LL Cool J returns along with his extremely anticipated 14th studio album, The Drive, which dropped on Friday, Sept. 6.
The discharge comes after a 10-year break from music, throughout which the Lengthy Island-born, Queens-raised rapper targeted on different ventures, together with his appearing profession and internet hosting gigs.
In a latest interview with E! Information, LL Cool J defined the explanations behind his decade-long hiatus and why this album was definitely worth the wait.
“I didn’t wish to cheat the followers. I needed them to have an actual LL Cool J album,” he shared, including, “This mission is extra concerning the folks and cultural affect than the rest.”
The Drive additionally marks a milestone in LL’s profession, because it coincides with the fortieth anniversary of Def Jam Data, the label the place his legendary journey started at simply 16 years previous.
Reflecting on his early days with the label, he stated, “I known as that [Def Jam] cellphone quantity daily for every week and a half. That demo led to the creation of Def Jam. Now, 40 years later, right here I’m placing out this document on Def Jam once more.”
It marks LL Cool J’s first album since Genuine in 2013, which featured collaborations with artists like Eddie Van Halen and Seal.
Produced by Q-Tip from A Tribe Known as Quest, The Drive boasts a lineup of collaborations with heavyweights like Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Nas, Busta Rhymes, and Rick Ross. “He [Q-Tip] produced the s–t out of those joints and did his factor. He’s an excellent dude,” LL stated about working with the producer.
The album additionally options the long-awaited collaboration between LL and Eminem on the monitor “Murdergram Deux,” which dropped simply forward of the album’s launch.
Stream LL Cool J’s The Drive beneath.