April 19, 2006

LL Cool J C Todd Smith (Def Jam)

HE WORKS OUT: Cover photographs for Todd Smith remind why LL Cool J stands for "Ladies Love Cool James." The guest list reminds how much respect he gets after more than 20 years in the hip-hop game: Jamie Foxx, Mary J. Blige and Jennifer Lopez are just the bigger names. If the host gave his guests more to do, and if the music were as defined as his abs, Todd Smith could be a contender.

STOP HIM IF YOU'VE HEARD THIS: As it is, Todd Smith is a rehash; even its title, LL Cool J's given middle and last names, recalls his 1995 album Mr. Smith. "It's LL and Santana" (with Juelz, not Carlos, Santana) is his obligatory reassertion of rapping, moneymaking and sexual powers. The first single, "Control Myself," gets no help from Ms. Lopez's thin singing. Begging ballads like "Freeze" and gangsta poses like "What You Want" repeat triumphs such as 1987's "I Need Love" and 1990's "Mama Said Knock You Out."

BOTTOM LINE: Even a legend can forget that his talent for longevity relies on the maintenance of his talents for the word and the beat. Jon M. Gilbertson