star pension, why stop the old guy when he shows no sign of slowing down? On 1995's Mr. Smith , the 27-year-old LL's "self"-titled sixth album, the rapper keeps running like an aged marathoner: past his prime and no longer winning medals, perhaps, but still in full stride and doing a lot better than you could. At this point in his career, though, LL seems concerned with retaining the credibility of his Queens, New York, past while submerging deeper into a Hollywood future. Conscious of--and not fully resistant to--the fact that he's fast becoming recognized more as sitcom star than as rap pioneer, LL goes out of his way on Mr. Smith to provide his résumé. He recaps successes on "I Shot Ya," remembers those who paved his way on "Hip H...  (less)

star pension, why stop the old guy when he shows no sign of slowing down? On 1995's Mr. Smith , the 27-year-old LL's "self"-titled sixth album, the rapper keeps running like an aged marathoner: past his prime and no longer winning medals, perhaps, but still in full stride and doing a lot better than you could. At this point in his career, though, LL seems concerned with retaining the credibility of his Queens, New York, past while submerging deeper into a Hollywood future. Conscious of--and not fully resistant to--the fact that he's fast becoming recognized more as sitcom star than as rap pioneer, LL goes out of his way on Mr. Smith to provide his résumé. He recaps successes on "I Shot Ya," remembers those who paved his way on "Hip H...  (less)

star pension, why stop the old guy when he shows no sign of slowing down? On 1995's Mr. Smith , the 27-year-old LL's "self"-titled sixth album, the rapper keeps running like an aged marathoner: past his prime and no longer winning medals, perhaps, but still in full stride and doing a lot better than you could. At this point in his career, though, LL seems concerned with retaining the credibility of his Queens, New York, past while submerging deeper into a Hollywood future. Conscious of--and not fully resistant to--the fact that he's fast becoming recognized more as sitcom star than as rap pioneer, LL goes out of his way on Mr. Smith to provide his résumé. He recaps successes on "I Shot Ya," remembers those who paved his way on "Hip H...  (less)

star pension, why stop the old guy when he shows no sign of slowing down? On 1995's Mr. Smith , the 27-year-old LL's "self"-titled sixth album, the rapper keeps running like an aged marathoner: past his prime and no longer winning medals, perhaps, but still in full stride and doing a lot better than you could. At this point in his career, though, LL seems concerned with retaining the credibility of his Queens, New York, past while submerging deeper into a Hollywood future. Conscious of--and not fully resistant to--the fact that he's fast becoming recognized more as sitcom star than as rap pioneer, LL goes out of his way on Mr. Smith to provide his résumé. He recaps successes on "I Shot Ya," remembers those who paved his way on "Hip H...  (less)

star pension, why stop the old guy when he shows no sign of slowing down? On 1995's Mr. Smith , the 27-year-old LL's "self"-titled sixth album, the rapper keeps running like an aged marathoner: past his prime and no longer winning medals, perhaps, but still in full stride and doing a lot better than you could. At this point in his career, though, LL seems concerned with retaining the credibility of his Queens, New York, past while submerging deeper into a Hollywood future. Conscious of--and not fully resistant to--the fact that he's fast becoming recognized more as sitcom star than as rap pioneer, LL goes out of his way on Mr. Smith to provide his résumé. He recaps successes on "I Shot Ya," remembers those who paved his way on "Hip H...  (less)

Skip wanted to record a project where he did his ‘singing’ through his trumpet. “I’ve recorded with both groups in the horn section but never as a solo instrument” stated Skip. The result is ‘Miles High’ filled with hip, cool, funky, smooth jazz grooves. “You’ll definitely come away ... with ... a sense of what Miles might be doing musically if he were still with us.”(Scott O’Brien for smoothjazz.com). ‘Are You Ready’ the debut single, with Skip on trumpet and vocals, Wayman Tisdale on bass guitar and Ricky Lawson on drums is “...a laid back blend of classic styles. If Freddie Hubbard and Donald Byrd were in the same band they would open their set with this tune...” (Gene Harris, Jr., MBA and Cat Lee for GrooveDoctorsRadio.com). Ronni...  (less)

Hip Hop supergroup The Firm in the late `90s with Nas, AZ and Nature. Brooklyn's Don Diva is the first in a mutli-album deal with KOCH Records. This album is an incredible collection of gritty street anthems that Foxy's been working on for years now. Despite her recent incarceration, Foxy isn't too concerned. 'This is just a temporary situation. I made my bed and have no problem lying in it. My will is steady. What doesn't kill me will only make me a stronger and better person, by my own doing. I think there are greater injustices in America that require our immediate attention, I will not surrender.'  (less)

all the trends and fashions in the rap world over the last decade. ALL WORLD is a long overdue greatest-hits collection that makes a strong case for LL as one of the most consistent and innovative figures in rap, pre-dating the Death Row crew and eschewing the pimp/gangsta image that has weighed down too many rap albums in the '90s. The infectious groove of ""Rock The Bells"" sets the tone, finding LL rocking the mic with an inimitable authority. ""I Need Love"" changes the pace and shows his emotional range, with lyrics that show a romantic sensitivity uncommon among rappers. ""Jingling Baby"" and ""The Boomin' System"" showcase LL doing what he does best, creating a lively party atmosphere with irresistibly funky rhythm tracks. ""Mama Said Knock You Out"" makes it plain that LL is more than just a party boy, with a fierce, aggressive rap that sounds as fresh as the day it was released. This is an essential document of rap's past and present, and maybe even a hint of its future.Spin (1/97, p.89) - ""...From Rick Rubin ghetto blasts to his knockout, jingling Marley Marl resucitation to this year's lounge sexscapades, Todd Smith has kept the L.L. dream alive, with skills...and wondrous self-admiration..."" Entertainment Weekly (12/20/96, p.76) - ""One of rap's original B-Boys didn't survive on his charm or waggish vocal chops alone. As this relentlessly engaging hits package proves, he deftly segued from snarling boasts to cuddly come-ons, just as his tracks kept improving....An essential hip-hop collection..."" - Rating: A"  (less)

fancy food, stylish clothing, and high-society parties. But she spends most of her evenings eating frozen dinners all alone, often thinking about a shy coworker (LL Cool J) she has a crush on. When she is suddenly diagnosed with a terminal illness and given three weeks to live, she collects her savings and decides to go crazy, doing all those things she would never allow herself to do before. She heads for one of the world's ritziest hotels, the Grand Hotel Pupp in Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic, where she takes advantage of every luxury she can, from spa treatments to downhill ski runs to helicopter trips to designer shopping excursions. While her lavish appetite is admired by a gourmet chef (Gerard Depardieu, showing agile comic skill), she is deemed a potential threat by a corporate bigwig (a slick Timothy Hutton). She's also none too happy to find her too-smooth senator (Giancarlo Esposito) enjoying a lush vacation instead of serving his community.Latifah simply lights up the screen in a somewhat different version of the role played by Alec Guinness in Henry Cass's 1950 original. This version of LAST HOLIDAY has been updated with a playful pop soundtrack, Geoffrey Simpson's beautiful photography, William Arnold's bright and colorful production design, and an enjoyable, lighthearted pace from director Wang (DIM SUM, THE JOY LUCK CLUB, and MAID IN MANHATTAN).System Requirements:Running Time 111 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE  (less)