The first time I heard LL Cool J was when I was at the movies.  There he was …right before my eyes …making his first film debut in Krush Groove and literally performing to the audience for the first time his debut track I Can’t Live Without My Radio.  It blew me away!  By the time the release of his first album Radio made it to Starsounds record store in Toronto, Canada, I was one of the first to get a copy.  The LP version of You’ll Rock is not as wicked as this remix posted here, but nonetheless it’s still good.  I considered LL Cool J to be one of my first serious, solid and harder/core rappers in the music scene of 1985, as he was the first rapper/artist to be signed with Def Jam Recordings (hence, the story of Krush Groove movie was somewhat like the real story of how Def Jam got started).

LL Cool J – “You’ll Rock” (Remix)…

Artist: LL Cool J
Title: You’ll Rock (Remix)
Year: 1985
Label: Def Jam Recordings

LL Cool J – “You’ll Rock” (Remix) (mp3)

Early LL Cool J’s film & music debut in Krush Groove (1985)…

The Original Concept members were Doctor Dré (the guy from MTV), T-Money, Rapper G, Easy G and Wildman Steve. This 12-inch from 1986 is one of the few singles not produced by Rick Rubin who produced pretty much every other track during the early days of Def Jam Recordings. Let me tell you how kick-ass this track is. It starts off with a backward turntable-scratch effect which then quickly scratches forward towards rev-up solo guitar riff which is then interrupted by a spoken word sample, drenched in dark-room reverb, “PUMP THAT BASS.” That sample should trigger your memory. Yes! You’ve heard it before on millions of other records, but it originated here — this track by The Original Concept (I think)! The vocal sample finishes it measure very quickly and then proceeded by the main beat, starting with a monster 808 kick and snare that sounds like a trash-can (probably sampled into an E-mu SP12 drum sampler). Very original track indeed. Absolutely killer scratching and freestyle MC’ing. Play the track now!

The Original Concept – “Pimp That Bass”…

Artist: The Original Concept
Title: Pump That Bass
Year: 1986
Label: Def Jam Recordings
Media Source: Recorded straight from 12-inch record to enhanced digital.

The Original Concept – “Pump That Bass” (mp3)