How Jay-Z stopped LL Cool J from making music: “That hurt”
LL Cool J has been a legend in hip-hop for more than 35 years, and since the release of ‘I Need A Beat’, he has become an icon with vast amounts of success. However, he had a few feuds during his time. From Kool Moe Dee to Canibus, there has been tension, but few know that, at one point, LL had issues with Jay-Z.
The ‘Rock The Bells’ lyricist broke out in the 1980s on Rick Rubin and Russell Simmon’s Def Jam. However, in the 2000s, when Jay-Z became the label’s president, LL had some issues, which eventually led to his departure from what had been his music home for 20 years.
The Queens emcee has been featured on VH1’s Behind the Music several times. However, in 2021, he spoke in-depth about the ups and downs in his career, his family life, and the dispute he had with Jay-Z that led to his leaving Def Jam.
As one of Def Jam’s most prominent artists, LL helped the label make the label a powerhouse upon its inception in the ’80s. Alongside Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin, LL sold over 20million albums. However, when Jay-Z took over as CEO in 2004 after two years, LL Cool J called quotes on his entire career.
According to the Bigger & Defer creator, by 2006, the younger artists were receiving more attention and promotion than he was. Opening up about how that made him feel, LL told VH1, “That hurt. That was painful, and that created a lot of bruised blood in my spirit.”
Reflecting on how he felt about Jay-Z at that point in time, LL continued, “I need my records promoted, and your job is to promote them. He needs to be on the phone, calling radio stations. I just don’t feel like he had the necessary experience to do that job.”
In 2007, LA Reid replaced Jay-Z, but LL Cool J still decided to step away from Def Jam and chose not to renew his contract. His 2008 project, Exit 13, was the last project he ever released through Def Jam. Speaking to VH1, LL called the label a “prison” and admitted it made him take a hiatus from music.
In 2006, 50 Cent decided to become an intermediary between Jay and LL, and there were rumours that the two wanted to exchange diss records. However, in an interview with MTV News, Jay-Z insisted he would never stoop that low, stating, “He’s a legend. I’m not doing that. He’s upset, not me. If he wanna work it out, I’m more than willing to do that.”
50 Cent also spoke to MTV News during this tense period, explaining, “He feels that they’re not prioritizing him. He’s been there from the start. I talked to him and I talked to Jay. I’m the liaison between them for that project to keep that functioning.”