Todd Smith (album)

Todd Smith is the eleventh studio album by American rapper LL Cool J. It was released on April 11, 2006 by Def Jam Recordings. It includes collaborations with Jennifer Lopez, Pharrell, Juelz Santana, Teairra Mari, Jamie Foxx, Ginuwine, Mary J. Blige, 112, Mary Mary, Ryan Toby (from City High) and Freeway. Producers on the project include Pharrell, Scott Storch, Bink!, Shea Taylor, Drumma Boy, Keezo Kane and Trackmasters.

Todd Smith
Studio album by LL Cool J
Released	April 11, 2006
Length	51:47
Label	Def Jam
Producer	Bink! Drumma Boy Jermaine Dupri Lyfe Jennings Keezo Kane LL Cool J The Narcotics The Neptunes Poke and Tone Stargate Scott Storch Shea Taylor
LL Cool J chronology
The DEFinition (2004) Todd Smith (2006) Exit 13 (2008)
Singles from Todd Smith
"It's LL and Santana"/"What You Want" Released: November 10, 2005 "Control Myself" Released: February 1, 2006 "Freeze" Released: April 5, 2006

Music and lyrics

Todd Smith is composed of radio-friendly hip hop, with LL Cool J foregoing street material in favor of straightforward, commercial pop-rap.^[1] Much of the album is built on minimalist, distilled synthesized rap, featuring thick drum swirls and bright record production.^[2] The lyrics demonstrate LL Cool J comfortably rapping slow songs exclusively aimed at the opposite sex.^[3][2]

Promotion

Jermaine Dupri-produced dance track "Control Myself" served as the album's lead single. Another song with singer Jennifer Lopez after their collaboration on "All I Have" on Lopez's 2002 album This Is Me... Then, it was originally to feature Fergie from The Black Eyed Peas; however difference in terms of payment resulted in her being replaced by Lopez. LL Cool J and Lopez shot a music video for "Control Myself," directed by Hype Williams, on January 2, 2006 at Sony Studios, New York. "Freeze" featuring Lyfe Jennings was released as the album's second single.

Music and lyrics

Todd Smith is composed of radio-friendly hip hop, with LL Cool J foregoing street material in favor of straightforward, commercial pop-rap.^[1] Much of the album is built on minimalist, distilled synthesized rap, featuring thick drum swirls and bright record production.^[2] The lyrics demonstrate LL Cool J comfortably rapping slow songs exclusively aimed at the opposite sex.^[3][2]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	51/100[4]
Review scores
Source	Rating
About.com	[5]
AllMusic	[1]
Entertainment Weekly	C+[6]
PopMatters	[7]
RapReviews	7.5/10[8]
Rolling Stone	[9]
Slant Magazine	[3]
Stylus Magazine	C−[2]
Vibe	[10]
XXL	(M)[11]

Todd Smith was met with "mixed or average" reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, this release received an average score of 51 based on 17 reviews.^[4] AllMusic found that "the album proves that Cool James always has and always will have wit and style to spare" and while he "makes few pretenses to being street, Todd Smith is straight commercial pop-rap," resulting into "solid radio-friendly hip-hop from a veteran of the genre."^[1] Michael Frauenhofer from PopMatters described the album as "adequate [...] glossy, safe, front-loaded, and slick. My mom likes it, enough said. And the young-girl LL Cool J fans will love it too, regardless of what we say here. As for the rest of us? We can go home, we can play "Mama Said Knock You Out" and "Rock the Bells" on our stereos, and we can wait for his next inevitable metamorphosis."^[7]

Entertainment Weekly's Tom Sinclair criticized the album for its "big-name-guest-star-choked affairs" and wrote: "Too bad LL Cool J feels he needs the extra wattage, because Todd Smith's best moments come when he raps alone, letting his inimitably confident flow shine. Some of these jams will no doubt click with the club crowd, but we wish our man would jettison the human baggage, team up with his old producer Rick Rubin, and knock us out again."^[6] Similarly, Rolling Stone critic Peter Relic remarked: "Eight of thirteen tracks on Todd Smith qualify as slow-jam duets, and none of them has a sweat droplet of the appeal of 1987's LL-as-Lothario classic "I Need Love" [...] leaving one wondering whatever happened to the immortal MC who could carry an album by himself without needing a breath."^[9]

Chart performance

Todd Smith debuted and peaked at six on the US Billboard 200, selling 116,000 units in first week of release.^[12] This marked LL Cool J's 11th and his eighth top ten title on the Billboard 200.^[12] The set also opened at number two on both the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and the Top Rap Albums charts.^[12] Todd Smith was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on May 18, 2006 .^[13] By May 2008, it had sold 535,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.^[14]

Track listing

Todd Smith track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"It's LL and Santana" (featuring Juelz Santana)	James Todd Smith Shea Taylor Eugene Record Tony Churchill Melvin Wilson Leslie Wilson V. Bullock	Taylor	3:00
2.	"Control Myself" (featuring Jennifer Lopez)	J. Smith Jermaine Dupri James Phillips Ryan Toby John Miller Afrika Bambaataa Arthur Baker John Robie	Dupri LRoc[a]	3:53
3.	"Favorite Flavor" (featuring Mary J. Blige)	J. Smith Jean-Claude Olivier Samuel Barnes Toby	Poke and Tone	3:26
4.	"Freeze" (featuring Lyfe Jennings)	J. Smith Jennings	LL Cool J Jennings	4:52
5.	"Best Dress" (featuring Jamie Foxx)	J. Smith Shawn Carter Christopher J. Gholson Pharrell Williams Rodney Hill	The Neptunes Drumma Boy (co.)	3:57
6.	"Preserve the Sexy" (featuring Teairra Mari)	J. Smith Keith Moore S. Smith James Brown Bobby Byrd Ron Lenhoff Charles Bobbit	Keezo Kane	3:39
7.	"What You Want" (featuring Freeway)	J. Smith Leslie Pridgeon Angelo Badalamenti Albert Elias K. Elcock I. Heyward M. Oliver	The Narcotics	4:24
8.	"I've Changed" (featuring Ryan Toby)	J. Smith Olivier Barnes Toby	Poke and Tone	3:50
9.	"Ooh Wee" (featuring Ginuwine)	J. Smith Toby Scott Storch	Storch	4:02
10.	"#1 Fan"	J. Smith Olivier Barnes Toby	Poke and Tone	3:17
11.	"Down the Aisle" (featuring 112)	J. Smith Olivier Barnes Toby Monte Moir Marvin Scandrick Quinnes Parker Daron Jones Alexander O'Neal Michael Keith	Poke and Tone	4:01
12.	"We're Gonna Make It" (featuring Mary Mary)	J. Smith Erica Campbell Trecina Atkins-Campbell Toby Carole King	Bink	4:55

Bonus track

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
13.	"So Sick" (Remix featuring Ne-Yo)	J. Smith Tor Erik Hermansen Mikkel S. Eriksen Shaffer Smith	Stargate Poke and Tone[b]	4:23

UK bonus track

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
14.	"Control Myself" (Nevins Funktek remix featuring Jennifer Lopez)	J. Smith Dupri Phillips Toby Miller Bambaataa Baker Robie	Dupri LRoc[a] Jason Nevins[b]	3:46

Japanese bonus track

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
15.	"Control Myself" (Joe Bermudez radio edit featuring Jennifer Lopez)	J. Smith Dupri Phillips Toby Miller Bambaataa Baker Robie	Dupri LRoc[a] Joe Bermudez[b]	3:49

Notes

• ^{^[a]} signifies a co-producer
• ^{^[b]} signifies an additional producer

Sample credits

• "It's LL and Santana" contains a sample from "Blind Man" as performed by New Birth.
• "Control Myself" contains a sample from "Looking for the Perfect Beat" by Afrika Bambaataa & Soul Sonic Force.
• "Preserve the Sexy":
  • Contains a sample of the recording "From the Love Side" as performed by Hank Ballard & The Midnight Lighters.
  • Contains a sample of "Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved (Parts I & II)", "Make It Funky (Part I)" and "My Thang" as performed by James Brown.
• "What You Want":
  • Contains a sample of "Hot Wheels (The Case)" as performed by Badder Than Evil.
  • Contains an interpolation of "Heaven and Hell on Earth" as written by M. Oliver.
  • Contains a sample of "Nobody Beats The Biz" as performed by Biz Markie.
• "Down the Aisle" contains a sample of "If You Were Here Tonight" as performed by Alexander O'Neal.
• "We're Gonna Make It" contains samples form the recording "You've Got a Friend" as performed by Donny Hathaway.
• "So Sick (Remix)" contains replayed elements from "Human Nature" as performed by Michael Jackson.

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for Todd Smith Chart (2006) Peak position Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[15] 88 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[16] 99 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[17] 64 UK Albums (OCC)[18] 79 UK R&B Albums (OCC)[19] 8 US Billboard 200[20] 6 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[21] 2

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for Todd Smith Chart (2006) Position US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[22] 65

Certifications

Certifications for Todd Smith

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[13]	Gold	500,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "Todd Smith - LL Cool J". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 26, 2015. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
2. McGarvey, Evan (April 20, 2006). "LL Cool J - Todd Smith - Review". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on May 23, 2008. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
3. Cinquemani, Sal (April 12, 2006). "Review: LL Cool J Todd Smith". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on June 25, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
4. "Reviews for Todd Smith by LL Cool J". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on June 25, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
5. Rizoh. "LL Cool J - Todd Smith (Def Jam)". About.com. Archived from the original on December 8, 2013. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
6. Sinclair, Tom (April 17, 2006). "Todd Smith". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 11, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
7. Frauenhofer, Michael (April 20, 2006). "LL Cool J: Todd Smith". PopMatters. Archived from the original on November 11, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
8. Juon, Steve 'Flash' (April 11, 2006). "LL Cool J :: Todd Smith :: Def Jam". RapReviews. Archived from the original on September 24, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
9. Relic, Peter (April 18, 2006). "Todd Smith : LL Cool J : Review". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Archived from the original on February 24, 2009. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
10. Gonzales, Michael A. (April 3, 2006). "LL Cool J - Todd Smith (Def Jam)". Vibe. Vibe Media. Archived from the original on April 14, 2006. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
11. Golianopoulous, Thomas (April 21, 2006). "LL Cool J Todd Smith". XXL. Townsquare Media. Archived from the original on August 16, 2011. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
12. "Rascal Flatts Wins Billboard 200 Country Battle". Billboard.com. February 16, 2006. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
13. "American album certifications – L.L. Cool J – Todd Smith". Recording Industry Association of America.
14. "LL Cool J Heads Toward Def Jam 'Exit'". Billboard.com. May 22, 2008. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
15. "Ultratop.be – LL Cool J – Todd Smith" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
16. "Dutchcharts.nl – LL Cool J – Todd Smith" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
17. "Swisscharts.com – LL Cool J – Todd Smith". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
18. "LL Cool J | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
19. "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
20. "LL Cool J Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
21. "LL Cool J Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
22. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2006". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2020.

External links

• MTV Interview regarding the album