LL Cool J

LL COOL J, Nicki Minaj, and Jack Harlow to Host 2022 MTV VMAs

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The Video Vanguard Award winners LL COOL J and Nicki Minaj, together with rap star Jack Harlow, will host and present the night’s major events as the 2022 “VMAs” air LIVE from Prudential Center on Sunday, August 28 at 8PM ET/PT.

By adopting a more creative and distinctive approach to the conventional “host” role seen in past years, the three rappers will announce the show’s star-studded lineup of performers, presenters, and winners.

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  • Nicki Minaj Photo Courtesy of Universal Music Group 1
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Lizzo and Jack Harlow are the latest round of global superstar performers that will take the stage at MTV’s 2022 VMAs. The show will air live from Prudential Center on Sunday, August 28, at 8 pm ET/PT.

Global superstar Jack Harlow returns to the MTV stage for his first solo performance after last year’s epic “VMAs” debut collaboration of the mega-hit “INDUSTRY BABY” with Lil Nas X. Harlow hopes to win his first Moon Person after receiving a tie for the most nominations (7) this year, including two of the night’s top prizes, “Video of the Year” and “Artist of the Year.” The 10x nominee received nominations for “PUSH New Artist” and “Song of the Summer” in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

Lizzo, multi-hyphenate diva, is scheduled for another huge MTV moment with a performance of “2 Be Loved” from her critically praised new album Special, following a show-stopping debut with a massive mashup of “Good As Hell” and “Truth Hurts” in 2019. In addition to being a nominee for 11x, the artist and song of the year categories are up for grabs this year.

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Nicki Minaj, LL Cool J, & Jack Harlow Set To Host MTV’s 2022 VMA Awards

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Nicki Minaj x LL Cool J x Jack Harlow

Some might think it’s an unlikely pairing, but the 2022 VMA hosts have just been announced. Nicki Minaj, LL Cool J, and Jack Harlow will host the award show later this month. This year, MTV’s 2022 Video Music Awards will return to New Jersey at the Prudential Center in downtown Newark.  Nicki and Harlow will […]

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Jack Harlow, LL Cool J, And Nicki Minaj Will Emcee The 2022 VMAs

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The 2022 MTV VMAs have been rolling out the announcements for nominees, performers, and Video Vanguard honorees all month. Today, we learn who will be hosting the show on August 28: Jack Harlow, LL Cool J, and Nicki Minaj. The press release makes it a point to say that they’ll emcee the event, “taking a more innovative and unique approach to the traditional ‘host’ gig.” That’s some intriguing wording and could mean that the show’s producers have thrown in a few surprises.

So far, the performers who have been announced include Anitta, BLACKPINK, J Balvin, Jack Harlow, Lizzo, Marshmello & Khalid, Nicki Minaj, and Panic! At The Disco. The nominations are led by Jack Harlow, Kendrick Lamar, and Lil Nas X with seven apiece, while Doja Cat and Harry Styles have six each. Other artists nominated for awards include Billie Eilish, Drake, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, and The Weeknd, who are all nominated for five awards each.

In addition to her emceeing and performing duties, Nicki Minaj is set to be awarded the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award for her decade-plus of innovation at the forefront of the music video format.

The 2022 MTV Video Music Awards will air live from Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey at 8 pm ET on 8/28.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

LL COOL J Joined by Ice Cube, Rick Ross, Lil Kim and More for ‘Rock The Bells’ Festival

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For the 2022 Rock The Bells Festival, LL COOL J performed on August 6 in his native Queens, New York, alongside some of hip-hop’s most renowned and influential MCs, including Ice Cube, Rick Ross, Fat Joe & Remy Ma, Lil’ Kim, Trina, N.O.R.E. The Diplomats, Scarface Jadakiss, and more.

The day-long celebration of hip-hop culture attracted over 13,000 attendees to a sold out Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, New York. Other highlights included the first-ever all-hip-hop food court experience, live SiriusXM broadcasts, graffiti displays, and breakdancing performances.

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As Speaker of the NYC Council Adrienne Adams gave the rap legend a proclamation honoring his influence and contribution to the culture, LL COOL J was also given a key to the city during the event.

The first ever all-Hip-Hop food court experience, Bun B’s Trill Mealz, made its debut. It featured a variety of food and beverage vendors from legendary Hip-Hop artists, including Nas’ Sweet Chick, E-40’s Goon with the Spoon, Jadakiss & Styles P’s Juices for Life, Ghostface Killah’s Killah Koffee, Mia X’s Team Whip Them Pots, and Bun B In remembrance of the momentous occasion, the Empire State Building illuminated the evening sky in Cyan Blue (RTB’s official color). A portion of the event’s sales was donated to the Universal Hip-Hop Museum in The Bronx. Interactive sponsor activations and photo ops were offered to fans by Corona, Monster Energy, P&G, Gilette, Salesforce, and other brands.

You can see images, courtesy of Getty, from the event below.

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[WATCH] LL Cool J Revisits Special Ed’s “Come On, Let’s Move It” On SiriusXM’s Rock The Bells Radio

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During this week’s episode of ‘Salute the Sample’ on Rock the Bells Radio, LL COOL J, Greg Nice and DJ Z-Trip revisit the 1976 hit disco track, “Miss Broadway” by French trio, Belle Epoque, which was later sampled by Special Ed in his 1990 song “Come On, Let’s Move It.”

The full session will air on LL COOL J’s Rock the Bells Radio on SiriusXM (ch. 43) on July 8 at 12 PM EST.

‘Salute the Sample’ airs every Monday at 12 PM EST on Rock the Bells Radio (ch. 43). 

This That Sundress Shake | Salute The Sample | Rock The Bells

The post [WATCH] LL Cool J Revisits Special Ed’s “Come On, Let’s Move It” On SiriusXM’s Rock The Bells Radio appeared first on The Source.

Today In Hip Hop History: LL Cool J Released Third LP ‘Walking With A Panther’ 33 Years Ago

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On this day in Hip Hop history, LL Cool J released his third studio LP Walking with a Panther on Def Jam Recordings in 1989.

Peaking at #1 on the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop chart and #6 on the Billboard 200, this album continued LL’s streak of commercially successful albums as well as served as one of Hip Hop’s early crossover projects.

During that era, Def Jam was working to bring Hip Hop to the forefront of the mainstream, and this album was geared to reinvent LL Cool J’s sound while retaining its Hip Hop integrity. Although it may have been publicly successful at achieving its goal, some critics have said this project may have brought LL’s street credibility into question.

Regardless of critical opinion, the appeal of this album outshines anything negative that could be said about it. The most impressive and respectable feat of this project is LL’s introduction as a self-produced MC. Throughout Walking with a Panther he proved that not only was he capable of knocking out hit after hit but was also a proficient beat maker. The original production team used to create the majority of LL’s better-known songs prior to this album, L.A. Posse, decided to part ways with Def Jam following a contractual disagreement. This altercation left only one member of the team, Dwanye Simon, left to work with LL Cool J in producing the entirety of the LP.

This project also toted some of LL Cool J’s biggest hit singles including: “Going Back to Cali” and “Jingling Baby.” Both of these singles are hallmarks of LL Cool J’s career and in their own way describe his career as a whole. LL’s appeal was from the beginning catered toward the female demographic while still retaining his “cool guy” demeanor in a way that it wasn’t awkward for males to also be in huge support of his music and style. Much like a proto-Drake, LL Cool J through this album was able to deliver enough to keep the streets happy all while maintaining the attention of his female fan base.

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LL Cool J & Ice Cube Unite Hip Hop For “Rock The Bells” Festival

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LL Cool J

Hip hop pioneer LL Cool J’s hip-hop festival, Rock The Bells, is back and in his hometown of Queens, NY this summer.  And the way he announced it on social media is classic New York. Queens will be in for a show, as there will be a good number of performances including LL himself as […]

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LL Cool J Announces Rock the Bells Festival feat. Ice Cube, Dipset, and More in Queens

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L.L. Cool J’s Rock the Bells is set to make a live event return. The Hip-Hop brand will take over Queens, New York, this summer. The festival will be headlined by L.L., Ice Cube, and Rick Ross.

Roxanne Shante will host the Rock the Bells Festival at the Forest Hills Stadium in Queens.

Additional artists named for the festival include Fat Joe and Remy Ma, Jadakiss, N.O.R.E.., Trina, Digable Planets, Lil Kim, Scarface, The diplomats, and more.

“This festival is my way of showing love to the community of hip-hop and celebrating the incredible journey this culture has taken, going from DJ Kool Herc’s Sedgwick Avenue rec room, to the global phenomenon we all cherish today,” saidL.L.L Cool J. “Getting to bring some of the most iconic and influential hip-hop artists to the same stage, in my hometown and the city that started it all, is an honor and I can’t wait for everyone to see what we have in store for them.”

Pre-sale tickets are on sale now, and regular admission tickets go on sale Friday, April 8 at 10 a.m.E.TT. Take a look at the lineup and festival promo below.

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LL Cool J Revives Rock The Bells Festival And Explains Why Bars Matter ‘More Than Ever Before’ In Hip-Hop

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It’s a complaint you hear more than ever these days: Hip-hop has lost its way and it isn’t about the bars anymore. Of course, that depends on who you ask. While some veterans of the rap game certainly lament that things aren’t the same, one of the culture’s most iconic figures is taking a different view. In a new interview with Billboard about his upcoming, Q-Tip-produced, Def Jam-backed 14th album, LL Cool J explained why he thinks bars matter “more than ever” in hip-hop today.

“[Bars matter] more than ever because every Snapchat, every TikTok, Instagram photo or every tweet is words,” he observes. “People love words. You have to be precise with your speech nowadays. Words are more important now than they ever been probably because the whole world is living in a giant transcript. If you’re going to say something, it has to mean something.”

The rap luminary also relates this concept to his own upcoming project, saying, “The songs that I wrote on the new record that’s coming have meaning. It’s coming from a whole other place. I think that it’ll hopefully touch people in a way that they can’t ever imagine. I don’t even think people can imagine or understand what this is.” Of his executive producer, he offers high praise; “I think [Q-Tip] quarterbacked a masterpiece, b,” LL says.

The “Rock The Bells” rapper also talks about revitalizing the defunct music festival named for his 1985 hit. The festival will return under LL’s banner (also called Rock The Bells media) on August 6, bringing such iconic acts as Ice Cube, Rick Ross, Fat Joe, and more to Forest Hills Tennis Stadium in LL’s native Queens, New York. “The energy and the goal has always been to elevate hip-hop culture and classic hip-hop culture and not allow all of these talented artists that we have be pushed to the sidelines just because at the current moment they might not have a song at the top of the Billboard charts,” he says of his Rock The Bells media venture. “That doesn’t mean that they’re not valuable. I found that so many people want this. [Fans] want to celebrate the culture, but they want it done in the right way. So the same way that The Stones get treated, Paul McCartney gets treated, and Bob Dylan gets treated, I wanted to see these artists treated that way.”