Walking with a Panther explained

Walking with a Panther
Type:	studio
Artist:	LL Cool J
Cover:	Walking With a Panther - LL Cool J.jpg
Released:	June 9, 1989
Recorded:	1987–1989
Genre:	Golden age hip hop
Length:	76:45 (CD) 84:29 (cassette) 67:16 (LP)
Label:	Def Jam Columbia
Producer:	LL Cool J Dwayne Simon Rick Rubin
Prev Title:	Bigger and Deffer
Prev Year:	1987
Next Title:	Mama Said Knock You Out
Next Year:	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.

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

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.^[2] Despite this, Walking With a Panther was well received by music critics.^[3] 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.

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

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

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (1989)!scope="col"

Position
US Billboard 200^[4]	61
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[5]	30

See also

• List of number-one R&B albums of 1989 (U.S.)

Bibliography

• Book: Larkin. Colin. Colin Larkin (writer). Encyclopedia of Popular Music. 4th. Muze UK. 2002. 1-85227-923-0.

Notes and References

1. Web site: A historic sit-down with Bobcat. Rap Talk Magazine. The Rap Talk Crew. October 25, 2010. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120306015343/http://www.raptalk.net/news/features/RaptalksitsdownwithBobcatinahistoricinterview.php. March 6, 2012.
2. Web site: Anderson . Kyle . LL Cool J: The stories behind the songs . Entertainment Weekly . December 14, 2018.
3. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r28044/review|pure_url=yes}} Walking with a Panther: Review]. Allmusic. Huey, Steve. December 23, 2009.
4. Web site: Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1989. Billboard. November 27, 2020.
5. Web site: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1989. Billboard. November 27, 2020.