LL Cool J Reminds Folks, “I’m Nice.” Brings Raekwon and Murda Mook Along

LL Cool J’s rap career is like the song that never ends. The iconic, even legendary wordsmith rose to teenage fame in the burgeoning world of Def Jam’s hip hop empire, and has moved successfully into the hearts and minds of Middle America with his role on NCIS: Los Angeles. Yet, every now and then, the Ripper comes back to flex his lyrical muscle, and occasionally, like this go round, does the damn thing.

After years ago staging the best comeback in the history of don’t-call-it-a-comebacks, LL Cool J continues to try and remind the music world of his rightful place on rap’s Mt. Rushmore. Though the slips (“Accidental Racist”) are harsh, James Todd Smith keeps coming, ready, willing and able to knock ’em out as mama once said.

The latest, “I’m Nice,” isn’t the powerful anthem his older, similarly titled “I’m Bad,” was, but is a solid verse from a familiar voice, with a swag we haven’t heard much of  since the Canibus battle days. With listenable verses from Raekwon and Murda Mook holding down the Ron Browz beat, “I’m Nice” just might really be “just the beginning” as LL tweeted.

He also tweeted, “It gets better.” If that’s true, he just might be on to another interesting comeba-… um. Well. You know.