Radio is an East Coast rap album by hip hop artist LL Cool J, released in 1985 (see 1985 in music). LL Cool J had dropped out of high school to record the album (after the 12" "I Need A Beat" became a moderate success the year before), and he was seventeen years old when it was released. Widely considered one of the first hip-hop LPs that are a cohesive whole, the album was surprisingly popular for a hip-hop album in the mid-1980s. Rick Rubin's sparse production was also influential; its stripped-down beats and gritty sound inspired The Bomb Squad (best known for producing Public Enemy) and several other future hip-hop producers. "I Want You" and "I Can Give You More" are often considered the first hip hop ballads.