History What Is It?
posted by on January 29 at 12:59 PM
It is a comeback for LL Cool J.
In the late 80s, a heap of dumb love/sex songs had made him irrelevant and he desperately needed to come back to the core of things, the source, the purpose of hiphop. But the first line of his comeback track, “Mama Said Knock You Out,” declares: “Don’t call it a comeback!” He tells us not to call it what it is. What he says and what he knows are not united. What we know and what he says are not united. What is unsaid is united: this is a comeback. What is said reveals what it is in reality by stating what it is not. Is this a case of what Run-DMC called: “Bad meaning good/not bad meaning bad”? LL Cool J negates what is true and therefore makes it more true than it actually is? The negation enhances the fact? “Mama Said Knock You Out” has a difficult opening line.
i don't know why i'm standing up for l, but i don't think his dumb love / sex song era was until after 'knock you out'. dumb love singles previous to 'knock you out': 'i need love', 'jingling baby' (maybe). dumb love singles after 'knock you out': 'around the way girl', 'hey lover', 'doin' it', 'loungin'', etc.
reaching...
In case you are unaware, best hiphop song ever. In the top 3 all time songs. And the video is simple and to the point. Glorious.
You have the Run DMC line backwards, dipshit.
2nd half of the first line, "I been here for years". He is asking, "How can this be a come back if I never left in the first place?" Sorry Charles, put your theory back in the oven and bake a few more minutes.
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