It’s very uncommon you’ll ever catch LL COOL J not smiling — and there’s a very good purpose for that. The legendary New York rapper, who started his profession 40 years in the past on the tender age of 16, lives a blessed life courtesy of his pioneering contributions to hip hop because the tradition’s first solo famous person.
Not solely has he carved out one hell of a profession in music, movie and TV, for which he’s earned quite a few platinum and multi-platinum-selling information, a tonne of awards and accolades, and a string of spectacular appearing credit, he’s additionally a enterprise mogul, philanthropist, and a loving husband and proud father of 4.
And he’s now received one thing else to smile about… his first new album in over 11 years.
Deciding it was time to mud off the mic after what has been his longest break between albums — his final full-length launch was 2013’s Genuine — LL (actual identify James Todd Smith) tells Metro.co.uk the explanation for his return is as a result of he nonetheless feels he has so much to supply right now’s music fan and doesn’t ever wish to be branded a ‘part-time artist.’
‘You may’t be an artist in your spare time,’ he says, talking over Zoom from New York, earlier than happening to elucidate that he by no means truly stopped making music. “Musically, the pilot gentle was all the time on. I’d all the time be going within the studio and touching issues right here and there.’
It wasn’t till CBS motion crime drama collection NCIS: Los Angeles — wherein LL COOL J stars as Particular Agent Sam Hanna — began to wind down forward of its Could 2023 season 14 finale, that he was in a position to get again within the studio and give attention to recording.
‘I simply received into a spot the place the TV present was coming to an finish and I used to be turning into an increasing number of severe about eager to do new music. Then at a sure level, I realised that there was a brand new problem there, and that was: can an artist that’s been out for a lot of, a few years make a report that has some severe affect in a brand new period? That grew to become a enjoyable thought for me.’
This resulted within the creation of latest album The FORCE (an acronym for Frequencies of Actual Inventive Vitality). Produced completely by Q-Tip of A Tribe Referred to as Quest, the 14-track venture arrives by way of Def Jam Recordings, the legendary hip hop label the place the 56-year-old began his profession again in 1984.
Leaving the label after the discharge of his twelfth studio album, 2008’s Exit 13, citing artistic variations with the execs who ran Def Jam on the time, LL says his determination to re-sign all these years later is right down to a distinct vitality he feels is now current on the label — which right now is residence to the likes of Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Large Sean, Coco Jones, Jhené Aiko and plenty of others.
‘I needed [the album] to be nice, and so I referred to as up [CEO of Universal Music Group] Lucian [Grainge]. I used to be like, “Yo man, I wish to do a report.” And he was like, “Effectively, come on. Let’s determine it out.” So we did a cope with Def Jam.
‘The vitality across the label felt totally different to me. I felt like time and care can be taken to ensure that the report was handled correctly. And I feel I used to be proper. Simply the truth that we’re on the telephone [doing this interview]. One thing so simple as this, these are issues that have to occur. It simply felt proper to me.’
Featured visitors on the album embrace Snoop Dogg, Nas, Busta Rhymes and Fats Joe. However one collaboration that stands out — and one which LL COOL J followers have been ready years for — comes on the observe Murdergram Deux, the place the Mama Mentioned Knock You out hitmaker trades bars with Eminem.
‘Me and Em have been within the studio collectively,’ LL says of the observe, the vocals for which have been recorded at Dr. Dre’s studio in California. ‘I’d write my rhyme, then I’d depart the studio. Then he would write his rhyme, I’d report my vocal, then he would write and report his and depart. We went backwards and forwards after which sat within the studio collectively and did that final piece collectively.’
In rap, it’s not unusual for collaborating MCs to rewrite their bars after listening to what their counterpart has laid down. Kanye West famously rewrote his verse on Drake’s 2009 blockbuster anthem Eternally after listening to Eminem’s verse, admitting: ‘I went again and rewrote my s**t for 2 days. I cancelled appointments to rewrite [that]. I f****n ’care!”
Given Eminem’s popularity as one among hip hop’s finest lyricists, did LL must rewrite any of his bars on the rapid-fire reduce?
‘Nah, I didn’t must rewrite nothing,’ he says, composing himself after laughing hysterically for nearly 30 seconds straight, making it very clear simply how comical the suggestion he would ever rewrite his lyrics is.
‘Artists that aren’t actually used to rapping with nice rappers, they get into lots of grasp ups about rhyming with guys that may rhyme,’ he explains. ‘However when you discover, I’ve Nas on the album. I’ve Em on the album. I’m getting the most effective guys. So for me, that’s simply par for the course. I’m rhyming with a man who can actually rap good. Okay, nice. That was the entire level of after I received into hip hop. The entire level was whenever you put a bunch collectively, discover the fellows that may rap the most effective.’
On the subject of rap G.O.A.T.s, there’s no query that Eminem and LL COOL J are cemented names on the listing. So far as the ‘Best of All Time’ acronym itself, which is frequently used to explain transcendent athletes, entertainers and different gifted entities, you is likely to be stunned to study that it was truly LL who coined the time period. ‘There’s no query I got here up with that!’
Explaining that the inspiration for the G.O.A.T. time period and acronym got here from ‘smashing collectively’ Muhammad Ali’s well-known ‘I’m the best’ quote and the nickname given to avenue basketball legend Earl ‘the Goat’ Manigault, LL used the moniker for the title of his eighth studio album, G.O.A.T. that includes James T. Smith: The Best of All Time — which coincidentally or not is his solely album to prime the US Billboard 200 album chart.
‘It’s fairly wild that it turned out the way it did,’ he says, reflecting on how the inescapable time period grew to become a cultural phenomenon and is now a everlasting fixture within the world vocabulary. ‘I had no thought it was gonna turn out to be a worldwide phrase and assertion.’
Whereas he needs he had trademarked the phrase, as an alternative of dwelling on a missed alternative, LL desires to be extra optimistic and optimistic about his creation, utilizing it as inspiration for his potential future endeavours.
‘To have the ability to contact the world by means of my artwork like that’s fairly dope. What it says to me is that I can do extra creatively. It says to me, if I’m able to creating terminology for your entire globe, I can do some huge issues.’
On the subject of his appearing resumé, the listing of movie and TV initiatives LL COOL J has been concerned in is strong. With over 35 appearing credit to his identify, his most memorable roles are most likely these within the aforementioned NCIS: Los Angeles, after which motion pictures corresponding to Any Given Sunday, S.W.A.T., Charlie’s Angels, In Too Deep, Mindhunters and Deep Blue Sea.
The latter, now a cult traditional amongst shark and horror followers, celebrated its twenty fifth anniversary final month. Remembering the affect it had on his profession — and the way it broke the problematic film trope that Black characters all the time die first in horror movies, or simply by no means make it to the tip — LL takes a second to present the Renny Harlin-directed movie its flowers.
‘I liked doing Deep Blue Sea. I’ve lots of vital motion pictures that have been cool for my life, and that was positively one among them. Even the truth that I survived within the film, I feel that’s hysterical — first Black dude to outlive.’
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Regardless of his love for movie and TV, although, LL admits that making music is the place his actual ardour is. ‘I simply love the music,’ he explains. ‘I don’t restrict myself. I do get pleasure from doing these movies and tv reveals, however I simply love music extra.’
Having flirted with retirement just a few instances all through his profession, does this candid and seemingly unconditional love for music imply there shall be extra to come back after The FORCE — or will this be his ultimate album?
‘I positively want to report extra,’ he says with a smirk, earlier than including one caveat. ‘So long as I’m impressed, I’ll all the time wish to report and launch extra music.’
LL COOL J’s The FORCE is out now by way of Def Jam Recordings.
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