Rolling With LL Cool J: Legendary Rapper on ‘The FORCE,’ His Unreleased Album With Dr. Dre, Working With Michael Jackson and More
variety.comShaheem Reid LL Cool J has been a G.O.A.T. for so long that it’s even the name of an album he released nearly 25 years ago.
Other rappers came before him, and others have moved more units, but there is no other hip-hop artist who has been on top for as long as he has — he released his first single, “Radio,” 40 years ago — and still has the starpower to sell out arenas, be the featured player on a big-budget network television series, and close out Wednesday night’s MTV VMAs, a show he first played in 1991.
Another all-time-great rapper, Nas, says, “LL entered the world of rap like he knew the crown would be his from day one. He is the consummate hardcore MC — a professional.
He became the biggest in the game by the time ‘I’m Bad’ came out [in 1987]. LL winning meant the entire art form won — he paved the way for all of us.” Busta Rhymes, who compares LL to a big brother, says, “L was the first to do a lot of things I didn’t see MCs doing before him.
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