This weekend is about celebrating The King Of Pop, Mr. Michael Jackson, and his legacy. For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I initially had plans to do a write-up on “The Lady In My Life” from Thriller. However, in honor of Hip Hop’s 50th Anniversary, I decided to go with one of my favorite Hip Hop ballads, “Hey Lover,” which samples the song.
The year was 1995, and legendary MC LL Cool J was at a crossroads in his recording career. While he had the lead role on the sitcom In The House two years prior, his fifth album, 14 Shots To The Dome, where he adapted a West Coast sound, was a critical and commercial failure. For album#6, Mr. Smith, Uncle L got back on track working with Hip Hop heavyweight producers Rashad Smith, Chad Elliott, and Easy Mo Bee. However, the Trackmaster’s production of the lead single, “Hey Lover,” propelled Mr. Smith to double platinum sales.
Linking up with the highly successful R&B quartet Boyz II Men, “Hey Lover” found LL using his appeal with the ladies to his advantage. Hip Hop heads already knew LL was no slouch in the bars department, but eight years prior, LL had changed the game with “I Need Love.” Thus, doing another Hip Hop ballad as the lead single for his comeback album made sense.
Sampling MJ’s “The Lady In My Life,” “Hey Lover,” opens with Michael “Bass” McCray giving an introduction and setting up the song. LL then smoothly confesses his emotions to a woman he has feelings for. In the song, LL expresses how he would love and care for the person he desires through various means. He begins by complimenting their appearance and acknowledging his attraction toward them.
LL then explains how he wants to take her out on dates and treat her like a queen while promising to be faithful and loyal. And, of course, we have to shout out to 4 guys from Philly who slay the hook on the song. I was in eighth grade when the song dropped, and I remember so many fellas who lacked game using the song for dedications on the Back Seat Slow Jam segment on the local radio station.
Despite some folks looking for internet fame by trying to cancel LL, twenty-eight years later, “Hey Lover” is still a BOP that expresses admiration for someone who has caught your eye.
Final Grade: A
“Hey Lover” from Mr. Smith is available on all streaming platforms.
Nineties R&B was home to many female groups, so standing out took more than good looks and a major industry endorsement. I still remember seeing Allure in a Vibe ad and thinking how gorgeous those four women were. The question was whether they had the talent to compete in the music scene.
In 1996, I first heard the Houston quartet Ideal on the Original Gangsters soundtrack. Their interpretation of Marvin Gaye’s “Inner City Blues,” featuring the Chi-Lites, caught my attention.
For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I want to revisit 2004 and highlight Romeo’s debut solo album, formerly of Immature. Titled “Food for Thought” and released on June 22nd, this project marked the singer’s change of name to Young Rome in an effort to distance himself from the youthful sound of his group, much like his bandmate Marques Houston had done a year earlier.