REVIEW: LL Cool J - Ratchet

"It's time to get rid of yo ratchet ass..."

Well alrigh. James up here talkin like he still in the game or somethin. I feel like this man is on a never-ending quest to remain in his 20s regardless of how many alien nation-esque age spots he coverin up underneath them damn fitteds.

Earlier this month, James Todd Smith, (formerly?) known as LL Cool J, released a new teaser track off his upcoming album "Authentic Hip-Hop" called "Ratchet." It's a self-explanitory title that, in my opinion, came at a rather opportune moment when you think of the state of females within urban culture. Even though LL has never been a "political" rapper, one could draw comparisons from this song to Lupe Fiasco's "Bitch Bad," in the sense that both songs are the antithesis of current chart topping urban music that glorifies ratchet behavior.

On the surface, though, the differences between the songs are more than blatant. LL stays in his lane on this track, and basically tells you a story of a ratchet chick that was "servicing" him, and how the woman, in true hoodrat fashion, starts begging for money afterward. A simple enough premise, I suppose, but the real issues with this song rear their ugly head early and often.

The beat starts off, and you may find yourself nodding your head a bit. Then you hear a couple LL adlibs, that are fitting. After that, you hear what is quite possibly the dumbest sounding hook ever recorded in the history of music.  "She's so ratchet, she's so ratchet, somethin somethin somethin somethin." When you hear chorus lines like this, it makes you wonder were these people REALLY noddin their heads to this shit in the studio like it was hot? I just don't see how it's possible to think that hook is acceptable. How could LL allow shit like this? And more importantly, what is this man even ABOUT anymore?

I wanted to enjoy this track, I truly did. And at times, the song is more than tolerable. But once LL's flow falls off harder than the hook, the entire song becomes unbearable to listen to .

In some people's eyes, LL Cool J may still be the BEST to ever do it, but if you are going to continue to release music nearly 30 years after you made your mark in the game and have no intentions of showing any growth as an artist, it becomes increasingly difficult to ride with you. Especially when there are a gang of youngins between the ages of 17 and 25 who are making music far superior.

Let the BITM crew know what you think of this "comeback" track here.

~ TwonJohnson

TWITTER - @Twon_Johnson
EMAIL - antoine.thorn@gmail.com

And uh....my facebook...uh...no longer exists. RIP. 2006-2012.