An ambitious and confounding endeavor, LL Cool J’s third studio album found him taking a lot of chances that most superstar emcees wouldn’t take.

‘Bigger and Deffer’ harkens back to a time when emcees were cocky because they were great at what they did, and the music was better off for it.

Though Run-DMC are credited with creating hip-hop’s new school sound, LL Cool J is the architect of much of its attitude and swagger, as first evidenced on his debut long player.