregoing street material in favor of straightforward, commercial pop-rap.[1] Much of the album is built on minimalist, distilled synthesized rap, featuring thick drum swirls and bright record production.[2] The lyrics demonstrate LL Cool J comfortably rapping slow songs exclusively aimed at the opposite sex.[3][2]
Critical reception
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
About.com | [5] |
AllMusic | [1] |
Entertainment Weekly | C+[6] |
PopMatters | [7] |
RapReviews | 7.5/10[8] |
Rolling Stone | [9] |
Slant Magazine | [3] |
Stylus Magazine | C−[2] |
Vibe | [10] |
XXL | [11] |
Todd Smith was met with "mixed or average" reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, this release received an average score of 51 based on 17 reviews.[4] AllMusic found that "the album proves that Cool James always has and always will have wit and style to spare" and while he "makes few pretenses to being street, Todd Smith is straight commercial pop-rap," resulting into "solid radio-friendly hip-hop from a veteran of the genre."[1] Michael Frauenhofer from PopMatters described the album as "adequate [...] glossy, safe, front-loaded, and slick. My mom likes it, enough said. And the young-girl LL Cool J fans will love it too, regardless of what we say here. As for the rest of us? We can go home, we can play "Mama Said Knock You Out" and "Rock the Bells" on our stereos, and we can wait for his next inevitable metamorphosis."[7]
Entertainment Weekly's Tom Sinclair criticized the album for its "big-name-guest-star-choked affairs" and wrote: "Too bad LL Cool J feels he needs the extra wattage, because Todd Smith's best moments come when he raps alone, letting his inimitably confident flow shine. Some of these jams will no doubt click with the club crowd, but we wish our man would jettison the human baggage, team up with his old producer Rick Rubin, and knock us out again."[6] Similarly, Rolling Stone critic Peter Relic remarked: "Eight of thirteen tracks on Todd Smith qualify as slow-jam duets, and none of them has a sweat droplet of the appeal of 1987's LL-as-Lothario classic "I Need Love" [...] leaving one wondering whatever happened to the immortal MC who could carry an album by himself without needing a breath."[9]
Chart performance
Todd Smith debuted and peaked at six on the US
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "It's LL and Santana" (featuring Michael Keith | Poke and Tone | 4:01 | |
12. | "We're Gonna Make It" (featuring Mary Mary) |
| 4:55 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
14. | "Control Myself" (Nevins Funktek remix featuring Jennifer Lopez) |
|
| 3:46 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
15. | "Control Myself" (Joe Bermudez radio edit featuring Jennifer Lopez) |
|
| 3:49 |
Notes
Sample credits
- "It's LL and Santana" contains a sample from "Blind Man" as performed by New Birth.
- "Control Myself" contains a sample from "Soul Sonic Force.
- "Preserve the Sexy":
- Contains a sample of the recording "From the Love Side" as performed by Hank Ballard & The Midnight Lighters.
- Contains a sample of "Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved (Parts I & II)", "Make It Funky (Part I)" and "My Thang" as performed by James Brown.
- "What You Want":
- Contains a sample of "Hot Wheels (The Case)" as performed by Badder Than Evil.
- Contains an interpolation of "Heaven and Hell on Earth" as written by M. Oliver.
- Contains a sample of "Nobody Beats The Biz" as performed by Biz Markie.
- "Down the Aisle" contains a sample of "If You Were Here Tonight" as performed by Alexander O'Neal.
- "We're Gonna Make It" contains samples form the recording "You've Got a Friend" as performed by Donny Hathaway.
- "So Sick (Remix)" contains replayed elements from "Human Nature" as written by Donny Hathaway.
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA)[13] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ^ a b c d "Todd Smith - LL Cool J". AllMusic. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e McGarvey, Evan (April 20, 2006). "LL Cool J - Todd Smith - Review". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on May 23, 2008. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
- ^ a b c Cinquemani, Sal (April 12, 2006). "LL Cool J Todd Smith". Slant Magazine. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
- ^ CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
- About.com. Archived from the originalon December 8, 2013. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
- ^ a b Sinclair, Tom (April 17, 2006). "Todd Smith". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
- ^ a b Frauenhofer, Michael (April 20, 2006). "LL Cool J: Todd Smith". PopMatters. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
- ^ Juon, Steve 'Flash' (April 11, 2006). "LL Cool J :: Todd Smith :: Def Jam". RapReviews. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
- ^ a b Relic, Peter (April 18, 2006). "Todd Smith : LL Cool J : Review". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Archived from the original on February 24, 2009. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
- ISSN 1070-4701. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
- ^ Golianopoulous, Thomas (April 21, 2006). "LL Cool J Todd Smith". XXL. Townsquare Media. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
- ^ Billboard.com. February 16, 2006. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
- ^ a b "American album certifications – L.L. Cool J – Todd Smith". Recording Industry Association of America.
- Billboard.com. May 22, 2008. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – LL Cool J – Todd Smith" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – LL Cool J – Todd Smith" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – LL Cool J – Todd Smith". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
- ^ "LL Cool J | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
- ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ "LL Cool J Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
- ^ "LL Cool J Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2006". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2020.