LL COOL J at Rock The Bells Festival at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, Aug. 5, 2023.
Photo courtesy of Rock The Bells.
LL Cool J Declares Himself “The Most Important Rapper That Ever Existed”
“I truly believe one day people will say that,” the “Rock the Bells” rapper said.
In a recent appearance on Apple Music’s Le Code, The FORCE artist spoke of his contributions to hip-hop.
"I’m [going to] say this humbly, but I really mean this," he said. "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 look and say, ‘Wow, when it comes to the jewelry, this is the guy that introduced all the diamonds, and the ice and the jewelry and the champagne,’” he continued. “They’re gonna say when it comes to the love songs, they’re gonna say, ‘This is the guy that introduced the love songs and all the love s**t.’”
“When it comes to the bad boy vibe, they’re gonna realize that this is the guy who introduced all the rebellious, bad boy vibes before it was done,” he added. “When it comes to the G.O.A.T terminology, they gon’ say, ‘This is the guy who came up with all the G.O.A.T stuff.’ I could go on and on and on."
The “Rock the Bells” rapper truly has left an impact on hip-hop. His debut album, 1985’s Radio, was the first full-length album released by Def Jam Recordings. He was also the first hip-hop act to perform on American Bandstand, as well as the first rapper to receive Kennedy Center Honors.
LL’s declaration led to some discussion on X. See LL's interview, as well responses to it, for yourself below.
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