Why LL Cool J is “the most important rapper of all time” in his own eyes
It is undeniable that LL Cool J is a legend within hip-hop culture. However, many people wouldn’t say he is the most integral rapper who ever lived. Still, LL Cool J is sure that he has been the most influential and essential emcee the culture has produced, and he wants other people to realise the same thing.
During an appearance on Apple Music’s Le Code, in a rather self-aggrandising manner, the rapper stated, “Imma say this humbly, but I really mean this— I think that one day people are going to wake up and realise LL Cool J is the most important rapper that ever existed. I truly believe one day people are gonna say that.”
After insisting that recognition of his true talent would most likely come after his passing, the Radio creator explained the reasons why people had to come to this conclusion and highlighted his contributions to the world of fashion, business, acting, music, and more.
Speaking about what his legacy will comprise of, LL told the host, “They’re gonna look and say, ‘Wow, when it comes to the jewellery, this is the guy that introduced all the diamonds, and the ice and the jewellery 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 shit.’”
LL then gave a more controversial take on his role in hip-hop’s evolution and claimed that he was the artist who put aggression at the forefront of rap, claiming, “When it comes to the bad boy vibe, they’re gonna realise that this is the guy who introduced all the rebellious, bad boy vibes before it was done.”
He continued, “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. They gon’ say, ‘When it comes to FUBU, I introduced the whole idea of putting clothing lines,’ even before that I did Troop. [They gon’ say] ‘Oh, when it comes to endorsements, this is the guy who did the Kangol and made the Kangol popular before people even did that.’”
In a classic case of modesty, the rapper then listed his accomplishments as a superstar actor in Hollywood: “This is the guy who did the incredible stuff on TV and at the same time was still making incredible records and wasn’t just doing TV and using rap as a launchpad.” LL wasn’t the first rapper-turned-actor, but alongside Will Smith and Queen Latifah, he is one of the most well-known.
Although LL Cool J is a legend, many didn’t respond well to the self-aggrandising comments he made and asserted that although he is a household name, his presence in the genre so early means it is easier for him to say he was the first to do something. Still, many old-school hip-hop fans would agree that alongside Run-DMC, as a part of Def Jam, LL Cool J was one of the first solo powerhouses of East Coast hip-hop.