LL Cool J picks his Mount Rushmore of Def Jam rappers
The legendary rapper LL Cool J has picked out his Mount Rushmore of hip-hop artists from Def Jam recordings, and there are a number of surprise exclusions, to say the least, with Jay-Z and DMX not making the final cut. Considering the breadth of talent in the label, it might be forgivable.
When appearing on the Club Shay Shay podcast with Shannon Sharpe, Cool J was asked which four artists would define the history of Def Jam, which he joined back in 1984, following up with his debut album Radio just a year later. The legend of the rapper only grew from there, so he is well positioned to give an authoritative view on the acclaimed roster.
As is to be expected in the rap world, Cool J began with himself, of course. After his debut arrived, he released a number of critically and commercially successful records, including Bigger and Deffer, Walking with a Panther, Mama Said Knock You Out, while album number twelve, 2008’s Exit 13, was his last with the label.
Up next for Cool J is the hip-hop group Public Enemy, which was formed by Chuck D and Flavor Flav back in 1985. With acclaimed albums like Yo! Bum Rush the Show and It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, and considering their political stance on racism and the American media, it’s easy to see why they find their place on the list.
Third for Cool J is another group, Beastie Boys, which was actually formed out of the back of a hardcore punk group. Eventually, Ad-Rock, MCA and Mike D established themselves as critical successes in the 1980s and 1990s and earned the praise of Cool J.
Cool J rounds his list with a mention of Slick Rick, who came through as a member of Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew. He was the third artist to sign to Def Jam and released four albums with the label, including The Great Adventures of Slick Rick and The Ruler’s Back.
The first artist on Def Jam was actually Cool J, so he would likely know who deserves to be on the label’s Mount Rushmore. Shannon Sharpe reeled off a list of names that she thought might deserve attention, but Cool J largely dismissed them.
“We got Jay-Z, we got Kanye, we got Rihanna, we got DMX, we got Luda, we got Nas,” she said. “Was Hov not on Def Jam?” Cool J responded to the latter suggestion with, “Yeah, a thousand years later,” which highlights the kind of strained relationship he had with Jay-Z, with the pair said to have battled in a parking lot back in 1996.
LL Cool J’s four favourite Def Jam rappers:
- LL Cool J
- Public Enemy
- Beastie Boys
- Slick Rick