LL Cool J - "I Can't Live Without My Radio"

[ColdOasisU2]

he is great

[DEED2324]

The Goat!!

[MrKinPimpin]

85

[SoTtOMaN829]

Certified classic of this genre. Nuff said!!!

[TEACHYOUTEEWHY]

LL Cool J at his best. Him and DJ Premier really need to collaborate.

[xpoondiggy]

the feeling of watching this in 86...cant even describe it...i miss that feeling

[lyfe1zruff]

@xpoondiggy i love nostalgia..that feeling missing it but knowing youll never get it back

[killalangdon]

@King9419 Slick Rick, Eazy E,MC Hammer, Big Daddy Kane- Big L, D.I.T.C, N.W.A Pharcyde mainly all rap groups from the rap group era great artist group though include Wu Tang Clan, Bone Thugs and Harmony,

[killalangdon]

Yo I can't live without my Ipod get one bitch LOL!!!!

[yakuzamadddogg]

FUUUUUUUUUUCK!

[SwaggaLeo]

the crowd was loose as fuk

[sixpackjohn]

4 people don't like their volume past 10 -__-

[pev07]

Man ol skool hip hop only rap I listen to now is underground only thing ALMOST close to this. Not tht mainstream shit( makin an acception for a few artist)

[405Psycho]

@pev07 what's up on that underground sound? who you listen to?

[getalife67]

I feel old now, lol

[ianjacklin]

Dating myself but fuck yeah those were the days!

[tjmandy1]

this is how rap should sound like.not like this new school shit!!

[byronmfreire]

this is one of my favorite LL jams....to me he is one the BEST (if not the BEST) artist.

I wish he would come back and show the new guys how its done

[Leolectro]

One of the first known rappers on the planet. One of the inventors of HipHop!!

[aldeshsa]

Thanks to Don Cornelius for the awkward old guy interview at the end.

[onehighspeedsoldier]

so sick!

[reel1840]

help me survive this is so hot.

[trypod53]

this shit was the GOT DAM GOLDEN AGE OF HIP HOP

[eyesley]

Making me pull out my terry cloth white Kangol! LMAO!

[panchodaman]

Rockin' the crowd a quarter century strong.

[TheMcMka]

GOLD AGE

[bshort31092]

Cut Creator was goin in...as always

[PatersonFinest]

They don't make crowds (or MCs) like this anymore!

[Bboys1fan]

im sorry if you cant understand..but i need a radio inside my hand.

(:

[randomhomies69]

Loved him when he was old school now I fukin hate him now that he's mainstreem n shit

[kidcool1977]

2 people don't appreciate a RADIO!.

[str8outtatexas1]

yeap when rappers had true skills. no fucking auto tuned,pre-school lyrics,plastic ass beats,me,me,me rapping clowns of today.this is the truest form off hip-hop ever. where did that 20 plus years go? now society is stuck with motherfuckers like plies,gucci mane,flocka waka,souljah boy,lil d, ect. i don't care if these new rappers make a billion dollars today,they will never come close to this era of music,substance,creativity,fun­k, & passion. long live the 80's. damn i miss those years.

[CubsFan2812]

Yes. Yes. YES!!!! DONT STOP THIS SONG IM IN HEAVEN!!!

[toontownsalty98]

LOL i know dat radio dat nigga back there holdin is heavy

[Lukerativestopaction]

This remind anyone else of em's "foolish pride"?

[lilwizz200]

that croud is kickin!

[sistermotherlady]

LL was hot back then and is hot now.... Don wasn't to friendly though.

[radiodj1520]

I Believe This Was A Video Clip From The 497th Edition Of "Soul Train" On March 22, 1986...That Edition Featured LL Cool J, In His 1st Appearance, When He Was 18 Years Old, Singing "I Can't Live Without My Radio."

[regdawgformerusmc]

What happen to those days?? Rap has turned into crap nowadays!

[Mariners005]

from this to doing ncis lol what a history

[defnyung]

Thanks to LL Cool J I bought a big ass boombox radio back in 1986!

[quackquack4u]

i agree with Hot80s

[GashisDX]

dude was hungry

[thugluv94]

yeaaaah maannn

[abcdefghijklmnop6407]

i was just listening to ice cubes new album...i wasnt to impressed, music has changed for the worst :( nothing like it was back then.

[LTEstyles]

1986? damn i was 3 years old

[KanWoo76]

E Love: The most non-vocal hype man in hip-hop history! Take note youngins. This is true hip-hop!

[Success59]

True example of why MC's Move the Crowd

[TheArkchild]

GO LL GO LL

[lonnie085]

I want dat Boom-box

[jigleepuff99]

if this were remade would it be "i can't live without my IPOD"?......

[ogfunk187]

@jigleepuff99 nah "i cant live without my pornhub"

[sckintities1]

@ogfunk187 you have to shut up

[paink34]

CUT CREATOR

[bradley041670]

LL is the man

[LucasPicturesUK]

I wish i could go back in time and be there =]

[LUTHERQUE]

PHENOMENAL!!!

[mzambo666]

I remember this as coolest llst' shit ever coming out! I love NYC

[robertatx22]

VHS FTW

[JoeyJonesIsASexGod]

love it!

[HipHopByThePound]

LL was like Lebron...young,raw, & full of full of talent.

[xToPGuN24]

@HipHopByThePound except he didn't go ride on dwayne wade's balls

[MrMikeydikey]

TOO BAD THIS ALFRED GUY IS SUCH A PSYCHO BITCH. HIS COLLECTION IS ACTUALLY DECENT.

[dolphinbuc]

One of the hardest joints evaaaaa! This man was king!

[teddybomber2]

yeah!!!

[elwin38]

1968 was a good yr! i was born this year as well as LL Cool J, Will Smith, Ralph Tresvant(and Mike Bivins), and the porn queen Tracy Lords(we were born on the same day). As well as numerous others. We were all conceived(and are the by-product of) the famous, "SUMMER OF LOVE". Proud to be a part of this generation.

[alan1sauceda]

DAAAAAAMNNNN! what year was this?

[alfredoearle]

@alan1sauceda Early 1986.

[paddypancakes1]

@alfredoearle dammnnnnnnn!!!

[AdamShumpisxXx]

@alfredoearle

This track and most of the album was recorded in '85 actually.

[OldPrishtinaSkool]

@alfredoearle 1985 exaclty

[MsBrionna11]

@alfredoearle DAMN thats a long time ago

[jacb630]

@alan1sauceda 1985. This was off his very first album entitled "Radio."

[Seductivestorm]

@alan1sauceda, I think this was '86.

[jacb630]

@alan1sauceda 1985

[King9419]

@alan1sauceda The year of some of the most iconic people ever to live in old school rap. This is old school, dr dre, tupac, biggie. they are old school to but these guys are way back before them even.

[BBoytoshone]

@King9419 lol i dont think you answered his question.. haha

[BlackOasis21]

@King9419 Dr. Dre is from the 80's as well.

[cdsaxe1972]

Just look how nervous the host is; he had no idea what he'd just let on stage and I bet the producers of the Train didn't know either. Watch the crowd: a bunch of extras from Purple Rain transformed into something short of a mosh pit. This clip captures a revolutionary moment in music; perhaps only Rick Rubin and a handful of others realized it then.

[jacb630]

@cdsaxe1972 Don Cornelius, at that particular time, didn't really understand Hip Hop. It was still into it's developmental stages. But LL exploded onto the scene like no other MC at that time. He was way ahead of his time, and that really took so many by surprise-including Don Cornelius and many others. They probably didn't think Hip Hop would be where it is today.

[Hulk2k6]

@jacb630

True, Everybody thought Hip Hop was a fad that wouldn't last. Man, those naysayers definitely had to suck it over the next few decades! Although since mid-late 2000s the genre has somewhat stagnated.

[cdsaxe1972]

The producers of the Train didn't know what they were bringing into the TV studio. Neither did the host - just look how nervous he is. And the crowd, they're just short of a mosh pit. Perhaps only Rick Rubin and a handful of others realized just how revolutionary this moment was.

[MsNess1979]

This is crazy! Way back in the day.

[chessdrummer]

This is classic rap... hard, strong and lyrical dexterity like no other! LL Cool J was the Don back then... a young and up-and-coming star. I first saw him on one of the breakdancing movies. Rocking that Kangol!!

[DemonX99]

This really makes me wish I grew up in the 80s :(

[hazelsimone]

@DemonX99 me too its seems like the best time for music n hip hop early 90's 2 i hate the music im stuck with now its horrible

[DarthMakaveliSithMC]

@DemonX99 Damn! Youtube's so glitchy. I've tried four times to post a response! In short, the mid to late 80s were a great time for music. American music started sucking hard in the mid 90s because the mega-corporations only cared about product, and music lost its character, diverse styles and genres and became a load of congealed, soundalike crap.

[drew040]

It was not 84.. or 80... The album that this song is on "Radio" came out in 85

[vcantr000]

This is about 1984. There was no mainstream gangsta rap till NWA. LL was in the same group as RUN-DMC, UTFO, etc.

[doobyboy21]

shit is this 1980??

[zonyk157]

LL has never claimed to be gangsta. Hes just a bad ass lyricist, hes never said a word about drivebys or killing anyone.

[nasalstyle]

LOL.. LL is not gangsta..

[mentor318]

This was the first LP record that I ever purchased. I can remember walking the cold Chicago streets to Dr. Wax in Hyde Park

[avosso]

The official start of gangsta rap. LL is responsible...dog pile!

[jeypeepsv1]

na...NWA mainly ice cube is responsible for gangsta rap bro.. they first started that era

[Legendcjr37]

Ice-T is the godfather of gangsta rap!

[musiqgem]

@jeypeepsv1 Wrong, Ice-T started gangsta rap 1st

[1787dude]

i started gangsta rap, and horrorcore

[jeypeepsv1]

@musiqgem.. if you wanna be technical it Schooly D was the first rapper to do a gangster rap record with p.s.k, you remember that?? what i mean is nwa made it popular for everyone to do it, they took it to the next level.

[Ousvec]

his dance style is like fresh princes :D

[sweepee4pres]

E-Love don't smile

[guitarherosmaka]

look at the swagger in this kid!

[cookiesncreme99]

please dont say "swagger"

in the 80's there was no "swagger"

[TheBurnerTenThousand]

@cookiesncreme99

You are an idiot. Read a book.

[cookiesncreme99]

oh am i ruining your "Swagger"?

[TheBurnerTenThousand]

@cookiesncreme99

Stop that.

[XRRfan]

@cookiesncreme99 yes there was the track suits were and still are ill. The sneakers are classic and how could i forget KANGOLS. And Le coq sportif. NO swag my arse better than "skinny jeans". And of course there was biker shorts but hey everything has to even out take the good with the bad.

[pacrox2]

lip sync

[guitaro5000]

Everyone on Soul Train has to lip sync actually.

[Hot80s]

i hate today's voice "synth-shit".

This is LL a young, angry man with everything to prove! I havent seen anything as ambitious as LL ever again.

[violenthill123]

@Hot80s u about his name john clark

[elwin38]

@violenthill123 James Todd Smith is his real name. LL Cool J stands for: Ladies Love Cool James

[Hot80s]

@violenthill123 i think you mean A.K.A. James Todd

[ixfxi]

no muscles back then. it would be funny to see LL of today battle LL of yesterday. which ego would win?  i love old school LL, good shit

[jevonhowle]

Hell yeah, back when rap still required skill and talent. An actual DJ actually scratchin records instead of a bunch of pre programmed computer pussy shit like today. Actual lyrics that tell a story instead of the scatterbrained yelling and repetitive bullshit on the radio now. LL was one of the kings.

[Lanky009]

Totally agreed jevonhowle.

[xJuggaloJoex559]

@jevonhowle you can always listen to the underground... thats where hip-hop thrives now

[rockhills]

@jevonhowle I haven't read the comments and I'm sure it's been pointed out...Here LL is lipsyncing and Cut Creator is not cutting anything.

E-Love is hilarious though.

[therosspick]

oldskool beats

[Doitonhigh]

what is E loves problom. was he abused a lot. raped. jail raped

[ghighc4]

i kno this isn't talking about cool j, but RIP Buffy the Human Beatbox

[pm2007est]

Cool J's albums where the Jam, man I had the Walking with a Panther tape,

[Grithoof]

it's not hip hop anymore, just rap...

[Lcd4lbad]

OH YEAAAAHHH this was it! sTRAIGHT CLASSIC! BACK WHEN HIPHOP WAS GIVING BIRTH! L.L. ALL YOUNG AND ENERGETIC! MAN I MISS THESE DAYSSS

THIS IS WHEN EVERYONE DOUBTED RAP! EVERYONE THOUGHT IT WAS A PASSING FAD....AND THERE WAS LL....18 YEARS OLD, HOLDING IT DOWN! WOW!

[Abama811]

"LL Cool J is hard as hell !"

[90Blakeo]

Old Shool Music brings back memories!

[MrJojo1109]

I like ll myself and that was a good thing to do to put that on youtube.

[isata88]

E Love couldn't play off that boom box now! Step on the scene with ice grill and an ipod!

[funkberto]

E Love is the kid who appears in the PUBLIC ENEMY LOGO

[othur]

Back, Back L.L. in the House!

[pjking18]

this and rock the bells HELLS YEAH

[FashiionMonsteR]

This was the first album Ive ever brought and I still have it. I use to love this song and Rock the bells

[lilwizz200]

"you want a hit give me an hour plus a pen and a pad"

[thitchin]

"It was a process, an evolutionary process..."

Like most overnight successes, it usually take about 9 or 10 ten years...then you get your time in front of 'the Don' and you nail it or you don't. Clearly he came out of the gates destroying. Folks, if you don't know, LL took it to the next level, he believed in himself. respect. self respect.

[ButterBHG]

Sick.

[joeynuggs]

E Love was man.

Radio will always be a Hip Hop classic.

I remember the album folded open and had LL rockin' the high top old school Jordans.

Yes I will always be a old school head.

-Joey Nuggs

[t3rr3nc388]

E-Love drives a tank, he's strong like a truck

If you're cryin' while you're dyin' we ain't givin' a fluck

[romarebearden]

LL Had Cats studying the dictionary and scrambling for a thesaurus. Everyone had to step up there game and expand there vocabulary. He was known as that rapper with the big words. Cool J was a prodigy, a phenom! This track was HUGE! It literally changed the game.

[isata88]

I'm glad someone remembers! Any rappers trying to come up in his era was stepping up their word game because of LL.

[romarebearden]

People have no idea how ground breaking this track was! Radio was the single most important track that ushered in the modern Hip Hop era. Up until this track dropped everyone was still wondering whether Rap was a Fad or even if it was a legitimate form of music. He was 16 when it was released and the best scene in the movie Krush Groove was when he did a 15 second or so audition for Russell Simmons played by Blair Underwood. This was a MONSTER TRACK!

[mcultra]

"I SAID, 'NO MORE AUDITIONS!'"

RIP JMJ!

ah, i digress early....true indeed, though. you are right on. this post and your post about L's vocabulary is spot-on. L took the mantle from T La Rock and even Moe Dee and took it to another level.

[XRRfan]

@romarebearden it was MONster but Rakim is the father of modern rap really. Just listen to follow the leader by eric b and rakim or microphone fiend or eric b for president or paid in full or my melody or....LL was MOnster i agree i grew up of this and dear Yvette and after this poeple were still saying it was just a fad. But this track didnt usher in modern hip hop. LL has his own style that noone yet has emulated. Rakim is your favorite lyricist, lyricist.

[StuntManDevon]

FUCK YEAH!!!!!!!!!!

[cutdafukup]

should me mandatory for all "rapers"

[KnuckleBallz]

Is not lip sync. U can hear his breathings

[LatinPercussion]

seriously, is anyone else also thinks the guy (e love) standing there with the box is totally unnecessary ?! LOL

[paradyneT101]

but back in the day that was consider*FRESH*!!LMAO!

[BAMBOOLOUNGE]

classic

[775hiteenaa]

LL likes girls he has to have Love songs to and he on the side he makes street hip hop  the early days of hip hop

[killzmastar]

maybe that means hes just goood

[dmxx70]

that's the way Soul Train did it back in those days....

[Grithoof]

You can hear his breath in this. It is different from the recorded song, a lot heavier live. He didn't lip sync, he was just really good.

[rkhale02]

how did this good music turn into the crap that kids listen to today

[chrisrap4ever]

i want this album!

[GorillasNdaMidst]

Classic, man i miss tyhese days.........

[AJSteels008]

Doe sanyone have a theory on what exactly happened to this dude, he's was SOOOO awesome, now its ALWAYS slow jamz...sigh

[JoyGrenade]

He turned into the hip-hop Al Green.

[djw80158]

Nuthin happened. He simply became a man. Much can change over a period of 20+ years, especially when it comes to the music industry.

[jacb630]

I totally agree with u. Everyone has to change at some point and time. Even though LL changed, he still stayed true to his fans and his music. That's one of the reasons why he's still around to this day. His longevity proves that he's still true to Hip Hop-despite what anyone else says.

[SinaProductions]

ahhhhh 80s/90s hip hop! legends

[Steffenjdk]

Old School - Nice!

[TheHeretic1983]

Yeah, agreed. those boomboxes were so sick.

[Verbal357]

Yooooooooooo!!!!!!! This brought back so many memories...thanks for posting this

[mattyp1999]

super-cool

[Hulk2k6]

Even today this Track is FIYAH!

[monolithic87]

L.L. killed it, but that gold Technisonic Conion TC-999 that E Love is holding is also the star of the show.

Thanks for posting!

[TonyStarkIndustries]

CAUSE ITS ACTUAL FACT THIS JAM IS DEF

[PaoloFalconi]

While my JVC vibrates the concrete!

[DiligentIntelligence]

i remember this album...

i agree... this cut is top five classic rap songs...

in my world...

[kadricer]

One of the MAIN pioneers of HIP-HOP....NON-BELIEVERS ( that were sperm cells in their daddies nutz when this came out ) .... Please do your homework .... No point in arguing .... BEASTIE BOYS, RUN D.M.C, and U.T.F.O. among MANY others .... They created HIP-HOP....despite the MONEY, HO CHASING and PEOPLE KILLING the average so-called ARTIST likes to sell NOW ....

[walnutspacecake]

True dat.

Dont forget the sugarhill gang,Afrika Bambaata and jazzy J though :p

[CALICOJ1]

He's one of my fav rappers ever , but he's lip synching like Ashley Simpson!  No different!

[MFSilverOxide]

Don Cornelius wouldn't allow live vocals for live performances, whether you're Donna Summers or Ashlee Simpson, LL Cool J or Ja Rule. In retrospect its the best route for the show

[aush1969]

True that! I've seen LL in concert a few times. Even though the show was hot. He does lip synch. TV is ok for lip synching, but for a concert.....NAW. Still he,s one of my all time favs.

[JPfromFlint]

Man I remember watching this. I been a LL fan ever since.

[DjLecheNYC]

Cos the radio's thumpin' when I'm down to play

I'm the royal chief rocker LL Cool J