As LL is no longer quite as down with the ladies as he used to be, he’s taken to singing love songs to himself, Todd Smith being his real name. On this outing he’s accompanied by a plethora of collaborators, as if his own reputation is no longer enough to hold things together, and some work and some don’t. Mary J. Blige adds bite to the beat-heavy sleazefest that is ‘Favorite Flavor’, and he and Jamie Foxx turn in a smooth disco popper with ‘Best Dress’ as if Earth, Wind & Fire still stalked studioland. But the surprise of the pack, one that could have been the joker, is his stomping duet with Jennifer Lopez ‘Control Myself’, tucked away at the end of the set as if out of embarrassment.
‘It’s LL And Santana’ may mislead some into expecting some Latino guitar from Carlos when it’s only the inferior Juelz Santana on the make. Samples of Donny Hathaway’s soulful take on Carole King’s ‘You’ve Got A Friend’ makes sense in the context of ‘We’re Gonna Take It’ and Ginuwine adds a frisson of after-dark sexuality to ‘Ooh Wee’.
Although this is the 12th album from the man, he sounds like he’s got lots of fight left in him, but some deviation from the predictable format and a few risks might make him more of a challenge.