I Need Love
Encyclopedia
"I Need Love" was the second single from LL Cool J
's second album, Bigger and Deffer
. The song is considered the first rap ballad and was released in September 1987. (It was not the first rap love song, however; in 1982 the Sugarhill Gang had recorded "The Lover in You," which reached Number 55 on the R & B charts.) It reached #1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
and #14 on the Billboard Hot 100
while becoming one of the first rap songs to enjoy mainstream popularity in the UK, reaching #8 in the UK Singles Chart
. The single won a Soul Train Music Award for Best Rap - Single
in 1987. The song ranked #13 on About.com
's Top 100 Rap Songs. Number 60 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop. The drums was played with a Roland TR-808
and the keyboard tone was played with a Yamaha DX7
.
, then cheer him on too many fans go out and then he performs a transition in a living room that song. Then goes outside a saloon, before he sits down. In a Fadeout
scene sits a girl crying on a bed behind LL Cool J, then he goes out there and cheer him again on the way to the limo, fans. Later, he expects a reporter at an interview. After the girl arguing with her father because of poor grades in the testimony and sheer anger of the father of the daughter's poster of LL Cool J pulls away from the wall, whereupon the daughter is crying. Rose again from the sedan, LL Cool J fans and Paparazzi
followed, after which it rises again with the girls in the limo. During the trip he and the girl get into a conversation, which embrace both themselves and find themselves in a bathtub again. LL Cool J raps at the end of the song to end.
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...
's second album, Bigger and Deffer
Bigger and Deffer
Bigger And Deffer , is the second studio album by rapper LL Cool J and is remembered most for containing the first commercially successful "rap ballad", "I Need Love". It also contains the single "Go Cut Creator Go", which paid homage to his DJ, and the breakthrough single in the U.K. "I'm Bad"...
. The song is considered the first rap ballad and was released in September 1987. (It was not the first rap love song, however; in 1982 the Sugarhill Gang had recorded "The Lover in You," which reached Number 55 on the R & B charts.) It reached #1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
and #14 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
while becoming one of the first rap songs to enjoy mainstream popularity in the UK, reaching #8 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The single won a Soul Train Music Award for Best Rap - Single
Soul Train Music Award for Best Rap - Single
The Soul Train Music Award winners for Best Rap - Single The award has not been given out since 1988....
in 1987. The song ranked #13 on About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
's Top 100 Rap Songs. Number 60 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop. The drums was played with a Roland TR-808
Roland TR-808
The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer was one of the first programmable drum machines . Introduced by the Roland Corporation in early 1980, it was originally manufactured for use as a tool for studio musicians to create demos. Like earlier Roland drum machines, it does not sound very much like a real...
and the keyboard tone was played with a Yamaha DX7
Yamaha DX7
The Yamaha DX7 is an FM Digital Synthesizer manufactured by the Yamaha Corporation from 1983 to 1986. It was the first commercially successful digital synthesizer. Its distinctive sound can be heard on many recordings, especially Pop music from the 1980s...
.
Music video
The story of the music video is very much inspired by the song. At the beginning of LL Cool J sitting with some women on a CouchCouch
A couch, also called a sofa, is an item of furniture designed to seat more than one person, and providing support for the back and arms. Typically, it will have an armrest on either side. In homes couches are normally found in the family room, living room, den or the lounge...
, then cheer him on too many fans go out and then he performs a transition in a living room that song. Then goes outside a saloon, before he sits down. In a Fadeout
Fade (audio engineering)
In audio engineering, a fade is a gradual increase or decrease in the level of an audio signal. The term can also be used for film cinematography or theater lighting, in much the same way ....
scene sits a girl crying on a bed behind LL Cool J, then he goes out there and cheer him again on the way to the limo, fans. Later, he expects a reporter at an interview. After the girl arguing with her father because of poor grades in the testimony and sheer anger of the father of the daughter's poster of LL Cool J pulls away from the wall, whereupon the daughter is crying. Rose again from the sedan, LL Cool J fans and Paparazzi
Paparazzi
Paparazzi is an Italian term used to refer to photojournalists who specialize in candid photography of celebrities, politicians, and other prominent people...
followed, after which it rises again with the girls in the limo. During the trip he and the girl get into a conversation, which embrace both themselves and find themselves in a bathtub again. LL Cool J raps at the end of the song to end.
Charts
| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 14 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
1 |
| UK Singles Chart | 8 |
| German Singles Chart | 6 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 13 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 6 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 3 |
Covers and samples
- Irish singer-songwriter Luka BloomLuka BloomLuka Bloom is an Irish folk-rock singer-songwriter. He is the younger brother of Irish folk singer Christy Moore.-Early life:...
recorded a cover version of the song. - Rapper Necro used the beat on his song "I Need DrugsI Need Drugs (song)"I Need Drugs" is the title track of Necro's debut studio album, I Need Drugs. It is the third track on the album and also the most drug-inspired song on the album...
," which was released on his 20002000 in musicSee also:* 2000 in music Record labels established in 2000-Events:*January – Gary Glitter is released from jail, two months before his sentence for sexual offences ends.*January 1**John Tavener is knighted in the New Year's Honours List....
album, I Need DrugsI Need DrugsI Need Drugs is the debut studio album by American hip hop musician Necro, released on November 7, 2000 by Psycho+Logical-Records. This album maintains emphasis on both his violence and sex themes, rather than focusing on one or the other such as in his 2001 album Gory Days and his 2005 album The...
. - Master PRomeo MillerPercy Romeo Miller, Jr. , better known by his stage name Romeo , is an American rapper, actor, basketball player, entrepreneur, and model. He is the son of rapper and entrepreneur Master P and former rapper Sonya C. He is the nephew of rappers C-Murder and Silkk the Shocker and the brother of...
sampled this song on his single "I Need Dubs," featuring son RomeoRomeo MillerPercy Romeo Miller, Jr. , better known by his stage name Romeo , is an American rapper, actor, basketball player, entrepreneur, and model. He is the son of rapper and entrepreneur Master P and former rapper Sonya C. He is the nephew of rappers C-Murder and Silkk the Shocker and the brother of...
, of his 2005 album Ghetto BillGhetto BillGhetto Bill: The Best Hustler in the Game is Master P's final studio album with Koch Records. It hit stores on June 21, 2005 and included the lead single "I Need Dubs"...
. - Amanda BlankAmanda BlankAmanda Blank is an American singer and member of the performance art band Sweatheart based in Philadelphia.-Early life:Amanda Blank was born in Germantown, a neighborhood in northwest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
sampled the song on "A Love Song" from her 2009 album I Love YouI Love You (Amanda Blank album)I Love You is the debut album by the Philadelphia-based rapper and singer Amanda Blank. The album was released on August 4, 2009 through Downtown Records.-Critical reception:...
. - Krizz KalikoKrizz KalikoSamuel William Christopher Watson better known by his stage name Krizz Kaliko, is an American rapper and singer...
copied lyrics of the song for the first few lines of his song "Anxiety," off his debut album VitiligoVitiligoVitiligo is a condition that causes depigmentation of sections of skin. It occurs when melanocytes, the cells responsible for skin pigmentation, die or are unable to function. The cause of vitiligo is unknown, but research suggests that it may arise from autoimmune, genetic, oxidative stress,...
by saying, "When I'm alone in my room, sometimes I stare at the wall/And in the back of my mind, I hear my conscious call/Telling me I need a gun." - Yo GottiYo GottiMario Mims better known by his stage name Yo Gotti, is a southern rapper from the northern side of Memphis, Tennessee who was previously known as Lil Yo.-Independent Albums:Yo Gotti released a string of independent albums...
sampled the song on his single "Let's Vibe," featuring Pleasure PPleasure PMarcus Ramone Cooper , better known by his stage name Pleasure P is an American contemporary R&B singer-songwriter, who experienced success as a member of the group Pretty Ricky before embarking on a solo career in 2007....
. - Rick RossRick Ross (rapper)William Leonard Roberts II , better known by his stage name Rick Ross, is an American rapper. He derived his stage name from the drug trafficker "Freeway" Ricky Ross, to whom he has no connection...
sampled the song on the single, "Aston Martin MusicAston Martin Music"Aston Martin Music" is the third single from rapper Rick Ross's fourth studio album Teflon Don. The song was released as a single on October 5, 2010. It features Canadian rapper/singer Drake and singer Chrisette Michele, and is produced by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League.A song by Drake called Paris Morton...
" featuring DrakeDrake (entertainer)Aubrey Drake Graham , who records under the mononym Drake, is a Canadian recording artist and actor. He originally became known for playing Jimmy Brooks on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation....
and Chrisette MicheleChrisette MicheleChrisette Michele Payne , known professionally as Chrisette Michele, is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter....
from the rappers 2010 album, Teflon DonTeflon Don (album)Teflon Don is the fourth studio album by American rapper Rick Ross, released July 20, 2010 on Maybach Music Group and Def Jam Recordings. Production for the album took place during 2009 to 2010 and was handled by several record producers, including Clark Kent, No I.D., The Olympicks, J.U.S.T.I.C.E...
. - Jagged Edge sampled the song called "Promise (Cool JD Remix)"