LL Cool J is inflicting a stir on Rap Twitter as soon as once more.
He was lately within the information for saying he desires to listen to Andre 3000 rap as an alternative of enjoying the flute. Now, throughout a latest look on Shannon Sharpe’s Membership Shay Shay, he was requested to call his Mount Rushmore of Def Jam artists.
Shannon Sharpe rattled off an inventory of names that included Jay-Z, Kanye, LL, Rihanna, DMX, Ludacris, and Nas earlier than teasing the legendary rapper about attempting to keep away from the query. Nonetheless, LL pushed again and requested why Shannon didn’t point out Public Enemy. “It’s LL, it’s Public Enemy, it’s the Beastie Boys and it must be Slick Rick,” he retorted. “As a result of it’s Def Jam.” Shannon then requested, “Was Hov not at Def Jam?” to which LL answered, “Yeah, a thousand years later.” (It’s value mentioning that the Queens rapper has had an extended standing on once more, off once more chilly battle with Jay-Z.)
LL defended his decisions by saying these have been the acts that helped form the influential rap label into the model it’s immediately. He additionally rightfully acknowledged that his reply can be dissected and debated on social media.
In the identical clip, they speak about why he bought offended by Canibus asking him to borrow the microphone that’s tatted on his proper arm on his authentic verse from LL’s 1997 single “4,3,2,1.” When requested why he didn’t take it as a praise, LL answered, “Not at the moment. I used to be an egomaniac.”
LL famously made Canibus use one other verse on the album model, however nonetheless despatched pictures on the younger rapper on the identical track. They then traded diss tracks. Canibus answered LL’s “4,3,2,1” verse with “Second Spherical Ok.O.” and LL returned serve with “The Ripper Strikes Again” successfully ending the battle.
Whereas Rick Rubin had already launched an EP of his punk band Hose, LL’s track “I Want a Beat” was the primary official launch on Def Jam that had a catalog quantity and the label’s now well-known emblem. His debut album Radio was launched a yr later in 1985 with the distinctive distinction of being the long-lasting label’s first full-length launch.