Walking with a Panther

Walking with a Panther
Studio album by LL Cool J
Released	June 9, 1989
Recorded	1987–1989
Genre	Golden age hip hop
Length	76:45 (CD) 84:29 (cassette)
Label	Def Jam/Columbia/CBS Records CK 45172 (North America) 465112 (international)
Producer	LL Cool J Dwayne Simon Rick Rubin DJ Cut Creator The Bomb Squad
LL Cool J chronology
Bigger and Deffer (1987) Walking with a Panther (1989) Mama Said Knock You Out (1990) Singles from Walking with a Panther "Going Back to Cali" Released: December 27, 1988 "I'm That Type of Guy" Released: June 28, 1989 "Big Ole Butt" Released: July 7, 1989 "One Shot at Love" Released: October 31, 1989 "Jingling Baby" Released: January 8, 1990

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
AllHipHop	(favorable)[2]
Robert Christgau	(A-)[3]
Q	[4]
Rolling Stone	[5]
Trouser Press	(mixed)[6]
Yahoo! Music	(favorable)[7]

Walking with a Panther is the third studio album by high-selling hip-hop artist LL Cool J. Released in 1989, the album was a commercial success, with several charting singles ("Going Back to Cali," "I'm That Type of Guy," "Jingling Baby," "Big Ole Butt," and "One Shot at Love"). The album however was often criticized by the hip-hop community as being too commercial and materialistic, and for focusing too much on love ballads.^[8] According to Billboard, the album peaked at #6 on the Billboard 200 and was LL Cool J's second #1 R&B Album where it spent four weeks.

While the previous album Bigger and Deffer, which was a big success, was produced by The L.A. Posse (at the time consisting of Dwayne Simon, Darryl Pierce and, according to himself the most important for crafting the sound of the LP, Bobby "Bobcat" Erving), Dwayne Simon was the only one left willing to work on producing Walking with a Panther. Bobcat said he wanted more money for the album after realizing how much of a success the previous album really had become but Def Jam refused to change the contract which made him leave Cool J.^[9] According to Bobcat this is the reason that Walking with a Panther was met with very mixed reception at the time of its release^[10].

Track listing

All songs produced by LL Cool & Dwayne Simon except where noted

CD

1. "Droppin' Em"
2. "Smokin', Dopin'"
3. "Fast Peg"
   (Prod. w. DJ Cut Creator)
4. "Clap Your Hands'"
5. "Nitro"
   (Prod. w. The Bomb Squad)
6. "You're My Heart"
7. "I'm That Type of Guy"
8. "Why Do You Think They Call It Dope?"
9. "Going Back to Cali"
   (Prod. by Rick Rubin)
10. "It Gets No Rougher"
    (Prod. w. The Bomb Squad)
11. "Big Ole Butt"
12. "One Shot at Love"
13. "1-900 L.L. Cool J"
14. "Two Different Worlds" (featuring Cydne Monet)
15. "Jealous"
16. "Jingling Baby"
17. "Def Jam in the Motherland"
18. "Change Your Ways

Cassette

1. "Droppin' Em"
2. "Smokin', Dopin'"
3. "Fast Peg"
   (Prod. w. DJ Cut Creator)
4. "Clap Your Hands'"
5. "Nitro"
   (Prod. w. The Bomb Squad)
6. "You're My Heart"
7. "I'm That Type of Guy"
8. "Why Do You Think They Call It Dope?"
9. "Going Back to Cali"
   (Prod. by Rick Rubin)
10. "Crime Stories" [Bonus Track Available on Cassette Format]
11. "It Gets No Rougher"
    (Prod. w. The Bomb Squad)
12. "Big Ole Butt"
13. "One Shot at Love"
14. "1-900 L.L. Cool J"
15. "Two Different Worlds" (Ft. Cydne Monet)
16. "Jealous"
17. "Jingling Baby"
18. "Def Jam in the Motherland"
19. "Change Your Ways
20. "Jack the Ripper" [Bonus Track Available on Cassette Format]
    (Prod. by Rick Rubin)

Samples

• The song "Nitro" interpolated some parts from "(Not Just) Knee Deep" by Funkadelic. Also some parts from "Funky Drummer" by James Brown.

• The song "Jingling Baby" sampled a portion of "Walking Into Sunshine" by Central Line.

• The song "I'm That Type of Guy" interpolated some movie quotes from The Wizard of Oz.

• The song "Def Jam in the Motherland" sampled portions of "Love Is The Message" by M.F.S.B..

• The song "Going Back to Cali" was sampled in "Hey, Baby (Jump Off)" produced by Rick Rubin.

• The song "1-900 L.L. Cool J" sampled a portion of Herbie Hancock's 1973 version of his signature composition "Watermelon Man".

References

1. ^ Allmusic review
2. ^ AllHipHop review
3. ^ Robert Christgau review
4. ^ Q review
5. ^ Rolling Stone review
6. ^ Trouser Press review
7. ^ Yahoo! Music review
8. ^ Huey, Steve. "Walking with a Panther: Review". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r28044/review. Retrieved 2009-12-23. 
9. ^ The Rap Talk Crew. "A historic sit-down with Bobcat". Rap Talk Magazine. http://www.raptalk.net/news/features/RaptalksitsdownwithBobcatinahistoricinterview.php. Retrieved 2010-10-25. 
10. ^ The Rap Talk Crew. "A historic sit-down with Bobcat". Rap Talk Magazine. http://www.raptalk.net/news/features/RaptalksitsdownwithBobcatinahistoricinterview.php. Retrieved 2010-10-25. 

See also

• List of number-one R&B albums of 1989 (U.S.)