For LL COOL J, hip-hop’s responsibility right now is to encourage its audience to be informed on the issues that impact their lives so that they can make the best decisions during election season. But what artists shouldn’t do, he said, is tell their audiences how to vote.
The Grammy-winning entertainer opened up to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution during his visit Tuesday to Decatur’s Cover Sports and Shows. He was in town for a listening session and conversation with producer Jermaine Dupri for his 14th studio album, “The FORCE.”
While shuffling through shuffled album tracks on his iPhone, LL talked about creating the project releasing on Sept. 6, and about releasing his first project in 11 years.
This year is also the 40th anniversary of Def Jam Recordings, the label that launched his career.
“This album is a cookout, and everybody is invited,” LL COOL J told the crowd.
Credit: Christian Google
Credit: Christian Google
His visit to Atlanta comes as the country is in the midst of presidential election season. The Republican Party is holding its convention in Milwaukee this week, and President Joe Biden sat for an interview with BET’s Ed Gordon on Wednesday.
Both parties are seeking to make inroads with Black voters.
“All you can do is encourage people to vote,” the emcee told the AJC.
“It’s up to the individual artist and if they feel inspired to do something or speak out,” LL said. “Everybody wasn’t raised the same and have the same desire to be involved or not be involved.”
LL COOL J made his first trip to Atlanta in 1985 to promote his debut album, “Radio.” The first rapper signed to Def Jam in 1984, the album sold over one million copies and became one of rap’s first full-length albums.
A year later, the Queens, N.Y. native born James Todd Smith returned as part of the “Raising Hell” tour with rap groups Run DMC and Whodini, appreciating the city’s hospitality and response to his music throughout his career.
“I always felt comfortable here. It was slower than I was used to, but I know how to order my grits,” he said.
“The FORCE,” which stands for “Frequencies of Real Creative Energy,” is produced entirely by Q-Tip. LL started working with the founding member of hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest two years ago after late group member Phife Dawg showed up in one of the entertainer’s dreams.
Originally working with producer Dr. Dre, LL said he couldn’t find his rhythm with the architect of West Coast hip-hop.
“Dre’s composing was amazing, but my songwriting wasn’t living up to the beats,” he said.
Credit: Christian Google
Credit: Christian Google
“The FORCE” has 14 tracks and features appearances from Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Rick Ross and Fat Joe. He played the first releases, “Saturday Night Special” and “Passion” during the Decatur listening session.
On “Proclivities,” LL gets erotic alongside female rapper Saweetie over a cowbell-fueled drum pattern. The percussion-heavy “Black Code Suite” features West African musician Sona Jobarteh.
LL, the founder of Sirius XM’s old-school hip-hop channel Rock the Bells, also played “Murdergram Deux,” his collaboration with rapper Eminem, and “Praise Him,” featuring fellow Queens rapper Nas, multiple times at the event.
The first rapper to get a Kennedy Center honor in 2017, he said he made the album to show there are no age limits in hip-hop.
“In our genre, if you don’t put any music out for a long time or take time off, then you’re finished. Our art continues to evolve, so it’s possible for us to keep going,” he said.
LL considers “The FORCE” a culturally impactful album.
“It’s a body of work, not a collection of singles. I’m just doing what I think is hip-hop,” he said.
LL hopped on top of the bar, performed, mumbled his lyrics, and came into the crowd throughout the evening. DJ Mars played several of the rapper’s classics like “The Boomin System,” “Doin It,” and the remix to “Loungin’.”
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021, LL said he got into hip-hop as a way to express himself creatively but didn’t think he’d become massively successful across entertainment.
“Growing up, we felt invisible, and I wanted my voice to be heard. I did it for love,” he said.
Several of Atlanta’s music industry insiders are influenced by LL’s presence in the culture. Ray Daniels, music executive and host of the podcast “The GAUDS Show,” points out the rapper’s showmanship as a blueprint for new and established acts.
“He’s still on stage, looking good, and pushing forward. That’s a lesson that all artists should pay attention to,” Daniels said.
Khujo Goodie, founding member of Atlanta-based hip-hop quartet Goodie Mob, says the group looked up to LL COOL J’s ability to musically adapt and make hit records regardless of his New York roots.
“He was the pantheon in hip-hop. He had the looks and the lyrics, but always took it further with every album,” he said.
Dupri, who met LL when he was teenage backup dancer for Whodini, said the rapper’s career sets a standard for success and longevity in hip-hop.
“There’s always talk about being cut from the cloth, but he is the cloth,” Dupri said.
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