Released: August 28, 1990

Songwriter: Marley Marl LL Cool J

Producer: Marley Marl

[Chorus]
Chill
(Eat 'em up, L)
Chill
(Eat 'em up, L)
Chill
(Eat 'em up, L)
Chill
(Eat 'em up, L)

[Verse 1]
Bring on the mo's and ho's
Don't snooze or doze
'Cause I'm rippin' up shows
Hold your nose, dead bodies are around
I leave scratch marks under the tears of a clown
I write rhymes that shine like lipstick
So much material, but not materialistic
Imperial styles I use
When the mic is lifted the crowd is amused
Come with it, if you feel you're full-fledged
Or yell "Geronimo!" and jump off the edge
Your e-n-d is near when I appear
The stage is yours, but wait until the smoke clears
Rhyme sayer, and I'm here to lay a load
So watch a player when he's playin' in player mode
Uncle L's bad, and you're soon to say
'Cause I rip the mic until the toon decay

[Chorus]
Chill
(Eat 'em up, L)
Chill
(Eat 'em up, L)
Chill
(Eat 'em up, L)
Chill
(Eat 'em up, L)

[Verse 2]
MC's are dumb, I catch em in a dragnet
You're not complete, I'm battlin' a fragment
So creative and witty and outstandin'
And I be demandin' that you're abandoned
In the desert or a wild west town
While I'm at your crib on a cherry-go-round
Where will she stop? No one knows
Like I said before, bring on the mo's and ho's
I know my abc's and my p's and q's
Just chill and listen to the rhyme cruise
All aboard, the cod is a reward
Some were ignored when they toured for they bored
The crowd was aloud, lyrics weren't endowed
Took a crack of the 40 and went to show 'em how
You like me now, but you didn't before
'Cause you forgot I was raw

[Chorus]
Chill
(Eat 'em up, L)
Chill
(Eat 'em up, L)
Chill
(Eat 'em up, L)
Chill
(Eat 'em up, L)

[Interlude]
Ah
Future of the funk, ah
(Go 'head, baby)
(Do it)
Go 'head, baby
(Do it)
Yeah
(Do it)

[Chorus]
Chill
(Eat 'em up, L)
Chill
(Eat 'em up, L)
Chill
(Eat 'em up, L)
Chill
(Yo, eat 'em up, L)
Chill
(Eat 'em up, L)
Chill
(Eat 'em up, L)
Chill
(Eat 'em up, L)
Chill
(Eat 'em up, L)

[Verse 3]
It's so visual the way I'm throwin' down
Visualize MC's goin' down
In a barrage of bullets combinated with rhymes
The moral of the story is: I'ma get mines
I saw the cord-less, boy, I'm gonna house that
Your rhymes are cheesy, you found 'em in a mouse trap
Don't try to front while the freestyle's droppin'
He wants to battle, he must be needle-poppin'
You better notify your next of kin
'Cause when I begin it's like a needle to the skin
If you wasn't prepared then you ought to be scared
But even if you was you're aware what the rhyme does
I remember when you was an amateur
Writin' your rhymes, starin' at my signature
Bought the album, analyzed the style
Tisk-tisk (Hatchew!) God bless you, child
I'm unique when I speak to a beat
Another rapper'll fall when the mission's complete
I daze and amaze, my display's a faze
Every phrase is a maze as Uncle L slays
The competition that's lost in a freestyle
'Cause on the mic I'm the golden child
With the magical wand that they're callin' a mic
And when MC's approach it turns into a spike

[Chorus]
Chill
(Eat 'em up, L)
Chill
(Eat 'em up, L)
Chill
(Eat 'em up, L)
Chill
(Eat 'em up, L)
Why don't you just chill?
(Eat 'em up, L)

[Outro]
Yeah, yeah
I wanna say what's up to my man Kool Herc
And my man Afrika Bambaataa and the Zulu Nation
Know what what I'm sayin'
My man Marley Marl and DJ Clash
My man B-Blast
Rush Town
Def Jam
We in the house
Of course I gotta say what's up to my homeboys EPMD
Yeah
I get busy
Peace

LL Cool J

Deriving his name from the statement “Ladies Love Cool James,” LL Cool J became a superstar rapper after his Def Jam debut in 1984. He mixed a hardcore hip-hop style from songs like “I’m Bad” with R&B style on songs like “I Need Love,” which led him to multi-platinum success and several awards. He would later venture into movies and television, write several books, and start different business ventures.

Born January 14, 1968, Queens, New York native James Todd Smith began rapping at the age of nine and started to seriously pursue rapping when he was 16 years old after his grandfather bought him music equipment, which he used to create a demo tape that was sent to numerous labels. He was signed by upstart independent label Def Jam, working with founders Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin to release his debut single “I Need a Beat” in 1984, which sold over 100,000 copies. This success helped Def Jam secure a distribution deal with Columbia Records.

LL released his debut album Radio in 1985, which achieved platinum status with help from the hit singles “I Can’t Live Without My Radio” and “Rock the Bells.” After working exclusively with Rick Rubin on his debut, LL worked with the West Coast production crew L.A. Posse on his second album Bigger and Deffer, released in 1987. The album featured two of LL’s signature the hard-edged “I’m Bad” and the “rap ballad” “I Need Love,” which was a Top 20 pop hit, helping the album achieve double platinum status.