Mama Said Knock You Out

LL Cool J roared back in 1990 with this hard-hitting hip-hop classic. Opening with the immortal line “Don’t call it a comeback!,” “Mama Said Knock You Out” finds LL delivering fierce battle rhymes over Marley Marl’s booming production. The title, a nod to advice from LL’s grandmother, became a rallying cry as he reasserted his dominance in rap. The song’s aggressive energy and boxing-themed video propelled it to Grammy-winning success. Decades later, it remains an old-school pump-up anthem that reminds everyone why you shouldn’t underestimate LL’s staying power.