Ever since the dawn of MTV and Friday Night Videos, the music video has significantly impacted musical tastes and pop culture. It might not be as extreme as when the Buggles declared that "Video Killed the Radio Star", but there is no arguing that the music video certainly could make or break a song's popularity. So this regular Flashback Video feature will serve to remember some of the music videos from the great '80s decade that made an impact on me in one way or another.
This issue we will cover "I'm Bad" by LL Cool J. This is the first single from his second studio album, Bigger and Deffer, released in June of 1987. This song and album started LL Cool J's crossover into mainstream and "I'm Bad" even broke onto the Billboard Hot 100 peaking at #84 while making it to #4 on the Billboard R&B chart. "I'm Bad" helped drive the popularity of the album which went on to sell over 2 million copies and spend 11 weeks at #1 on Billboard's R&B albums chart while also reaching #3 on the Billboard's Pop albums chart.
The music video for "I'm Bad" was directed by Rolando Hudson. He had only previously directed the video for Whodini's "One Love" the year prior. He then went on to do LL Cool J's next video for the single "I Need Love" and later videos for Dana Dane's "Nightmares", Guy's "Groove Me" and Diana Ross' "Working Overtime" in the '80s.
In the music video for "I'm Bad", LL Cool J's girlfriend is kidnapped by apparent mobsters who want to intimidate LL into ending his anti-drug campaign. LL's girlfriend is played by female rapper LeShaun. Much of the video show's LL performing the song in a warehouse. In the end, LL and his crew demonstrate their badness and he rescues his girlfriend. Here is the music video for "I'm Bad" by LL Cool J...
The song starts with us hearing a police radio dispatch, "Calling all cars, calling all cars. Be on the lookout for a tall light-skinned brother with dimples, wearing a black Kangol, sweatsuit, gold chain, and sneakers. Last seen on Farmers Boulevard heading east. Alias LL Cool J, he's bad." It then ends with someone calling for back-up before LL takes control of the radio, "Gimme that walkie-talkie. Yo, this is L.L. Cool J. And you'll never catch me, so don't even try it. 'Cause I'm too bad for ya, understand?" As you saw, they incorporated this into the storyline for the video.
Hope you enjoyed another trip back to the '80s thanks to Flashback Video!
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