LL Cool J Interview

[bigted]

Check it out y'all
I hope y'all enjoy it as much as I did

LL Cool J: The Marathon Man
By Jigsaw


There are few people in Hip-Hop as dominating as LL Cool J. If you’re an adult now, he was there when you were probably still a kid. If you’re younger, LL was likely around before you were seeded. But both young and old know LL Cool J as an icon. With no sense of history, this man has reigned always.

In these twenty years, LL’s made some mistakes. He’s crossed over, crossed back, and crossed out competitors the whole time. In an exclusive interview with AllHipHop.com, LL confronts his triumphs, some of his mistakes, gives wise insights to the oncoming election and explained his new album The DEFinition.

Mr. Smith, we followed you then, salute you now, and we don’t dare mention retirement.

AllHipHop.com: What was your aim for this album?

LL: My aim was to make a record that could play at 1:15 in the morning in the club. And to make something new, and to challenge and stretch myself a bit and not repeat myself in terms of what I did. In terms of what single I dropped, the video I put out, my whole approach to it, I wanted to stretch myself. I wanted to challenge everything. Thus, I put out hits from the “challenge myself” intellect, to make the game interesting. I’m loving the success that it’s having and I feel great about the way it’s exploding around the country. Even internationally, it’s really doing well and I’m very thankful. I didn’t want to do anything political or social. Well, social is a different word because fun is social. But I didn’t want to do anything political. I wanted it to be pure entertainment.

AllHipHop.com: Why not political?

LL: I think that… for me, there is enough of that out there and there is a time and a place to do that. One of the greatest services that I can supply mankind with, apart from the interviews and my life, is to give them an opportunity to take an hour and forget about their problems, the strife, forget about what’s going on in the world and have a good time. I think as an artist, we have the responsibility. That’s part of the reason why people make music, why people paint pictures, and why people sculpt, and why they do what they do, to let people escape and give them that vibe.

AllHipHop.com: I kind of disagree with that. Not that I disagree with you doing that, because that has been your zone for the majority of your career, but now there’s no balance in Hip-Hop. So when you were out, there might have been a Chuck D.

LL: I understand what you are saying on that, but I think that at those times you have to listen to the deeper meaning. A lot of what Chuck was talking about and the things he was dealing with was about the government and how they treat the community. My perspective is more about how the community treats [itself]. That is very important to me. I’m very much one who believes in self help. I have faith in God and I believe that we have to raise our children. We can’t ask the government to do that. For me I would rather set the example, through the actions. By doing the things I do and not limiting myself, by being willing to take risks. A lot of times words are important but they have to coincide with what’s in your heart. Because if you speak a d they don’t coincide with that’s in your heart they are empty and meaningless. It’s important to me, whatever I do, that it coincides with my heart. Whether it’s my imagination, whatever, it has to coincide with what’s going on inside of me so that I can look people in the eye and feel good about what I do. So for me at this point in my career, making a political album would not be real for me. I have said the things I wanted to say just like on the one in the morning record when I said, “Uncle LL I got product for sale so I can bail Al Sharpton out of Jail.” Its funny but when you think about it its necessary. AG Gaston had to be around to bail Martin Luther King out of jail. So you have to read between the lines. I said, “Get my Bentley park on and them give my dogs platform to bark on.” If you pay attention to that economic empowerment is the key to all the freedom we are seeking politically. It’s the Bob Johnson’s and Oprah’s and God willing, the LL Cool J’s that are going to make the difference and make all of those political dreams that partly Chuck D and others talk about even possible. We need to make sure that the focus is correct.

AllHipHop.com: Did you recently just go to the Democratic Convention in Boston?

LL: I went to the convention, but I went to [perform at] the Rock to Vote concert. And what I said after I finished performing was, I’m not here to endorse any particular candidate. I said that if there is any candidate that is looking for my endorsement, we have to meet face to face and I need to know what their plans are and how they are going to affect my community, and then America as a whole, and then my community within America. I have to know what the plan is. I’m not going to lend my name and my credibility. I respect them of course. And I said it respectfully because you have to respect the people that are running for the leadership of our country because this is a great country. And I do love this country because it has given me a great opportunity. Regardless of what our ancestry is, ultimately we are all here because of our ancestry. So whether good or bad, at the end of the day we are here now and we need to take advantage of this opportunity of being Americans. At the same time, if I’m going to endorse somebody, I can’t just endorse him or her just by default. We have to sit down and talk. I have to see what’s going on, and how what you do affects the people I love.

AllHipHop.com: Have you followed any of the candidates?

LL: A lil’ much. I haven’t been stimulated to that point. When I hear someone talking about something other than what Bush has done wrong, then I can listen a lil’ better. But at this point I don’t know anything about what anyone is saying but what Bush did wrong. That doesn’t help me. There’s a whole focus on the problem but what’s the solution?

AllHipHop.com: Back to the album, that “One in the Morning” is hot, but you are real cocky on that. It reminds me of the old L. You talk about the sucker with the potbelly on the couch, it reminded me of the LL back in the day.

LL: That’s just part of what it is. That’s just Hip-Hop. I leave it on the record. It’s kind of like basketball for me. You dunk with your tongue hanging out, but you don’t walk around with your tongue hanging out. I leave it on the records and I know how to separate it. I only go there every now and then because it can get out of control but that’s just Hip-Hop to me.

AllHipHop.com: One song on the album you say, “I’m a family man still hard like a rock.” What does that line mean?

LL: I’ll tell you exactly what that means. It means that I love my family, but don’t think for a minute [that] I won’t stand up for my principles. That’s as real as it gets. And a lot of times, I think people associate having a family with complacency, and a lack of hunger and desire and a willingness to stand up for what you believe in. And that would never be me.

AllHipHop.com: I see that R. Kelly is on the album. In light of his situation, I know that you have daughters yourself, what made you work with him and did those issues ever come to play?

LL: It’s very simple, man. Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone, that’s first. Second, we have all done a lot of things they just all aren’t tape. So far me to judge that man because his was on tape would be ridiculous. I’m not saying I did exactly what he did but we all have skeletons. We all have bones that need to be collected and brought back to life. So I’m not going to judge him about his personal life. That was us getting together creatively and I leave it as that. I’m not endorsing what he did on the tape or judging him. I have to let that be his personal life and separate it. And yes, I have three daughters. [But] I’m not going to judge him.

AllHipHop.com: What do you think about the overall state of Hip-Hop?

LL: I think that Hip-Hop is in a great place, it is bigger than it has ever been. It has probably reached critical mass; it hasn’t reached critical mass in the world. It is not where it is around the world like it is in the US. It is big, but it is ten years behind in like 1994 in terms of mainstream media. In terms of its effect on cultures around the world, it doesn’t have its same dominance. I think it is in a great place.

AllHipHop.com: When you say critical mass?

LL: I mean it has reached its highest point; it has permeated and saturated every nook and cranny of the culture that is critical mass. It is everywhere and has reached its highest heights as an art form. It is everywhere in every commercial, Fortune 500 companies there is still some growth left, but there isn’t as much growth left as there was. So I am glad to be a part of it at this point; it was beautiful it was almost like a mushroom cloud and I got to sit on top of it and rise with it and that is a great thing.

[Da Brakes]

Nice!! :thumb:

[mfuqua23]

Real cool of LL. Like the interview. I respect what he's been doin.

[JumpinJack AJ]

Thanx!!! I've been a Cool J fan as long as i can remember. I love readin' what's on the mind of my favorite artists. I wish more emcees and rappers could sound like this in interviews. LL is candid, open, intellegent, and positive. U don't see that 2 much these days. U read and interview with Ja-Rule, G-Unit, Nelly, etc and they sound like foul-mouthed, ignorant 1st graders...it's embarassing.

[bigted]

He's one of the few rappers that is a real cool person off the mic as he is on the mic, I like what he does he drops knowledge for the youth, he leaves the conscious lyrics for KRS-ONE and Chuck D to say and raps feel good lyrics, there ain't nothing wrong with that, but people should recognize that KRS-ONE and Chuck D are still in the game too and give them more respect as well.

[Guest lambertj3]

no offense aj but you shouldn't hate on other artist like that because you come off sounding as ignorant as you claim those artist are.i have to disagree with you on nelly i recently seen him on rapcity do an interview with big tigger and he came off extremely intelegent , speaking of you know i cant let anyone diss my g-unit,when they are interviewed they just have fun with it thats all.

[bigted]

Hey Lambert are you a member of G Unit? Do they pay you to stick up for them all the time? They're aight but they sure ain't legendary, they wouldn't be considered in the top 50 groups of all time in hip-hop if you listened to hip-hop before 2000, they're an average group at best, not to diss them, but that's a fact, they're too commercial now. 50 cent is better off as a solo artist than with them. They should put KRS-ONE on Rap City so you'll know what real intelligence is, Nelly is a gimmick rapper!

[mfuqua23]

I definately agree on dat. 50 is better as a solo. Some might say that Banks is better than 50.

[Guest lambertj3]

bigted thats like me asking you do you live with will smith but you would stick up for one of your favorites if u felt they were getting dissed, as i said in another thread if someone came on here dissing will u would take up forhim because he is your favorite so why can't i do that for one of my favorites?(will included)? and i respect your opinion even though it is wrong, g-unit is tight and 3 million people would agree with me,to u they might not be legendary or considered in the top 50 rappers but like someone on this board said before thats YOUR OPINION WHICH I RESPECT. nell y by the way is alright i am not to fond of the new album but he is okay though. and to see krs-1 on rap city again would be cool i just wish he would release something on a major label this time

[bigted]

Yo lambert I could back up my opinion well, check this, G-Unit might be hot now selling 3 million albums but will we remember them 10 years from now even when their record sales decline? What do they stand for besides shooting guns and ****ing bitches ? Now they got skills but they don't use it the right way. This is the point that I'm trying to make, KRS-ONE is not a mainstream rapper and doesn't have to be a mainstream rapper if it means selling out his image he makes songs about God and how hip-hop can prosper by believing in him, many years from now people'll still look at him as one of the best of all time especially since he's not concern with sales and still reps his art, he released his 13th album in July and would destroy any current mc on mainstream if he wanted to, Will Smith is one of the rare mcs that've been on the mainstream and has kept it consistant with his image when he makes songs, he doesn't start cursing on songs 'cause everyone else does since he's staying true to what got him in the game and that brought him longevity success. I'm only talking about Nelly as a rap artist being a gimmick not as a person 'cause he does charity for cancer which is positive, he should be more positive in his lyrics, instead of just doing gimmick songs about Shakin' Tailfeathers! :ditto:

[Perry]

I hate to break it to ya but 50 been coastin off Aftermath and Em's fame since he came back. He can't rap, his flow is so off point. His rhyme scheme is like kids playin with buildin blocks. Besides that he never makes any ****in sense. Hop Pop at it's best.

And before you get the jump off on me it isn't just 50. I haven't really listened to much of Em's stuff for a good few years now. But I wouldn't ever disagree that he's one of the most talented emcee's out there right now.

EDIT : Yeah.. just to get back on topic that was a cool interview. LL always shines though. I wasn't down with how he felt about R.Kelly though but that's to him. Edited September 25, 2004 by Perry

[JumpinJack AJ]

When u read or hear an interview from FP, LL, Chuck D, KRS-One, MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, etc, u can see that the person on wax is the same person in real life. Hip-Hop is based on being true 2 yourself and being original. It's sad 2 hear an interview by an entertainer and their personality in person is nothing like how they are in their music. That's fake...that's not Hip-Hop. Nearly evey commerical rapper out there is phoney and usually just being a ignorant individual comes along with that territory. I've seen interviews with Nelly and other popular cats. Those guys are just dumb...period.

[Guest lambertj3]

some rppers i would agree with when they get interviewed don't make sense nice ll interview but i believe you are wrong about 50 he's tight and will be remembered by a lot of people this is basically your opinion which i respect but lets wait 5 years to prove it though and perry nice opinion but i would have to disagree with you because if he was coasting off their fame and can;t rap he wouldn't have sold as many records as he has.



but enough of that lets talk about ll LL HAS BEEN DOING IT FOR YEARS AND THE INTERVIEW WAS INTERESTING BUT I AM A LITTLE CREEPED OUT ABOUT THE R KELLY PART.

[JumpinJack AJ]

I don't see what's so creepy about the R. Kelly comment. Everybody has done at least one stupid thing in their life. R. Kelly is a celebrity and happens 2 have it on tape (if that's him) so it's gonna get lot of attention. There's people who do worse things everyday but since they aren't celebrities, we don't care.

People wanna work with R. Kelly cuz he's a musical genious as a singer, songwriter, and producer...why is that hard 2 see. People work with him cuz he's a talented entertainer...not cuz of the controversy.

[bigted]

Check it out y'all

I hope y'all enjoy it as much as I did

LL Cool J: The Marathon Man

By Jigsaw

There are few people in Hip-Hop as dominating as LL Cool J. If you’re an adult now, he was there when you were probably still a kid. If you’re younger, LL was likely around before you were seeded. But both young and old know LL Cool J as an icon. With no sense of history, this man has reigned always.

In these twenty years, LL’s made some mistakes. He’s crossed over, crossed back, and crossed out competitors the whole time. In an exclusive interview with AllHipHop.com, LL confronts his triumphs, some of his mistakes, gives wise insights to the oncoming election and explained his new album The DEFinition.

Mr. Smith, we followed you then, salute you now, and we don’t dare mention retirement.

AllHipHop.com: What was your aim for this album?

LL: My aim was to make a record that could play at 1:15 in the morning in the club. And to make something new, and to challenge and stretch myself a bit and not repeat myself in terms of what I did. In terms of what single I dropped, the video I put out, my whole approach to it, I wanted to stretch myself. I wanted to challenge everything. Thus, I put out hits from the “challenge myself” intellect, to make the game interesting. I’m loving the success that it’s having and I feel great about the way it’s exploding around the country. Even internationally, it’s really doing well and I’m very thankful. I didn’t want to do anything political or social. Well, social is a different word because fun is social. But I didn’t want to do anything political. I wanted it to be pure entertainment.

AllHipHop.com: Why not political?

LL: I think that… for me, there is enough of that out there and there is a time and a place to do that. One of the greatest services that I can supply mankind with, apart from the interviews and my life, is to give them an opportunity to take an hour and forget about their problems, the strife, forget about what’s going on in the world and have a good time. I think as an artist, we have the responsibility. That’s part of the reason why people make music, why people paint pictures, and why people sculpt, and why they do what they do, to let people escape and give them that vibe.

AllHipHop.com: I kind of disagree with that. Not that I disagree with you doing that, because that has been your zone for the majority of your career, but now there’s no balance in Hip-Hop. So when you were out, there might have been a Chuck D.

LL: I understand what you are saying on that, but I think that at those times you have to listen to the deeper meaning. A lot of what Chuck was talking about and the things he was dealing with was about the government and how they treat the community. My perspective is more about how the community treats [itself]. That is very important to me. I’m very much one who believes in self help. I have faith in God and I believe that we have to raise our children. We can’t ask the government to do that. For me I would rather set the example, through the actions. By doing the things I do and not limiting myself, by being willing to take risks. A lot of times words are important but they have to coincide with what’s in your heart. Because if you speak a d they don’t coincide with that’s in your heart they are empty and meaningless. It’s important to me, whatever I do, that it coincides with my heart. Whether it’s my imagination, whatever, it has to coincide with what’s going on inside of me so that I can look people in the eye and feel good about what I do. So for me at this point in my career, making a political album would not be real for me. I have said the things I wanted to say just like on the one in the morning record when I said, “Uncle LL I got product for sale so I can bail Al Sharpton out of Jail.” Its funny but when you think about it its necessary. AG Gaston had to be around to bail Martin Luther King out of jail. So you have to read between the lines. I said, “Get my Bentley park on and them give my dogs platform to bark on.” If you pay attention to that economic empowerment is the key to all the freedom we are seeking politically. It’s the Bob Johnson’s and Oprah’s and God willing, the LL Cool J’s that are going to make the difference and make all of those political dreams that partly Chuck D and others talk about even possible. We need to make sure that the focus is correct.

AllHipHop.com: Did you recently just go to the Democratic Convention in Boston?

LL: I went to the convention, but I went to [perform at] the Rock to Vote concert. And what I said after I finished performing was, I’m not here to endorse any particular candidate. I said that if there is any candidate that is looking for my endorsement, we have to meet face to face and I need to know what their plans are and how they are going to affect my community, and then America as a whole, and then my community within America. I have to know what the plan is. I’m not going to lend my name and my credibility. I respect them of course. And I said it respectfully because you have to respect the people that are running for the leadership of our country because this is a great country. And I do love this country because it has given me a great opportunity. Regardless of what our ancestry is, ultimately we are all here because of our ancestry. So whether good or bad, at the end of the day we are here now and we need to take advantage of this opportunity of being Americans. At the same time, if I’m going to endorse somebody, I can’t just endorse him or her just by default. We have to sit down and talk. I have to see what’s going on, and how what you do affects the people I love.

AllHipHop.com: Have you followed any of the candidates?

LL: A lil’ much. I haven’t been stimulated to that point. When I hear someone talking about something other than what Bush has done wrong, then I can listen a lil’ better. But at this point I don’t know anything about what anyone is saying but what Bush did wrong. That doesn’t help me. There’s a whole focus on the problem but what’s the solution?

AllHipHop.com: Back to the album, that “One in the Morning” is hot, but you are real cocky on that. It reminds me of the old L. You talk about the sucker with the potbelly on the couch, it reminded me of the LL back in the day.

LL: That’s just part of what it is. That’s just Hip-Hop. I leave it on the record. It’s kind of like basketball for me. You dunk with your tongue hanging out, but you don’t walk around with your tongue hanging out. I leave it on the records and I know how to separate it. I only go there every now and then because it can get out of control but that’s just Hip-Hop to me.

AllHipHop.com: One song on the album you say, “I’m a family man still hard like a rock.” What does that line mean?

LL: I’ll tell you exactly what that means. It means that I love <a href="http://www.srch-results.com/lm/rtl.asp?k=my%20family" onmouseover="window.status='my family'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">my family</a>, but don’t think for a minute [that] I won’t stand up for my principles. That’s as real as it gets. And a lot of times, I think people associate having a family with complacency, and a lack of hunger and desire and a willingness to stand up for what you believe in. And that would never be me.

AllHipHop.com: I see that R. Kelly is on the album. In light of his situation, I know that you have daughters yourself, what made you work with him and did those issues ever come to play?

LL: It’s very simple, man. Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone, that’s first. Second, we have all done a lot of things they just all aren’t tape. So far me to judge that man because his was on tape would be ridiculous. I’m not saying I did exactly what he did but we all have skeletons. We all have bones that need to be collected and brought back to life. So I’m not going to judge him about his personal life. That was us getting together creatively and I leave it as that. I’m not endorsing what he did on the tape or judging him. I have to let that be his personal life and separate it. And yes, I have three daughters. [but] I’m not going to judge him.

AllHipHop.com: What do you think about the overall state of Hip-Hop?

LL: I think that Hip-Hop is in a great place, it is bigger than it has ever been. It has probably reached critical mass; it hasn’t reached critical mass in the world. It is not where it is around the world like it is in the US. It is big, but it is ten years behind in like 1994 in terms of mainstream media. In terms of its effect on cultures around the world, it doesn’t have its same dominance. I think it is in a great place.

AllHipHop.com: When you say critical mass?

LL: I mean it has reached its highest point; it has permeated and saturated every nook and cranny of the culture that is critical mass. It is everywhere and has reached its highest heights as an art form. It is everywhere in every commercial, Fortune 500 companies there is still some growth left, but there isn’t as much growth left as there was. So I am glad to be a part of it at this point; it was beautiful it was almost like a mushroom cloud and I got to sit on top of it and rise with it and that is a great thing.

I figured that I'd bring this back to the top for anyone who missed it!