LL Cool J – "I Need Love" (1987)
Throwback time: LL Cool J's "I Need Love" from 1987. LL Cool J's official video. Tap the video to watch it right on this page.
D-Train
LL Cool J's official video. Video from YouTube. I'm not affiliated with the artist. I just love this song.
Ladies Love Cool James, for real. A hard rapper doing a love song? Nobody was ready. It went to number one on the R&B chart and opened the door for every rap ballad after it.
The story behind the song
LL Cool J was only 19 when he put out his second album, Bigger and Deffer, in 1987. Up to then he was known for hard-hitting rap, so nobody expected what came next.
"I Need Love" was a love song, soft and slow, with LL talking straight to the ladies. People in hip hop weren't sure about a rapper doing a song like that. The fans didn't care. It went to number one on the R&B chart, number 14 on the pop chart and top 10 in England. It was one of the first rap songs to really catch on overseas.
The song also won a Soul Train Music Award for Best Rap Single, and it opened the door for every rap love song that came after it.
Find it on LL Cool J's Bigger and Deffer.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Was this your first rap love song? Drop it in the comments. ✌️ — D-Train
Keep reading
- 80s MusicWhitney Houston – "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (1987)
Throwback time: Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" from 1987. Whitney's official video. Tap the video to watch it right on this page.
- 80s MusicKeith Sweat – "I Want Her" (1987)
Throwback time: Keith Sweat's "I Want Her" from 1987. Here he is live at the Apollo in 1988. Tap the video to watch it right on this page.
- 80s MusicMichael Jackson – "Billie Jean" (1983)
Throwback time: Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" from 1983. Michael's official video. Tap the video to watch it right on this page.
- 80s MusicRun-DMC (feat. Aerosmith) – "Walk This Way" (1986)
Throwback time: Run-DMC (feat. Aerosmith)'s "Walk This Way" from 1986. Run-DMC's official video. Tap the video to watch it right on this page.
Loading comments…