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It was 1985 and Russell Simmons (along with his partner Rick Rubin) had just signed a 16 year old from Queens named L.L. Cool J. His debut album, Radio, would sell over a million copies. Rubin handled production on most cuts but recruited punk rocker Adam Horovitz (a.k.a. King Ad Rock) to lend a hand on "I Need a Beat".  Dig.

I talked about L.L. awhile back (in case you missed it) and in fact, I'm gonna talk about that same exact song, "I'm Bad".   A typical braggadoccio track, Cool J boasts with lines like "MCs can't win, I make 'em rust like tin/they call me Jaws, my hat is like a shark fin".  But in the third verse he's clearly reaching....

The original Todd teachin' how to be hard
Take the skin off a snake and split a pea from a pod

Now....taking the "skin off a snake" can be particularly tricky (especially if the snake is alive) but there is no scenario in which splitting a "pea from a pod" is difficult.  I'm throwing a flag on this line.  Real talk.

James Todd Smith (a.k.a. L.L. Cool J)........a far cry from NCIS.

I remember seeing this on Friday Night Videos.  He was 18 years old here.  I was 14.  I love how the video has an anti-drug message - but the song is 100% badass braggadocio.  Also, I'm pretty sure I would have been a good "jacket holder".  Seems like an easy job.