Songoftheday 9/13/16 - You're the type of guy that can't control your girl, you try to buy her love with diamonds and pearls...

"I'm That Type Of Guy" - LL Cool J
from the album Walking With A Panther (1989)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #15 (two weeks)
Weeks in the Top-40: 8

Today's song of the day is by rapper LL Cool J, who had followed up his pop breakthrough with a track from the movie Less Than Zero, "Goin' Back To Cali", which reached the top-40 in the spring of 1988. However, it would be a year before James Smith would emerge with his third album, Walking With A Panther. With only Dwayne Simon left from the production team from his last set, and rap/rock go-to Rick Rubin as well, the new record was a departure from his bare-bones traditional hip-hop on his first two releases. The second single from the record, "I'm That Type Of Guy", hyped up his woman-stealing prowess over any boasting over other rappers. And while other records used rock instruments, this seriously was the first rap hit to have rock's attitude (with a kickin' bass in the forefront)...

"I'm That Type Of Guy" became LL's second top-20 pop hit in August of 1989. The single also climbed to #7 on Billboard's R&B chart, while the extended version was his first to reach the top-10 on their Dance Club Play list. Internationally, the song made it to #11 in New Zealand, but just missed the top-40 in the UK at #43.

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Here's LL appearing on the Arsenio Hall show...

..and lastly, the extended version that made the dance chart...

Up tomorrow: Dance-pop muse gets reptilian.