LL COOL J, who first rose to fame in the 1980s, has been a trailblazer in hip-hop for decades. He is a member of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a Kennedy Center Award.
His performance on Wednesday at MTV Video Music Awards was a nod to his illustrious career, but it was also a chance to introduce new music to his fans.
At the VMAs, the 56-year-old artist brought out fellow rap pioneers Chuck D and Flavor Flav of Public Enemy on the VMAs stage, calling them “instrumentals” at the start of Def Jam.
“They were a couple of architects that were part of the building of Def Jam when we first started,” said LL COOL J. “Myself, Public Enemy, the Beastie Boys and Slick Rick were the four that were really the legs of that label.”
In addition to celebrating his past successes, LL COOL J’s latest album, “The FORCE,” marks his first new music release in over a decade. The album features collaborations with artists such as Eminem, Busta Rhymes and Rick Ross. Reflecting on the creative process, LL COOL J said it was about staying true to himself while moving forward creatively.
“The four [in The Force] stands for frequencies of real creative energy,” he explained. “I’m not going to aspire to try and make a radio record. I will not strive to try to follow trends, and I will not try to reclaim what I did before. I want to push the envelope.”
After recording NCIS: Los Angeles for over a decade, LL COOL J took time off from making music but returned with a renewed focus.
“You can’t be a part-time artist,” he said. “I said, you know what, I’m just going to chill … when I was done [with the show]I said, now I can go back to the studio.”
As both a father and grandfather, LL COOL J spoke about balancing family life with his music career.
“When it comes to art, you really have to separate the two. You can’t sacrifice what you’re inspired to create because you have a family … The best way for me to take care of my family is to be true. to my art.”
LL COOL J’s “The FORCE” is now available.