The late 1980s were a weird time for hip hop. Following the huge success of the Beastie Boys' License to Ill, the genre found itself becoming more and more mainstream. The backlash to this was predictable - and led to concern over artists "selling out" or "going commercial."
LL Cool J was in the midst of this maelstrom. Born James Smith, he opted for a stage name based on Ladies Love Cool James. He started rapping at 9, and was a rising star by 1988. He also had a vision for hip hop that added ballads and pop sensibilities to the growing segment, something that was controversial back in the day.
"Going Back to Cali," with its nostalgic intro, highlights LL Cool J's vision, and became his second top 40 hit ("I Need Love" was the first). The song was originally released on the Less Than Zero soundtrack (best known for The Bangles cover of "Hazy Shade of Winter"), and was also released on the Walking with a Panther album, which reached #6 on the album charts.
As many readers will know, LL Cool J would go on to have a long and successful musical career, before transitioning to acting. He remains active in both art forms at the time of this writing.
One of my favorites! The Always Sunny in Philadelphia parody version is great, too.
ReplyDeleteTruth, and thanks for stopping by.
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