THE FORCE

“The Force” is a successful return for the 56-year-old, and possibly the most impressive example of a rapper approaching sixty, demonstrating why he’s one of the greats. Q-Tip frontloads the record with some stellar sounds, and it’s an album open to repeated listens, but it gets a bit bogged down in proving LL can still rap his ass off. A strong return, but doesn’t quite match those classics from yesteryear.

It's a powerful and often unpredictable set that reminds us that even though it's been a while since his last album, LL Cool J's track record has far more hits than misses.

Beyond box-ticking cameos from Snoop, Nas, Eminem and Busta Rhymes, horror film-stringed posse cut The Vow (with relative unknowns Mad Squablz, J-S.A.N.D. and Don Pablito) shows LL at his sharpest, “movin’ chess pieces like telekinesis” and stretching his elasticity to ridiculous extremes. Call it a comeback. [Oct 2024, p.88]

A few tracks don’t work, like “Murdergram Deux” where he fast raps alongside Eminem in a staccato bore. While LL can still flow, he doesn’t find pockets of rhythm with the same ease he once did. But there is magic. [Nov 2024, p.56]

If LL was aiming to re-establish himself as a living legend in the rap scene, THE FORCE accomplishes this in spades as he sounds as fired up as ever. All he needs is a bit more polish.

LL can still spit circles around nearly anyone. But there’s a surprisingly low ceiling to the music here beyond that, with some moments feeling rather thoughtless in their execution. .... Only “Spirit of Cyrus”—a classic example of LL’s exemplary storytelling, where he depicts himself as a hooded vigilante who assassinates the personification of racism—has any real bite to it, though much of that can be credited to Snoop Dogg’s menacing hook.