Born in Bay Shore, New York, and raised between St. Albans, New York and Hollis, New York in the borough of Queens. The only child of Ondrea (née Griffith) and James Smith, Jr. Smith is of both African American and Native American descent. He spent his youth singing in the church choir, participating in the Boy Scouts and delivering newspapers.
Def Jam released his first record, the 12" single "I Need a Beat" in 1983. The single sold over 100,000 copies. The success of "I Need a Beat" helped lead to a distribution deal with Def Jam and Columbia Records in 1985. Soon after, he dropped out of Andrew Jackson High School to record his debut album.
He is known for romantic ballads such as I Need Love and Hey Lover as well as pioneering hip-hop such as I Can't Live Without My Radio, I'm Bad, The Boomin' System, Mama Said Knock You Out, and 4, 3, 2, 1. L has also appeared in several films. LL Cool J is one of a few hip-hop stars of his era to sustain a successful recording career for more than two decades. He has released 12 albums and a greatest hits compilation so far, with his next album, Exit 13, set to be released in September, 2008. The album will be the last for LL's record deal with Def Jam Recordings, a deal which has lasted for over twenty two years, making it the longest single hip hop deal to date. He now resides in Manhasset, NY with his wife and four children.
Love You Better
LL Cool J Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Y'all wanna go retro?
That's what we doin'
Oh that's one of my specialties
[Chorus]
(get busy y'all)
You better watch me
You better watch me
You better watch me
You better watch me
Let's get it poppin'
They like this boy rotten
I'm like I better pick ? then pick cotton
And sometimes gotta see cats to blow
I was blessed with that twenty/twenty vision fa sho'
See its twenty mil a year twenty years in a row
First twenty mil came when I was twenty years old
I average right around twenty% on my dough
Fast forward twenty years then compare my flow
Difference is I own mine and you still owe
Slackin' in your mackin' can't save a hoe
Speculatin' at the bar over mohetoe
Like I betchya fall off, oh no he won't
So I so spit better, oh no he don't
Under twenty ass fifty if you feelin' to go
Over thirty ass Rakim I ain't no joke
I'm dirty his jaws drop off wicked and went
[Chorus]
Still bangin' both, still hangin'
Look like a, thank god its still rainin'
I'm light on my feet, you can't judge me by the weigh-in
It's hard to grasp some of the shit I be sayin'
It fly's over your head like a second string is
You can't comprehend me
You couldn't place a decimal on the paper I'm makin'
Fly man can't appreciate on castles creation
No wonder y'all keep hatin'
Is L really ? young boy's debatin'
You play johnny ? I'll keep on cakin'
You can't compare me to them line for line
I'm beyond that I represent ? of time
Classic my style can't be defined
I'll be relevant forever, get it through your mind
Just watch me
[Chorus]
(I see you)
Two steppin' in the club
With my L in the air
And a bottle of bub
(I see you)
Two steppin' in the club
With my L in the air
And a bottle of bub
(I see you)
Two steppin' in the club
With my L in the air
And a bottle of bub
(I see you)
Two steppin' in the club
With my L in the air
And a bottle of bub
(I see you)
Back on the scene, back reppin' queens
Turnin' Def Jam back into a marketing machine
Now we talkin' autographs, cheers and laughs
I got interns tellin' niggas kiss they ass
Cause we back on top, ain't nobody this high
Just them niggas is mad whether they say it or not (haha)
I thought I told ya that we don't top
Tell all them sucka MC's jump on the jock
And watch me
L's up
L's up
L's up
Put ya L's up
Come on
L's up
L's up
L's up
Put ya L's up
Come on
L's up
L's up
L's up
Put ya L's up
Come on
L's up
L's up
L's up
Put ya L's up
Come on, yeah
In "Love You Better," LL Cool J shows off his prowess as a rapper and his business acumen. He starts off with a nod to nostalgia, inviting the listener to join him in a retro vibe. From there, he proceeds to talk about how much he's accomplished over the years, particularly when it comes to making money. He points out that he's been making twenty million dollars a year for the last two decades, starting when he was just twenty years old. He compares his money-making chops to those of his competition and declares that he's far superior. He also touches on his status as a classic rapper whose style can't be defined.
Overall, LL Cool J boasts about his success and how he's managed to stay relevant over the years. He reinforces his greatness as an artist in the chorus, telling everyone to "watch" him, to be awed and perhaps to learn something. His pride in his accomplishments and in who he is as a person is palpable throughout the entire song, from his business acumen to his lyrical skill.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, y'all wanna go to the nineties?
LL Cool J is asking if the audience wants to go back to the style of music that was popular in the 1990s.
Y'all wanna go retro?
In continuation of the previous line, LL Cool J is asking if the audience wants to listen to music in the retro style.
That's what we doin'
LL Cool J says that playing retro music is what they are currently doing.
Oh that's one of my specialties
LL Cool J implies that playing retro music is one of his special abilities.
(get busy y'all) You better watch me
LL Cool J commands the audience to pay attention as he starts rapping.
Let's get it poppin'
LL Cool J is suggesting to begin the party or event.
They like this boy rotten
People enjoy his music a lot.
I'm like I better pick ? then pick cotton
LL Cool J prefers doing other things than picking cotton like slaves used to do.
And sometimes gotta see cats to blow
LL Cool J has to see the other rappers performing well to do better.
I was blessed with that twenty/twenty vision fa sho'
LL Cool J says that he is blessed with exceptional foresight.
See it's twenty mil a year twenty years in a row
LL Cool J says that he made 20 million dollars every year, for twenty years.
First twenty mil came when I was twenty years old
The first 20 million dollars he made was when he was 20 years old.
I average right around twenty% on my dough
LL Cool J earns an average of 20% of his investments.
Fast forward twenty years then compare my flow
20 years later, LL Cool J wants people to compare his old flow with his current one.
Difference is I own mine and you still owe
LL Cool J owns his music, while other rappers still owe money to their record company.
Slackin' in your mackin' can't save a hoe
LL Cool J believes that being lazy in the music industry cannot save a person's career.
Speculatin' at the bar over mohetoe
Rappers are discussing their opinions at the bar
Like I betchya fall off, oh no he won't
Speculators are making a bet that LL Cool J is going to fall off, but he knows he won't.
So I so spit better, oh no he don't
While this person is betting against LL Cool J, he knows that they cannot do better than him.
Under twenty ass fifty if you feelin' to go
LL Cool J says that if someone is under 20, they're not as experienced and are only good for a quick romance.
Over thirty ass Rakim I ain't no joke
If someone is over 30, they're more experienced in music and should be taken seriously like the rapper Rakim.
I'm dirty his jaws drop off wicked and went
LL Cool J says that his music is so wicked and impressive that other rapper's jaws drop.
(get busy y'all) You better watch me
Again, LL Cool J commands the audience to pay attention.
(I see you) Two steppin' in the club
LL Cool J sees the people in the club dancing a Two-step dance.
With my L in the air and a bottle of bub
LL Cool J is holding his L (hand gesture that stands for Love or Loyalty) in the air along with a bottle of champagne.
Back on the scene, back reppin' queens
LL Cool J declares that he is representing Queens again in the music scene.
Turnin' Def Jam back into a marketing machine
LL Cool J boasts about being the one who is improving the marketing tactics of the record label Def Jam.
Now we talkin' autographs, cheers and laughs
Previously they talked about contract negotiations, but now they're talking about good stuff like signing autographs, cheer, and laughter.
I got interns tellin' niggas kiss they ass
LL Cool J is so successful that his interns are ordering other rappers to kiss their boss's ass.
Cause we back on top, ain't nobody this high
LL Cool J boasts about being at the top of the music industry and no one can compete.
Just them niggas is mad whether they say it or not (haha)
Other rappers might pretend to be indifferent, but they are mad that LL Cool J is doing better than them.
I thought I told ya that we don't stop
LL Cool J is saying that he had already told everyone that they won't stop making music.
Tell all them sucka MC's jump on the jock
LL Cool J addressed all the other rappers who suck and suggests they start adoring his work.
(L's up) Put ya L's up (come on)
LL Cool J encourages everyone to make the L-shaped hand gesture, which either means Love or Loyalty.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAMES SMITH, CHUCK RIO, VINCENT DAVIS, JOEL ROPER, MARLON WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ovirtusmoore5567
Who's here in 2024?
@gstreetz267
here
@dylanrithamel
I love when i find good throwbacks that i havent heard before during the prestent. Its the only shit worth adding to my playlist these days... Took me till end of 2023 to find this one shesh 🥲
@zipporahlewis4908
✋🏾
@brazi1783
🙋🏽♂️
@brazi1783
Okay i liked this in the past but now I noticed how easy the lyrics are… no bars nothing
@adamgordon2572
One of Neptunes sickest beats ever 🔥🔥
@benchwarmertowelboy1243
I never knew neptunes produced this
@supercake2270
Yea they did a number on it
@COMBAT-BARBIE
I Was Today Years Old 💭