GOAT conversations are among the most important components of the lifeblood of hip-hop, and they trace back to one of the culture’s most impactful and pioneering careers. LL COOL J recently hopped on Apple Music’s Le Code to argue why he’s the most important rapper in the genre’s history, although his thoughts on the actual GOAT conversation may surprise you.
“I’ma say this humbly, but I really mean this,” he began. “I think one day people are going to wake up and realize that LL COOL J is the most important rapper that ever existed. I truly believe one day people are going to say that. […] They’re gonna say when it comes to Fubu, ‘Yo, this guy introduced the whole idea of putting clothing lines. Even before that, he did Troop.’ When it comes to endorsements, ‘Oh, this is the guy who did Kangol and made the Kangol popular before people even did that.’ When they talk about television, they gon’ say, ‘Oh, this is the guy who did incredible stuff on TV and at the same time was still making incredible records.’ It wasn’t just doing TV and using rap as a launch pad. When it comes to business… I could go on and on and on and on.”
However, LL COOL J made the distinction between the most important rapper of all time, which he identifies himself as, and “the GOAT” or greatest of all time, which he finds to be more subjective. “Because there’s still a kid that the 2Pac album is the most important album to them,” he argued. “There’s still a kid that thinks Snoop made the records that changed their life. There’s still a kid that loves Biggie or loves Nas for their music and they should and have the right to do that. Do I call myself GOAT on the record? Of course, yes. I will say a lot of things on a record. But outside of being on the mic as an MC, there are too many rappers who have done too many important things for me to try to claim that I’m the one.”
Overall, it’s a more nuanced point of view from THE FORCE lyricist than a headline might suggest. While you can make the argument as to who changed hip-hop the most from their inception to the establishment of their legend status, LL COOL J certainly makes a strong case for himself.
As Def Jam’s first artist and the MC behind their first single, it’s only natural that LL COOL J would lead the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards’ tribute to the label’s 40th anniversary at Wednesday’s ceremony (September 11). He kicked things off with “Headsprung” and “The G.O.A.T.,” and Public Enemy swftly followed as Chuck D and Flavor Flav performed “Bring The Noise.” Then, LL came back for renditions of “Mama Said Knock You Out,” “Rock The Bells,” “Around The Way Girl,” and “Goin’ Back To Cali.” In fact, he also performed some cuts off of his new album THE FORCE, namely “Passion” and “Proclivities” with Saweetie (who did not perform).
Finally, LL COOL J performed “Doin’ It” and closed off a pretty awesome performance to celebrate Def Jam and its impact. Beforehand, Busta Rhymes introduced him as “true trailblazer… also my hero. He’s not only a hip-hop innovator, he’s not only a godfather, big homie and a mentor. He was the first artist to release an album on Def Jam and a force to be reckoned with.” It all rings true.
Elsewhere, LL COOL J kept up a bit of a nostalgic streak through his “Murdergram Deux” music video with Eminem. In it, they recreate a variety of classic hip-hop album covers such as LL’s 1987 record Bigger And Deffer and include plenty of other cheeky visual references and moments. It’s been a great year for the New York native, whether it’s looking back on his storied career or continuing his legacy and artistry with new releases. As controversial as Def Jam’s history has been up to this point, it’s fitting that he’s the one to sum up its best parts.
Meanwhile, the VMAs this year also held other very notable moments, such as Eminem’s opening performance of “Houdini” and Megan Thee Stallion’s various pop star homages. It feels like everyone is in the spirit of celebration these days following hip-hop’s 50th anniversary last year, so this Def Jam tribute continues that party. Someone wants it to die, but that’s another story… In the meantime, LL COOL J will continue to rock the stage and represent the culture.
LL COOL J’s new album THE FORCE closes a 40-year loop with Def Jam Recordings, through which he released his and the label’s first song “I Need A Beat” in 1984. While this isn’t the end of his career, it does feel like a last hurrah of sorts. After all, hip-hop recently turned half a century old, it’s LL’s first album in 11 years, and the rap game definitely looks unrecognizable compared to when he first entered. But even with all this in mind, what makes this new project particularly compelling is that it still sounds fresh, hungry, grounded, and above all, passionate. With Q-Tip at the production helm and so much perspective to reflect on through his pen, Mr. “Ladies Love Cool James” successfully translates his dominance of fundamental skills into the contemporary era.
Rather than sticking to a traditionally conservative idea of boom-bap, Q-Tip mixes in many different styles and sonic moods through his instrumentals as THE FORCE‘s main beatsmith. The opening track “Spirit Of Cyrus” featuring Snoop Dogg is an immediate example: ambient sounds of nature at night add vivid atmosphere to LL’s condemnation of police brutality, contrasted by a crisp drum pattern, warm wah guitars, eerie synthesizers, and haunting vocal samples. In addition, the modern mixes on these songs make them fully come alive more so than his typical material. The modular progression on “Black Code Suite” with Sona Jobarteh is a captivating mix of timbres, “Proclivities” with Saweetie is one of the Queens MC’s most dreamy and woozy beats to date, and “30 Decembers” dazzles with a surprisingly psychedelic guitar line.
As for lyricism, it’s very simple: LL COOL J’s still got it. He delivers single-issue odes, paralleling religion and culture, like “For the sake of equality, I’m fathering the song/ Spirit of God, bring he and her along” on “Praise Him” featuring Nas. LL sharpens his rhyme schemes and double entendres for more aggressive onslaughts, such as “This Halloween: them candy bars’ll get you killed in the forest” off of “Murdergram Deux” with Eminem. James Todd Smith doesn’t stray far from his typical wheelhouse, exploring generational changes, decades-long luxurious success, Black empowerment and solidarity, youthful memories, and fulfilling his family’s lifelong goals. For the most part, he also frames his bars within a focused linear structure that nurtures his streams of consciousness. One example is “Saturday Night Special” with Rick Ross and Fat Joe thanks to its piece-by-piece character portrait of an insecure gangster.
On that note, LL Cool J’s decades of lived experience make these topics much more nuanced than his past material. However, they are still retreads at the end of the day. One of THE FORCE‘s biggest flaws is its sense of repetition to varying degrees, whether it’s a relatively mid-tempo journey for most of the LP or its recycled themes or flows. Even though the production is always quality and does bring some variety to the table (see the resuscitated and warped ’80s drum machine worship on “Post Modern”), tracks like “Runnit Back” don’t revisit the themes of wealth and competition in notably fresh ways. But all in all, these are minimal missteps across this album’s runtime. The quality standard is consistent, even if the ceiling isn’t the highest among “old-school” hip-hop releases this year.
That ceiling is lower because, well, LL COOL J is a legend. You can’t hear a classically funky cut like “Basquiat Energy” or the title track and act particularly surprised; he’s always made these gems. The deliciously jazzy keys and bass on “Passion” are beloved Q-Tip-style production, of which there are a hundred other stunning examples. But throughout THE FORCE, there are amazing and cathartic instrumental moments, killer features, and standout bars such as “King of the Jungle, but still humble at the Panther Party” on “Huey In The Chair” with Busta Rhymes. Finally, the closer “The Vow” is a very fitting end to this story. LL narrates his birth as the first GOAT MC with revolutionary rhetoric and then hands the mic over to younger MCs: Mad Squablz, J-S.A.N.D., and Don Pablito.
Furthermore, LL COOL J knows his place in the game. He has the power and knowledge to follow his own intuition and ideology regarding hip-hop and is excited about tomorrow’s rap music. It’s part of what comprises the “Frequencies of Real Creative Energy”: you have your message, you honor your traditions, and you find a way to preserve and adapt them to a new dawn. LL doesn’t come across as an old-head pining for his prime, or that of the art form. He’s leading by example, joining forces with Q-Tip to present a distilled, cohesive, and refined image of classic hip-hop that appeals to and connects with current musical standards. In that way, THE FORCE is the perfect palate cleanser for rap music in 2024. If you ever get lost while exploring the culture’s ecosystem, just come back to these roots and you’ll feel that spark again.
LL Cool J ruffled more than a few feathers when he revealed his Def Jam Mount Rushmore a couple of weeks ago. Moreover, the big reasons as to why relate to his exclusion of Jay-Z and DMX from that list, which many fans disagreed with. For the record, the New York rap legend picked himself, Public Enemy, Slick Rick, and the Beastie Boys as the four artists that define the record label in his view. After some backlash to this decision, he recently elaborated on his thought process on The Joe Budden Podcast and revealed why he gave the edge to those artists despite his love of Hov and X.
“We’re facing stuff that kept the lights on at certain periods of time,” LL Cool J’s comments began. “I know DMX is supremely talented, used to kill the stage, sold a ton of records. I know Jay did a ton of stuff up there. So many others, I can name a zillion artists up there who did unbelievable s**t. I’m very clear about that. But I also know that, when I walked into Rick Rubin’s dormitory, it was a f***ing idea, bro. Like, you’re trying to talk to me about guys that are popular. I watched this s**t when it was a f***ing idea on a Post-It. You know what I mean? It’s two different conversations. The world is talking about who was the most popular. That’s all they care about. Who was the most popular, who was the richest, who sold the most records, who was exciting?
“I get that, and I respect it. I love it,” LL Cool J continued. “But that’s not what built the company. That’s what expanded the company at a different point. Look at our Mount Rushmore! Of the f***ing country. They talk about Mount Rushmore, but then they want me to put Bush on there. Who’s on there? The bones of the country, not who came later. And so people ask this question and then when you answer the question accurately, they want to say, ‘Oh, no, no. Well, Obama was considerably more impressive than this one.’ And of course I love Obama, you know what I’m saying? But the country, the Def Jam, the label was built by a key group of people. Like, this is the Mount Rushmore. You didn’t ask me who were the most commercially successful artists on the label. ‘Cause that’s an obvious answer.”
“Well, I respect the popularity,” LL Cool J responded to Joe Budden’s comparison to Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s battle. “Listen, no one can respect popularity more than me, bro. I had ten platinum albums in a row, I’m in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I got Grammys, 11 nominations. Like, I understand popularity in and out. I got TV shows in 200 countries in the world. It’s a 5 billion dollar franchise! It’s not that. The question was, ‘What is the Mount Rushmore of Def Jam?’ That is about the architects and the boons of the label. By the way, I actually respect these artists that came after on Def Jam. I’m not that guy. Listen, I introduced DMX to the world. You think I don’t love DMX? I put him on my song to introduce him to the f***ing world. I put the guy on!”
Although LL Cool J is dropping a new album this year, he’s also very content with reflecting on his legacy and impact within hip-hop from a retrospective stance. However, while he’s happy to indulge in his career and in his legendary status in the game, he doesn’t want to do all the steps that the industry would go through for an icon of his profile. Moreover, during a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, the New York MC revealed that he’s not particularly interested in a biopic or documentary on his life. If it happens, though, he has a pretty comical, fitting, and curious answer to the question of who would play him.
“I’m open to it but I’m not gonna lie, it bores me a little bit,” LL Cool J said of the prospect of a film based on his life and career. “I don’t know, I have mixed emotions about it, I don’t know, I just have a lot to do creatively and I feel like I could do a lot. It’s not that I’m against it. I’m open to doing a documentary, I’m open to the idea of doing a biopic but it just doesn’t excite me.”
LL Cool J & Snoop Dogg At The 2nd Annual All Def Movie Awards
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 22: Rappers LL Cool J and Snoop Dogg present an award at the 2nd Annual All Def Movie Awards at Belasco Theatre on February 22, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Greg Doherty/Getty Images)
Still, LL Cool J said that although this proposition slightly bores him, his career and life’s trajectory is not uninteresting at all. “It’s kind of like me turning around in the mirror with my jeans on and looking at myself. I don’t know what that means, I don’t do that a lot,” he added. In addition, LL also remarked on Snoop Dogg developing his own biographical film, and about how Tha Doggfather has expressed interest in doing the same for him. “Only under the condition that he actually plays me,” he responded to this notion. “I need Snoop to be me in the biopic. You can produce it if you do that!”
Meanwhile, LL Cool J’s guru-like perspective applies not just to his own career or that of rappers of his generation, but also to the newer guard. “This s**t is crazy,” he said of Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s battle, particularly of the “Not Like Us” cover art. “This ain’t got nothing to do with nothing, but it’s the funniest s**t in the world. It’s bananas. That kind of thinking, you have to respect that.”
LL Cool J’s new single “Passion” certainly lives up to his title, as he spits on what he loves about rap music and how much he cares about its artistry. It’s a very motivating and nostalgic track, an element that its new music video emphasizes by seeing LL in his current form and as a small child. There’s a particular emphasis on him writing rhymes in his notebook in presumably his childhood room, and it makes for a dynamic and engaging visual treatment as you can see the bars literally orbit around him and pop up in cartoon speech bubbles.
Furthermore, this is the latest single for LL Cool J’s upcoming album, and his first in over a decade, The FORCE (Frequencies Of Real Creative Energy). The project will feature Nas, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, and more massive guests across the 14-track, largely Q-Tip-produced tracklist, and it’s shaping up to be one of 2024’s biggest legacy releases. “[I was] going back to the drawing board and learning how to rap again,” he told the Associated Press about the LP. “The LeBrons, the Stephs, the Jordans and the Kobes, they all go back to the drawing board, they always try to make themselves better. I wasn’t trying to do trendy, and I wasn’t trying to recapture anything I did before.”
Also, this “Passion” music video lands among LL Cool J’s reflections on his relationship with another icon of the game. During a conversation with Charlamagne Tha God, he spoke on how some people are under the impression that he has beef with Jay-Z. While the two MCs aren’t the best of friends, they’ve shown each other plenty of love over the years despite what some anecdotes, rumors, and lyrical interpretations might have you believe. After all, they’re two New York legends.
Meanwhile, LL Cool J is just as prone to talk about the current state of hip-hop. “Drake, that ‘Not Like Us’ s**t, that s**t’s torture for a motherf***er,” he said of the K.Dot and Drizzy rap beef during this Charlamagne convo. “Ah, s**t, little kids singing to it. You know that s**t’s bananas. You’ll be fine, bro. Don’t even trip. You just don’t take it personal… You can’t be overly sensitive. I get it. I been there, I know it. It can be upsetting… But you gotta control that.”
LL Cool J’s been teasing his comeback album for quite a while, and now we finally have a stronger idea of how it will shape up. Moreover, he recently announced his first full-length project in over a decade, The FORCE (Frequencies Of Real Creative Energy), set for a September 6 release date through Def Jam Recordings and Virgin Music Group. Q-Tip handled a bulk of the production, and with 14 tracks and some big features, the “Passion” MC is gearing up for a pretty impactful and compelling drop. The aforementioned track is our second single from the project, following the Rick Ross and Fat Joe-assisted “Saturday Night Special.”
Furthermore, other featured guests on this LL Cool J album consist of Snoop Dogg, Sona Jobarteh, Saweetie, Busta Rhymes, Nas, Eminem, Mad Squablz, J-S.A.N.D., and Don Pablito. “[I was] going back to the drawing board and learning how to rap again,” LL remarked about The FORCE‘s process to the Associated Press. The LeBrons, the Stephs, the Jordans and the Kobes, they all go back to the drawing board, they always try to make themselves better. I wasn’t trying to do trendy, and I wasn’t trying to recapture anything I did before.”
LL Cool J’s New The FORCE Single “Passion”: Watch The Music Video
“When it was done, I listened to it,” LL Cool J previously said on The Breakfast Club about a scrapped version of this album that he recorded with 50 Cent, which was one of many abandoned ideas that eventually led to The FORCE. “I’m like, ‘It sounds good. I like the music, it sounds cool, but it ain’t me.’ So, I ain’t put it out.” Regardless, fans are excited to finally hear this record in full, including the Eminem collab that had previously leaked onto the Internet. Check out the full tracklist below and join us in eagerly counting down the days until September 6 is here.
Tracklist 1. Spirit Of Cyrus ft. Snoop Dogg 2. The FORCE 3. Saturday Night Special ft. Rick Ross & Fat Joe 4. Black Code Suite ft. Sona Jobarteh 5. Passion 6. Proclivities ft. Saweetie 7. Post Modern 8. 30 Decembers 9. Runnit Back 10. Huey In Da Chair ft. Busta Rhymes 11. Basquiat Energy 12. Praise Him ft. Nas 13. Murdergram Deux ft. Eminem 14. The Vow ft. Mad Squablz, J-S.A.N.D. & Don Pablito
One of hip-hop’s most enduring and long-standing legends is making his return to the studio booth after over ten years of radio silence on the full-length front. Moreover, LL Cool J recently confirmed that his new album is coming this fall, and announced a new single titled “Saturday Night Special” on Friday (June 7). It will come out on June 14, and the New York icon also let fans know that they will get the features, tracklist, and the whole shebang before the LP’s release. Overall, this is pretty exciting for old-school rap fans and LL Stans alike, and for younger generations who haven’t lived through one of his major album cycles.
Furthermore, LL Cool J’s last album was Authentic back in 2013, his 13th studio project that also marked his first since his Def Jam departure. It saw a No. 23 debut on the Billboard 200 albums chart, selling 14,000 album-equivalent units in its first week. It’s been a long time since the “Mama Said Knock You Out” MC was in the headlines primarily for his new music or moves. After all, one of the most prevailing narratives among the newer generation around him is whether he’s better looking than another classic and thirsted-over lyricist: Method Man.
Jokes aside, this new move from LL Cool J is quite exciting but also very curious given his thoughts on other hip-hop legends coming through with new albums. Well, it seems like this is fine as long as they’re rap-related. For example, he recently voiced his disappointment in André 3000’s ambient/New Age album New Blue Sun due to the fact that the Outkast creative isn’t giving fans what they expect from him. However, this argument was framed as more of a discussion on how 3 Stacks’ talents for lyricism are being squandered, but it’s not that black and white.
Regardless, we look forward to LL Cool J’s new album and hope it brings him a lot of success, fulfillment, satisfaction, and joy on the personal front. We’ll be here to listen and share that joy, just like LL was there to share the godfather of hip-hop, DJ Kool Herc’s, induction in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. It’s great to see rap of all generations get love in today’s media landscape. It reminds us that we need this balance, and that our greats are always worthy of our praise, attention, and interest.
2 Chainz is often featured in series that take a look at some of the most expensive products in X, Y, Z category, a nice way for him to flex his taste and bands. Most recently, he took a look at some of hip-hop’s most high-priced memorabilia on the latest episode of GQ’s “Most Expensivest” series. One of them is the iconic glove (or one of them, at least) worn by LL Cool J in his iconic music video for “Mama Said Knock You Out.” It even came with a certification on it that demonstrated it had been authenticated as the legitimate glove from the visual. “That looks like the sticker to me, man” the College Grove rapper hilariously said to the presenter.
Furthermore, 2 Chainz scratched his head at the potential asking price for the glove: $75,000 to $95,000. Overall, the tone of the video is quite comical, even though the iconic nature of glove in question is priceless. Still, it’s far from the first time that the 45-year-old MC has reacted strikingly to a particular artefact’s price. For example, he heard about veganic weed that cost about $1,000 an ounce and had a simple answer: “Hell no!“
However, the “2 Step” artist definitely has the bucks to choose whether to indulge in these luxuries or not. One of his most recent checks came from his appearance on Metro Boomin’s excellent soundtrack for Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse. Specifically, he appears on the track “Givin’ Up (Not The One)” alongside Don Toliver and 21 Savage. It was one of many notable collaborations across the tracklist, and both the film and the soundtrack’s success could not compare to the artistic acclaim garnered. That said, it certainly deepens the Drenchgod’s pockets.
Meanwhile, he and his son Halo have gotten a lot of love for their dynamic duo relationship on their podcast. They often provide some hilarious debates and takes, like Halo’s take on his dad’s fame. “My dad,” he answered a question form Issa Rae about who his dad is to him. “Just a rich a guy in the house. The richest guy in the house. Almost,” as he said he has more money than him. Maybe Halo will want to buy LL Cool J’s glove, then. For more updates and the latest news on 2 Chainz, keep checking in with HNHH.
One of hip-hop’s most revered and influential figures just honored the genre yet again on the year of its 50th anniversary. LL Cool J shared a tribute to the rap world during the iHeartRadio Music Awards with some impactful and impressive bars. Moreover, the New York MC honored the art form that made him at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles on Tuesday (March 28). Furthermore, his content revolved around the power of the art form and that of his own career in an engagingly braggadocious set of lines. While it’s not the same clarity with which people talk about the genre, his metaphors, evocative imagery, and powerful phrasing shows what hip-hop can achieve more fully than a simple anecdote can.
“I just want to keep it real simple, alright?” he expressed to the crowd. “I want you to imagine what I’m saying,” and then proceeded to let the mic talk. “A crowd gathered ’round, throwing punches and elbows. Then his mama arose, and recited a poem. That’s a Hip Hop God, not rock’n’roll. She put the baby in the whip- that’s a car. There was a solar eclipse, then a spirit came down, wrote his name in hieroglyphs.”
“Break beats played, he had a speaker for a crib,” the Rock The Bells mogul continued. “She screamed ‘Jack the Rip!’ and ignited his gifts. To the parents, he’s a legend, to the children a myth. Here’s ya firsthand experience with Mr. Smith, alias Mr. ‘Killing-Every-Rapper-In-His-Radius.’ Ciphers like a stadium, bars is vibranium.” After all that barrage, he even managed to throw a Black Panther reference in. As expected, the crowd erupted into excited and passionate cheers.
However, as he closed out his stage time, he told the audience, “A new record is coming!” Moreover, excitement for LL’s next album revolves not just around his legacy, but the people he brought into the fold. For example, he remarked his excitement surrounding his work with fellow rap legend Q-Tip on his next project. Given the perfect storm of the genre’s historical 50-year milestone, this will be emblematic of a lot of hip-hop greatness. Regardless, stick around on HNHH for the latest news and updates on LL Cool J and hip-hop history.
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