The original version of “Jingling Baby” was the fourth and final single from LL Cool J’s Walking With a Panther, a very successful album that was crushed by critics. The song’s verses are a diss to rappers he was feuding with while the chorus lyrics are a subtle request for oral sex (a female’s earrings may make noise as her head moves back and forth).

While LL was promoting Panther on legendary beat maker Marley Marl’s radio show, he asked LL if he could remix “Jingling Baby”. LL agreed but wanted to redo his vocals. This led to “Jinglin' Baby (Remixed But Still Jinglin')”.

Taking out the curses and adding some dance-able samples, the remix was a moderate hit in its second incarnation, peaking at #6 on the US Rap Chart.

The collaboration went so well that it became the springboard for LL’s entire next album Mama Said Knock You Out:

Next thing you know, we started making other tracks. We didn’t know where we were going with it. It became the Mama Said Knock You Out LP, but we were just making random tracks … going to the clubs … after we went to the clubs, going home and trying to capture the same feeling in the studio with the music. All of a sudden, we’re, like, eight tracks in, and I didn’t even have a contract to do an album with him. We were just grooving.