New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Universal
Music Enterprises) - LL Cool J - the first rap teen idol, first rapper with four consecutive albums, first to earn four gold singles, first to hit No. 1 R&B, first to headline "MTV Unplugged;" a multi-talented performer, actor (currently starring in the new TV series "NCIS: Los Angeles") and entrepreneur - opened the doors for rap's mass popularity. Today, during Def Jam Recordings' 25th anniversary, he remains the exceptional hip-hop star who has flourished for that entire run - demonstrated by a new "best of" collection, All World 2 (Def Jam/UMe), to be released December 8, 2009. This new set not only fills in the gaps from 1996's platinum All World: Greatest Hits but updates LL's career with hits and favorite tracks released since then, while reprising a few cuts from his immensely successful career.
Six of the 17 recordings on All World 2 hit the Top 40 Pop chart; 12 were Top 40 Rap (including eight Top 10s). The compilation reaches back to his 1985 debut album, Radio, for "Rock The Bells" (Top 20 R&B, before there even was a Rap chart) and "Dear Yvette," and to his third album, 1989's platinum Walking With A Panther, to retrieve the gold No. 1 Rap "I'm That Type Of Guy" (also Top 40 Pop/Top 10 R&B) and the Top 20 Rap "Big Ole Butt." Following are the No. 1 Rap "Around The Way Girl" (also Top 10 Pop/Top 5 R&B), Top 20 Rap and R&B "To Da Break Of Dawn" and "Jack The Ripper" from the double platinum Mama Said Knock You Out (1990); the No. 2 Rap hit "Pink Cookies In A Plastic Bag Getting Crushed By Buildings" from the gold 14 Shots To The Dome (1993) and the "I Shot Ya (Remix)" featuring Fat Joe, Foxy Brown and Prodigy spun off from the double platinum Mr. Smith (1995).
Picking up where All World: Greatest Hits left off, All World 2 mines 1997's gold Phenomenon for its Top 10 Rap "4, 3, 2, 1," the video version featuring Method Man, Redman and DMX; and the album's title track. Culled from 2000's aptly-titled gold G.O.A.T. Featuring James T. Smith: The Greatest Of All Time is the Funkmaster Flex track featuring LL, "Ill Bomb," and from 2002's gold 10 are the No. 2 Rap, Neptunes-produced "Luv U Better" (also No. 4 Pop/No. 1 R&B) and Top 10 Rap "Paradise" (also Top 40 Pop). The gold, Top 10 Rap, Timbaland-produced "Headsprung" (also Top 40 Pop) and Top 40 Pop/Top 20 Rap "Hush" are from the gold 2004 The DEFinition. All World 2 also includes the Top 10 Rap "Baby" featuring The-Dream from 2008's Exit - LL's final album for Def Jam, for which the then-16-year-old recorded the label's first single back in the day.
Combined, All World: Greatest Hits and All World 2 tell the complete musical story of one of rap's first great stars.
www.ilovethatsong.com
