''10'' is the ninth

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records c ...

by American rapper

LL Cool J James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, along ...

, released on October 15, 2002 by

Def Jam Recordings Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The l ...

. It peaked at number two on the US ''Billboard'' 200. LL Cool J and ''10'' hit a milestone in Def Jam history, being the first artist ever on Def Jam to have ten albums (out of his thirteen-album deal) under the same record label. It reached number 26 on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...

, making it LL Cool J's highest charting album there to date.

Track listing

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. Samples *"Paradise" embodies portions of "

Risin' to the Top "Risin' to the Top" is a song by former Five Stairsteps member Keni Burke. Released in 1982 from the ''Changes'' album, it became his most successful hit as a solo artist, peaking at number 63 on the ''Billboard'' R&B charts'' and is considered ...

", written by

Kenneth Burke Kenneth Duva Burke (May 5, 1897 – November 19, 1993) was an American literary theorist, as well as poet, essayist, and novelist, who wrote on 20th-century philosophy, aesthetics, criticism, and rhetorical theory. As a literary theorist, Burk ...

, Allan Felder, and Norma Jean Wright, performed by

Keni Burke Kenneth M. "Keni" Burke (born September 28, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist who began his career with four siblings in the 1970s band the Five Stairsteps. Biography Five Stairsteps As a member ...

. *"Fa Ha" contains a sample from " Rich Girl", written by

Daryl Hall Daryl Franklin Hohl (born October 11, 1946), known professionally as Daryl Hall, is an American rock music, rock, rhythm and blues, R&B and soul music, soul singer and musician, best known as the co-founder and principal lead vocalist of Daryl ...

, performed by

Hall & Oates Daryl Hall and John Oates, commonly known as Hall & Oates, are an American pop rock duo formed in Philadelphia in 1970. Daryl Hall is generally the lead vocalist; John Oates primarily plays electric guitar and provides backing vocals. The two ...

. *"After School" contains elements of: **" It Takes Two", written by

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the hono ...

and Robert Ginyard, performed by Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock. **"

Rappers Delight "Rapper's Delight" is a 1979 hip-hop track by the Sugarhill Gang, produced by Sylvia Robinson. Although it was shortly preceded by the Fatback Band's "King Tim III (Personality Jock)", "Rapper's Delight" is credited for introducing hip-hop mus ...

", written by

Bernard Edwards Bernard Edwards (October 31, 1952 – April 18, 1996) was an American bass player and record producer, known primarily for his work in disco music with guitarist Nile Rodgers, with whom he co-founded Chic. In 2017, Edwards was selected as the 5 ...

and

Nile Rodgers Nile Gregory Rodgers Jr. (born September 19, 1952) is an American musician, record producer and composer. The co-founder of Chic, Rodgers has written, produced, and performed on records that have sold more than 500 million albums and 75 million ...

, performed by

The Sugarhill Gang The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop trio. Their 1979 hit " Rapper's Delight" was the first rap single to become a top 40 hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100; reaching a peak position of number 36 on January 12, 1980. This was the trio's o ...

. *"10 Million Stars" contains elements from "I Sing the Body Electric", written by Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford. *"Big Mama (Unconditional Love)" features samples of "Sadie", written by Bruce Howes, Joseph Jefferson, and Charles Simmons, performed by The Spinners. *"All I Have" contains a sample from " Very Special", written by Lisa Peters and William Jeffrey, performed by

Debra Laws Debra Renee Laws (born September 10, 1956) is an American singer and actress from Houston, Texas. She is best known for her 1981 R&B/soul ballad " Very Special". In her music career, she works closely with her siblings, Eloise Laws, Hubert Laws ...

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{Authority control 2002 albums Albums produced by the Neptunes Albums produced by Trackmasters Def Jam Recordings albums LL Cool J albums