In Brief

* * * LL Cool J, “Phenomenon,” Def Jam. LL’s best record since 1990’s “Mama Said Knock You Out” finds the muscular superstar in a place where he hasn’t been in nearly seven years: at rap’s cutting edge, and at his most personal. In “Father,” he goes in-depth for the first time about his tumultuous childhood, showing that he’s finally learned to exorcise his demons, no matter how painful. A pleasant surprise.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).