POP MUSIC SPECIAL : TWO COOL VIEWS : L.L. COOL J “Mama Said Knock You Out” <i> Def Jam/Columbia</i> 1/2

Little about the fourth Cool J album is inspiring or even original, as L.L. struggles to splash a fresh coat of lyrics on weather-beaten topics: slaying MCs, dazzling the girlies, rocking parties till the break of dawn. While the album contains some high points--”Murdergram,” “To the Break of Dawn,” “Cheesy Rat Blues”--most of it is filled with stale topics and boring rhythm tracks--hardly a knockout.