Walking with a Panther

Last updated
Walking with a Panther
Walking With a Panther - LL Cool J.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 9, 1989
Recorded1987–1989
Genre Golden age hip hop
Length76:45 (CD)
84:29 (cassette)
67:16 (LP)
Label
Producer
LL Cool J chronology
Bigger and Deffer
(1987)
Walking with a Panther
(1989)
Mama Said Knock You Out
(1990)
Singles from Walking with a Panther
  1. "Going Back to Cali"
    Released: January 27, 1988
  2. "I'm That Type of Guy"
    Released: May 24, 1989
  3. "Big Ole Butt"
    Released: July 7, 1989
  4. "One Shot at Love"
    Released: October 31, 1989
  5. "Jingling Baby"
    Released: January 8, 1990

Walking with a Panther is the third studio album by American hip hop recording artist LL Cool J, released June 9, 1989, on Def Jam Recordings.

Contents

Background

While his previous album Bigger and Deffer (1987) was produced by The L.A. Posse, Dwayne Simon was the only member left of the group willing to work on Walking with a Panther, as other members, such as Bobby "Bobcat" Erving, wanted a higher pay after realizing how much of a success the previous album had become. Def Jam, however, refused to change the contract, which caused the L.A. Posse to leave. [1] Walking with a Panther was primarily produced by LL Cool J and Dwayne Simon, with additional production from Rick Rubin and Public Enemy's production team, The Bomb Squad.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]
The Village Voice A− [6]

Walking with a Panther was a commercial success, peaking at number six on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, where it spent four weeks. The album contained the singles "Going Back to Cali", "I'm That Type of Guy", "Jingling Baby", "Big Ole Butt" and "One Shot at Love", which also achieved chart success. Walking with a Panther, however, was met with a mixed response from the hip-hop community at the time of its release, which was un-favorable of several of the album's love ballads. [7] Despite this, Walking With a Panther was well received by music critics. [8] The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Track listing

All tracks produced by LL Cool J & Dwayne Simon except where noted.

CD
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Droppin' Em"Dwayne Simon, J.T. Smith  4:22
2."Smokin', Dopin'"Simon, Smith 3:31
3."Fast Peg"Smith, Bryan PhilpotCo-produced by DJ Cut Creator1:38
4."Clap Your Hands"Smith 5:07
5."Nitro"Smith, Eric Sadler, Hank Shocklee Co-produced by The Bomb Squad 4:43
6."You're My Heart"Simon, Smith 4:42
7."I'm That Type of Guy"Simon, Smith, Steve Ett 5:16
8."Why Do You Think They Call It Dope?"Brian Latture, Simon, Smith 3:49
9."Going Back to Cali"Smith, Rick Rubin Produced by Rick Rubin4:09
10."It Gets No Rougher"Smith, Sadler, H. Shocklee, Keith Shocklee Co-produced by The Bomb Squad 5:16
11."Big Ole Butt"Latture, Simon, Smith 4:34
12."One Shot at Love"Simon, Smith, Ett 4:18
13."1-900 LL Cool J"Simon, Smith 3:01
14."Two Different Worlds" (featuring Cydne Monet)Simon, Smith, Ett 5:19
15."Jealous"Latture, Simon, Smith 3:54
16."Jingling Baby"Latture, Simon, Smith 4:15
17."Def Jam in the Motherland"Latture, Simon, Smith, Ett 4:35
18."Change Your Ways"Simon, Smith, Ett 3:20

The cassette release had a slightly different track listing and two extra songs.

Cassette
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Droppin' Em"Dwayne Simon, J.T. Smith  4:22
2."Smokin', Dopin'"Simon, Smith 3:31
3."Fast Peg"Smith, Bryan PhilpotCo-produced by DJ Cut Creator1:38
4."Clap Your Hands"Smith 5:07
5."Nitro"Smith, Eric Sadler, Hank Shocklee Co-produced by The Bomb Squad 4:43
6."You're My Heart"Simon, Smith 4:42
7."I'm That Type of Guy"Simon, Smith, Steve Ett 5:16
8."Why Do You Think They Call It Dope?"Brian Latture, Simon, Smith 3:49
9."Going Back to Cali"Smith, Rick Rubin Produced by Rick Rubin4:09
10."Crime Stories" (cassette bonus track)Latture, Simon, Smith, Ett 3:10
11."It Gets No Rougher"Smith, Sadler, H. Shocklee, Keith Shocklee Co-produced by The Bomb Squad 5:16
12."Big Ole Butt"Latture, Simon, Smith 4:34
13."One Shot at Love"Simon, Smith, Ett 4:18
14."1-900 LL Cool J"Simon, Smith 3:01
15."Two Different Worlds" (featuring Cydne Monet)Simon, Smith, Ett 5:19
16."Jealous"Latture, Simon, Smith 3:54
17."Jingling Baby"Latture, Simon, Smith 4:15
18."Def Jam in the Motherland"Latture, Simon, Smith, Ett 4:35
19."Change Your Ways"Simon, Smith, Ett 3:20
20."Jack The Ripper" (cassette bonus track)Smith, RubinProduced by Rick Rubin4:52

The vinyl version omits tracks 9, 10, 19 & 20.

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Walking with a Panther
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [17] Platinum1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Ole Butt</span> 1989 single by LL Cool J

"Big Ole Butt" is the third single from LL Cool J's third album, Walking with a Panther. It was released in 1989 by Def Jam Recordings and was produced by Dwayne Simon and LL Cool J. "Big Ole Butt" reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart and No. 57 on the Hot R&B Singles chart. The B-side, "One Shot at Love", was later released as the fourth single from the album. It contains a sample of "Ride Sally Ride" by Dennis Coffey.

References

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  6. Christgau, Robert (September 5, 1989). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice . Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  7. Anderson, Kyle. "LL Cool J: The stories behind the songs". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
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