Club Shay Shay - LL COOL J Part 2

Episode Date: July 31, 2024

Picking up where he left off, LL COOL J reveals his eclectic taste in music, sharing the variety of artists he listens to regularly. From contemporary hip-hop stars like Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and Lil Wayne, to icons like Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, and the Eurythmics, LL COOL J emphasizes his appreciation for greatness in all genres. He mentions his love for artists such as SZA, Lil Baby, Mick Jagger, and Annie Lennox, showcasing his diverse musical palette. LL COOL J explains that his listening habits are influenced by his mood, and he enjoys everything from hip-hop and R&B to rock and pop, always seeking out music that moves him in the moment. Shannon and LL COOL J go on into a spirited discussion on rap and recognition, and a serious yet playful debate on the "Mount Rushmore" of Def Jam artists. Shannon presses LL on his picks, and LL passionately defends his choices while acknowledging the diverse impact of many legendary artists. They discuss the significance of artists like Jay-Z, Kanye, Public Enemy, Beastie Boys, and Slick Rick in shaping Def Jam's legacy. LL COOL J emphasizes that success metrics vary, including popular success, cultural impact, and contributions to building the label. He defends his legacy, reflecting on his numerous accolades and career longevity. LL highlights his numerous achievements, including Grammy awards, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, Kennedy Center Honors, and platinum albums, reinforcing that his resume speaks for itself. LL explains that while he coined the term "GOAT" (Greatest of All Time), his self-worth isn't tied to external validation. He compares his accolades to owning different colored couches—each one valuable, but not necessary for defining his worth. LL underscores that his motivation and inspiration stem from a desire to continuously improve and create better music, rather than seeking validation from others. Their conversation showcases LL Cool J's humility and confidence, as he articulates why he's content with his achievements and how they fuel his drive for excellence.#VolumeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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who are some of the rappers you listen to? Like all day long? Yeah, I mean, who you like? Obviously, you know, we got these new, we got, obviously, we got the Drake and the K-Dots and the Lil Wayne, but who do they all like? L.O. Cooge and the L.F. That's a great answer.

Who do I like? I like a lot of different artists, man. But I listen to everything. I listen to everything from SZA to from Lil Baby to SZA from I mean, you name it man it could be it it depends but i go

also i might listen to bob molly man you know like i might listen to bob dylan i might listen to the eurythmics i might listen to annie lynn and sweet dreams yeah i might listen to that i might listen to rain again you know what i mean i listen to that. I might listen. Here Comes the Rain again. You know what I mean? I listen to whatever moves me in the moment. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Like, I don't feel obligated to listen to nothing. But if I want to hear Glorilla, if I want to hear Sexy Ray, I listen to it.

Right. If the Meg joint is playing and I'm feeling that I play it. If it's a little Nicky, is it Cardi? Is it, you know what I'm saying? Is it Lil Durk? We got to hear some Durk on there? Okay. You know, if Ii? Is it, you know what I'm saying? Is it Lil' Dirk? We got to hear some Dirk on there? Okay. You know, if I need to hear it, you know what I mean?

Do I want to hear some A$AP Rocky or, you know what I mean? I want to go to Canal Street with it. Like, it depends on my mood. I might listen to Rihanna, though. Then I might listen to Sia. I might listen to Mick Jagger. You know what I'm saying? Like, I'm, you know, I listen to what I, I just, because I like greatness.

Right. Michael Jackson, Prince. I like greatness right Michael Jackson Prince I like greatness man, you know, but then I flip it and you know, Lauryn Hill's son with that that song You know that that you know that joint, you know Like oh, I got one. I got two questions for you Give me your Mount Rushmore Def Jam artist Def Jam. artist? Yeah! You heard it? Def, Def, D-E-F Yeah

I rap that one, I spit that one, I quit. I mean listen look if you tell me look Mount Rushmore that's four heads I'm looking I'm listening to you. so i'm the first artist on death chair so i mean not having all that all that look at man your honor he filibustering filibustering he mandarin he meandering me fucking the fucking ghost right you can't know being you know the whole interview i would help the people at home i don't have any people waiting on me wearing me the fuck out about this nonsense. About some fucking ghost writer. Hey, but listen.

Okay, my rush. Okay, we got Jay-Z. We got Kanye. We got LL. We got Rihanna. We got DMX. We got Luda. We got Nas.

We got Jay-Z. LL got to a full hit. First of all, you said Jay-Z twice. No, no, no. Secondly, you didn't say public enemy. Okay? So you talking about the Def Jam? Def Jam?

How you going to do it? How you going to do it? Put four heads on there. You know you was there. Put four heads on there. It's LL. It's public enemy. It's the Beastie Boys.

And it would have to be Slick Rick. Okay. That's all you had to say. Because it's Def Jam. Okay. Was Hove not's Def Jam. Okay. Was Hove not in Def Jam? Yeah, a thousand years later. Let me ask you a question.

If I say give me your Mount Rushmore presidents, I'm not talking about... No, no, no, no, no. I'm not saying the current heads. I'm saying all the presidents. If you want to put all the presidents, give me four. So since all of them, all the four, I want four. Dev Jam Artist.

This one is crazy. I need four. Dev Jam Artist. We got one. Certified. We got one. Oh, I'm coming back with another. I'm coming back with it i'm coming back i got another one too let's stay on that okay okay okay um like i said

when you think about that era when you think about because i'm when i say when you think about mal muslim see most people it's a lot of ways what's the criteria for it is it is the metric popular success is the metric popular success is the metric impact meaning is the metric because public enemy what they did in terms of building a label ll what he did in terms of building a label and then i got i'm sorry what about rick and russell ll is your list whatever metric you want to you it ain't my list your honor so so so so just so we're clear your honor it's whatever evidence i want to use yes all right yes all right yeah so his his evidence is inadmissible anything i'm thinking about anything that's you there's you there's you um yeah so like i said

you gotta have ll cool j you gotta have the public enemy you got to have the Beastie Boys and you got to probably do Slick Rick because now and now these comments are gonna be nuts because I don't know what the comment is gonna be I hadn't read the comments yet you know exactly what the comment's gonna be it's just so teed up they're gonna be wearing me out this is gonna be crazy it's just gonna be nuts he's capping he's hating it's like Ls cat yo you know i tell you what i'm doing i will give you a chance to redeem yourself the king of cap i will give you a chance the cap king oh my god i can read it now let me get some water and as i prepare for this bullshit hold up let me just prepare myself for this bullshit

now we toasted that's his list now i ain't got nothing to do with that Hold up. Let me just prepare myself for this bullshit. Let me go ahead and toast it. I like that list. Now we toast it. That's his list now. I ain't got nothing to do with that. Oh, Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. Well, can you do any of, what about, not just Def Jam, what about... All right, all right. You know what? Four pictures of Rihanna. Everybody happy now? Nope, nope, nope. He already gave you his list.

He already gave you his list. Let me ask you this, El. When people talk about greatest rappers of all time, term that you call, Ali was the first to say I'm the greatest of all time, but you coined the phrase GOAT. Which incidentally I got because of Earl and Manigault. The street, the street band. And put them together. But yes, yes, okay. When they talk about these,

you hear them mention Hov and Tupac and Big Air and Nas and Eric and Rock Him and KRS-One, all of them. Mm-hmm.

Wayne. Mm-hmm. El never comes up, bro. I don't know if that's true. I don't feel like that. I don't feel like that at all. No, I'm not. I'm saying, I mean, and I was thinking, man, my homeboy was talking, I was like, man, the man that stood the test of time for 40.

Nobody's had a career that spanned this long. But that's okay. Everybody got the right to entitle to their own opinion, man. I don't, like, what am I supposed to feel? Am I supposed to fucking feel left out hell yeah why man you don't think when they talk about the greatest i got i got grammys i'm in the rock and roll hall of fame i mean my resume speaks for itself you know i'm saying like i mean the the dudes that they mentioned you know most of them had you know peak success when the at the birth of the Internet Why would I trip off of that?

And guess what what I grew up in the music. I Started off at 16. I don't I don't I just don't care about that shit. Like it doesn't that's not because do you used to care? No, because I already believe that about myself that's why I coined the term you got to remember like they're calling everybody the term that I created not a term that they could so it's like oh you know he's the goat he's gone so for me it's like think about it from my end it's like why would I care why would I care explain to me why i would care why you would care yeah i think when you have the level of success that you've had and a lot of guys i think that sentence just ends i think no no no no no i'm i'm just saying i mean that's why i wouldn't care no but

when you've had the level of success, we all want validation. Hold on. That Grammy is validation. That Emmy you got is validation. That star on the Walk of Fame is validation. The Kennedy Honor Award is validation. You don't want those? You didn't want those.

I think you put them all in the same thing. No, no, no, no, no. I'm just asking a simple question. A simple yes or no would suffice. It's different from a pay. What's the fight different from up? Oh, it's different. There's that not validation. What you've done in rock and roll Hall of Fame. Yes, it's all validation But you don't want this all valid. You don't want that. No, no, no, no, it's all I want it all I want it all I want it all okay, however, however, however, here's the difference

You know me you're not to make me care about some shit just because I got this shit. It's like, yo, I got a blue couch. I got a green couch. I got a purple couch. I got a blue couch. You ain't going to make me care about this motherfucking gray couch over here. But you want me to want the gray couch. I got all them couches.

I don't need that couch because I got all them couches. You know what I'm saying? But you're trying to make me want this particular couch because somebody else funky ass to sit No, no, it ain't about no easy dog. Listen, listen, listen, listen, listen, listen When you launch, you know a label like Devjara, yes When you when you get you know When you want you scoop up a couple of grammys get nominated 11 times when you get into the rock and roll hall of fame when you get kennedy center honors when

you have albums platinum in a row when you have all of these accolades when your wall is full of 10 it don't whatever it is because they're gonna play yeah whatever oh you know whatever it is nah nah i have my people right there you know when you do you don't you know when you have all of that yeah you don't trip off like i don't see lack oh i don't see lack you fulfill you got everything i see a no no i see abundance bro like i'm winning what you want me to do like why you why you want me to be mad like this is why we be mad about some shit i see what it is i see they want me to be mad i'm not ain't got no what am i be mad at man like like what i'm gonna be mad because another person loves tupac right like why would i be mad because somebody else loves tupac that's like you know

like listen i love i respect respect Braun at the highest height. I like Jordan. Right. I know you're a Braun guy. Yes. I'm not mad at you for that. Right. I'm not mad at somebody because they love Biggie.

I'm not mad at somebody because they think Wayne is dope. Because guess what? All three of them are dope. And I do respect their artistry. And they do got some hot ass shit. So I can understand that and respect that. Of course. But you got to remember when you talk to me you're talking to an MC see people are only thinking about the rap career they're

not thinking about the MC and the one thing that the difference is that MCs appreciate other MCs MCs don't that's not the thing that people think is missing is actually motivation and inspiration that only gives me a desire to want to do better, to make a better album, to make more shit, to make hotter shit, and to prove my case on the music. You cannot talk your way into the Hall of Fame. You can't talk your way into none

of that shit. You can't talk your way into a Super Bowl championship. You have to deliver. So if somebody has an opposing opinion, then you got to respect that and do something about it in the booth but check out his resume homie in terms yes for in terms of in terms of my personal accomplishments because you remember you raised the term validation right well i think i got enough validation if that's what i was looking for however here's the thing

i never set out looking for validation because the whole key to emceeing And the whole key to even life and being successful is to be self-validated the validation comes when you validate yourself You got to have self-validation. You got to be able to look in the mirror and say i'm gonna go kick ass I'm gonna get that job interview. I'm gonna take it to the next level I'm gonna take my life interview i'm gonna take it to the next level i'm gonna take my life in my career and elevate it i'm gonna go i believe in me when you believe in you and you're you self-reference you when you understand deep in your heart and in your soul that you capable of going to the next level you don't need no validation from nobody else i don't walk in

no rooms wishing that somebody would say something different i'm who i am you know what i'm saying yeah like that that's important let me ask you a question go ahead it's record sales it's ticket sales validation does that validate everything is everything can be validation of social everything i'm gonna fucking tell you they like your shirt and it's validation you're gonna go buy 900 so you keep getting validate me some more validate me some more let me say hey got that validation what about your l got that validation got that validation for you partner like what are we doing we're gonna just validate like just be validated like what are we doing man we're gonna roll up some valid got that

validation pack you're like we're gonna just roll up the validation pack you know i mean yes it's like so it's like it's just like yo listen man it's nothing wrong listen i love awards just like the next man right i love accolades like the next man and i respect them too and i respect all of those bodies that get bestowed those honors on me i really do and you do have millions of people who think that ll is the goat it doesn't matter whether they they show up in this poll or that survey or whatever because I see them every day in the comments, right? Every day every day if you go on my comments right now on YouTube and you look at passion You'll see it. But the point is how do you feel about you? How do you feel about your game?

When you step on the court when you step on the field, are you on your a game, right? Are you maximizing your potential or you to be in the best that you could be when you bone up for that bar exam? Are you being are you on your a game you know i'm saying do you need somebody to tell you you look great today like this is real shit right so with on this album on the fourth the fourth that's coming out yeah you believe that you laid your best work down thus far yeah i do and you sleep good at night no I think this is the better person 100% absolutely absolutely shit is hot I love it and that don't mean everybody gotta like it right I love it yeah yeah have there ever been an album

that you put out that you like this shit hey this go to rock, and didn't get the commercial success that you thought it would? No. No. Because, you know, I make different types of albums, and, you know, you have some that perform at a higher level than others, but, you know, that's okay. You pour in the water like it's liquor. I'm going to make you, you got to keep you hydrated.

I got to keep you hydrated. See, I see how you do it, man. You like I get it now. I get it. Yeah, buddy. You know, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. What would you say? I love you, bro. Yeah. No, no, no, no. Wake up with football every morning and listen to my new podcast, NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal. Five days a week, you'll get all the latest news, previews, recaps, and analysis delivered straight to your podcast feed

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day. Subscribe today and you'll immediately be smarter and funnier than your friends. And who doesn't want that? Listen now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I just... I just do what I do. You know what I'm saying?

It's like... It's kind of like sports. Art is different from sports because you can keep doing it a longer time. But that being said, it's kind of like you have seasons where you win the championship. Right.

You have seasons where it blows up. You have seasons where you have a great season. You have seasons where your numbers, you look at them like, you have seasons where it explodes again.

It doesn't mean you're not a pro. Right. You were professional throughout. You're still a pro. Right. But your whole career, you had different, you had your pieces. But you're not going pro. Right. You were professional throughout. You're still a pro. Right. But your whole career, you had different, you had your pieces. But you're not going to have a. You had different seasons.

But you were still. You had different seasons every year. Yeah, you felt like a pro though every year regardless. Right. You know, maybe you tweaked the ankle. Maybe something was, hammy was, you know, whatever. Right. It's all good.

No, I feel good. You were in the studio when Biggie recorded Who Shot You, correct? Absolutely. Did, what was going through your mind? Because it's interesting because I like hearing when people like you're in the studio when Biggie recorded Who Shot You, correct? Absolutely. What was going through your mind? Because it's interesting, because I like hearing when people are in the studio and they're seeing other artists do their thing, their craft. I mean, obviously, like Tupac, I don't think, like, Hov, don't write anything. I mean, Lil Wayne and Hov, they just go off the top of their head. And I don't know if Biggie had anything down on paper, but it's interesting to see.

Because when I went to the Pro Bowl, I liked to see other guys like, OK, I can understand why he's like he is. I can understand why they're like that. So you're in the studio and you're seeing Biggie and he's recording Who Shot You. What was it like? Did you know that song was going to do? I thought it was great. I thought it was dope. And I'm just sitting there vibing with him.

You know what I'm saying? I mean, I just asked him, yo him yo big why you smoke so much weed he said because it made me feel like i'm in the track you know what i mean right it was fun it was just a vibe we was just vibing you may want to get some water yeah it was just a vibe yes we we we keep you hydrated give me joy yeah we. Nah, nah, that was it. He was just vibing. Right. You know what I'm saying?

He was, you know, putting this, putting this thing together, putting, I watched him put it together. You know, who shot you? Separate the weak from the opposite. You know what I mean? It was crazy. It was dope. Did you pass on two tracks from Biggie? Pass on them?

What do you mean? Like, he recorded, like, you were supposed to do those. You were supposed to be on those. No. That's not true. That's not true? No. No, I didn't pass on no tracks from Mickey.

So, Sky's the Limit, Junior Mafia, Claire's Anthem, you didn't? No, but you know what? Now, did the producers send it to me on a beat tape or something? I don't know. They might have. They might remember that more than me. Right. You know what I mean?

Right. Like, sometimes you'll have producers, they'll send to put a tape together with a bunch of beats on it or a CD back then at that era. Right. Send it to you. I might have heard it and didn't. But it don't matter because I probably wasn't going to do nothing with it anyway. Like what Biggie did on it was what was supposed to be. OK. I'm looking at you. You looked at Jennifer Lopez. You run DMC, Mariah Carey, Boyz II Men, 112, so many more in the studio.

Like when you go in the studio and you work with these different artists, do you pick up anything from how they do it? Like you said, Biggie smoked a lot of weed. What's LL Vibe in the studio? Water. Flowing. Protein bars. Yeah, protein.

Oatmeal with protein on top of it. You like that? Right before you go in the studio with no milk or water. Real dry. And I just get it in. Don't quote me. Don't quote me about it. Yeah. Right? You like that? Right before you go in the studio with no milk or water, real dry. And I just get it in. Don't cool me. Right? Like that? Is that better? Yeah, just dry. What's LL's vibe?

You just go in there. I extract all the fun out that motherfucker. Is that some fun? Get rid of that shit. Hey, that's some fun. Ka! Get rid of the fun. Ka! Yeah, just, yeah. So, I mean, so you go into the studio, obviously you've got to, I mean, like when you do it, let's just say for the sake of argument, mama gonna knock you out. Right.

Like I'm, I'm, I'm in a game and when, when the game, like I'm having one of those games there, I don't hear nothing. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's like, it's like everything is just like moving in slow motion. I feel right now So shit is moving in slow motion Is that how you is that how like when you go in the studio and you get on it get in the zone? you get in the zone and you get in the zone and

You know, sometimes you can write conscious streaming it's like streaming consciousness sometimes you um can go back and forth and iterate kind of like Ernest Hemingway um it all depends you know I'm saying um and you know it also depends on who you're working in the studio with oh okay because that you know one plus one can equal three plus one can equal two one plus one can equal four It really depends because they are um Intangible elements that come to play when two artists get in studio together, you know me. Yeah Yeah, that's what it is, you know something kid like Like person might be playing a beat and I might look a certain way and they like I need to change that bass line just

Cuz the way I looked or I might say a verse to somebody and they're like they kind of like okay and I'm like that didn't he didn't feel it let me you know what I mean yeah so it depends it really depends on you know who you're working with but uh in the studio my thing is that I approach it like I've never done anything interesting you know what I mean like like I you still like I'm still I approach it like I've never done anything interesting you know what i mean like like i'm still like i'm still i approach it like i've never done anything ever ever i know nothing about the process so if i'm working with a producer it's like what you thinking i've like i've never done anything wow you know what i'm saying like that's how i approach it you know what i'm saying i don't

i don't go in with like a whole bunch of i know how to do this and I know how to do that. You know what I'm saying? Who has LL been on the track with that you like? I really like the way he vibe. Who haven't you been on the track with that you'd like to be on the track with? You. I think we should do like a motherfucking, like a uptempo let it roll get bold we should remix set it off by b2k 256 year old can't be on no rap album

bullshit now hell no here you go with your bullshit don't be holding me to your status no i said two one one one one listen One. One. Listen, man. No, no, no, no, no, no. I got nothing to do with that. That's your own personal. No. I'm saying you. Don't include me.

Don't rope me into that. I know how you feel. I feel fresh. I feel fresh. I've heard you say that a lot of people, after they reach a certain age, say they feel like they don't have anything to rap about. No, no. You've heard other people say that. Yeah. You've heard me comment. No, you comment on that. No, I'm say they feel like they don't have anything to rap about so they no no you've heard other people say that yeah comment no do you comment on that no i'm saying

they said yeah i'm not saying you said it that's but that's just you have to stay curious about the world and interested in the world see the difference people make a lot of music they make a lot of analog analogies or matter they try to use sports as a metaphor or make it analogous to music and art but it's different. Because as long as I stay curious, as long as spiritually I'm open, as long as I listen to new things that are happening, as long as I care, as long as I'm

really interested in pushing the envelope creatively, I can do anything. There's no reason. Because at the end of the day, if I'm 19 or if I'm 20, the only thing that matters is when I press play, do I like that shit? That's the only thing that matters. 19 or if I'm 20, the only thing that matters is when I press play, do I like that shit? Okay. That's the only thing that matters.

So do you feel that should be the only thing that matters right now? Well, it is the only thing that ultimately matters. Okay. I mean, you might have a few that are a little resistant or hesitant early on, but ultimately when they press play and they like it, they're going with it. People are going to rock to the shit that's hot. A lot of older, a lot of older dudes don't want to respect that. People going to

rock to what's hot, man. You going to be up on the stage like Mick Jagger? You're goddamn right. Absolutely. Can't wait to do it. I started to wear Rolling Stones t-shirts today. And that's facts. That's facts. Absolutely. You know what I'm saying? Yes. Absolutely absolutely you know what I'm saying yes absolutely you know what I mean

you think you don't like let me tell you something if you have fresh fresh legs if your legs felt fresh and your back felt fresh you wouldn't be out there that's a yes no I ain't gonna lie I retired at 35 and and I felt fresh.

But, L, they started moving too fast. You heard what you just said? Yeah. You heard what you just said, right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You made it external.

But your body, you was. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, me. Well, see, I had already been a validator. I had already been validated. You know what I'm saying?

I got them Super Bowls. I got the bronze. Why don't we validate Braun together right now? You know what I mean? You already know it. Well, he's 20. So he's 22. 22.

22nd year coming up. All right. So he's still doing it. Oh, yeah, yeah. He's still. But see, like you, you still have a passion to ride. Love it. You still have a passion to get on stage.

You still have the passion to pack that stuff up, live in a suitcase, live out of a suitcase, and go country to country. Little suitcase. living a suitcase live out of a suitcase Love you go country to love you little suitcase. Yes Little tiny ass suitcase with a whole bunch of shit in it and buy clothes as you go buy shit t-shirts out the airport nasty How about you know, I love New York. I'm good Where's the show tonight? How do you feel about sampling? Love it. You cool? Because I think, didn't Biggie going back to Cali, didn't he?

I mean, he didn't sample it, but it was an interpolation going back to Cali. I mean, Ye has done, like a lot of people use my stuff all the time. Yeah. Do you tell anybody no? Yeah. Yeah. Damn, I hate you. Well, yeah, I got a hater.

Yeah, I'm a big hater. You know, I'm the biggest hater in the game. You know what I mean? That's my go-to move is to just hate on some shit. Yo, you trying to be successful? Fuck that. Yeah. Yo, stop that.

Yeah, cut that off. How do you determine who you let sample and who you say no to? I mean, you know, if it sounds like dog shit, I'll probably say no. Oh, so they got to let you hear it? You got to hear it? What you think? Hey, I'm just going to send you a check first.

What the fuck a check? It was a check first? You hear that record, man? You hear it for the human mind, because they're going to mess around and tell me that. You know, a validation, I can get a cheeseburger bro you know we could talk money later but i can be boy your boy can get a cheeseburger so let me let me let me hear the song right let's start there okay okay let's start with the song let me hear it okay you know

and then we go from there right you know you know and i but i give them love man like i don't i try not to be too brutal with the with the especially with the young artists when they make new music. I don't want to overjudge them. I don't want to A&R their material. I mean, if it's just like, I can't take it, I'm like, nah, I can't do it. But if it's borderline, sometimes I give them a pass. You know what I'm saying? Because I feel like I would want somebody, they you know a kind of approach I don't

understand right so I give them that you know I mean give them benefit I give them better for the doubt I don't want to you know I don't I want to see kids make right I like to see people succeed you know saying I like like I really do man like it I just like even on my new album I got a song called the vow I put three new kids on it that are unknown you You know, this kid, Don Pablito, he's from Southside, Queens. This kid, Mad Squabbles from Philly. And this kid, Jay Sand from Lafayette, Louisiana. And I got all three of them, and they own the new song.

And we found them on the internet, me and Q-Tip. And I put them on there. I made a vow because I got the Eminems on the album. I got Snoop Dogg and Nas and all of these, you know, Ross and Joe and all of these superstar heavy ross and joe and all of these superstar heavy hitters goats and you know artists on there so it's like let me get some people that haven't who've never had that opportunity opportunity i made that vow and so i really love seeing other people win too you know i'm saying you know do you feel that that's a

responsibility for artists that have made it to go back and possibly give other artists that's up and coming an opportunity? You know, it's funny, Shannon. I know the politically correct answer is for me to say yes. I think the real answer is to say an artist needs to do what they feel inspired to do. That's the real answer, dog. You know what I'm saying? Like, I can say, yeah, we're in the building, everybody be...

But that's not... Like, are you inspired to do that? Like, I was truly inspired to give those kids an opportunity. I didn't sign them. I didn't... It was no BS attached to it. There was no contingencies,

no strings. I just wanted to give them an opportunity. Right. And so, yeah, that's how I move. Does that make sense yes you know and then so like i think artists you know like like my new album my only obligation was to

be purely inspired and right from the heart and create something whether it was imaginary whether it was fiction whether it was fact whatever mixture thereof just to give people a home-cooked meal that they can really enjoy you know i'm saying and that's what the album is you know i'm saying i want to talk about this new album because then i want to get into a little bit of your your career outside of music okay the force yeah your first album in 11 years your 14th studio album you have eminem you have naz snootop Dogg, Ross, Fat Joe, Busta, Sweetie, Q-Tip produced the entire album. What motivated L after 11 years to go back in the studio roll his sleeves up and do it

up? Roll them shits up the head. Cut them, make sure they're caps. What was the motivation? Man, one, I really love it. Two, I love the challenge. Because it just hasn't been done. Nobody, you know, in hip-hop is, you know, been in year 40 dropping heat.

I just think that's really cool shit. You know what I mean? Just being in year 40 dropping heat is crazy. You know, like, it hasn't been done. Right. It excites me. And I like what it sets up for the future generation. Right.

You know what I mean? Yeah. Like, it says to them it's possible. Like, I went to a Rolling Stones concert and I saw Mick Jagger. I was like, yo, I was actually playing with their lights. You know, they had a part in the show. I was working the lights. I'm messing with the lights. Well,ger. I was like, yo, I was actually playing with their lights that, you know, they had a part in the show. I was working the lights. I'm messing with the lights. Well, Mick, I'm like, yo, this is, you know, and it was like, it was just like.

It just shows the possibility. He's approaching 80, isn't he? He's 81. Oh. He's 81. Are you really trying to be up there another 24 years? Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah, man. Why not? Why not? Would it make people happier if I just,'m just relaxing at the end of the day it's gotta be what it'll make so they can give so they can pretend in their minds that i'm somehow in their way it's like you wasn't gonna do shit no way you're not gonna like i'm in your way i'm like oh if l would just stop then i could succeed right i don't think so so it's like nah yo i love it man yeah i love what i do i love hip-hop man i love like i love

being called a rapper i love being called the mc i'm not uncomfortable with that and i unapologetically love it i don't have to hide behind any of my other business dealings i don't have to hide behind anything it's i love you are who you are i love hip-hop you know i'm saying and when you see me you get in that hip-hop shit and that's what that's what's walking in the room when i walk in i mean i'm i'm a man first yes and a lover of god and right the god in me and the god above first right that being said and i love my family but that being said i love hip-hop you know i'm saying i i can't think of a better person to ask than you because you that the the very beginning in early 80s

obviously hip-hop been about 50 years but you've been basically almost 50 years is rap dying well you know we got to edit this shit because you can't pause and think anymore because everybody thinks a pause is pregnant and you're giving birth to the worst answer ever. You know, so, you know, like if you stumble on a word, the answer is like cap. Yeah. You know, you know, it ain't got nothing to do with my mouth being dry and the fire was hot as hell. I've been eating chapstick for 15 minutes. Has nothing to do with that.

It's all cap. You know, that being said, that being said, you know, I mean, no physiological issues at all. It's all cap you know that being said that being said you know i mean no physiological issues at all it's all just emotional capping they don't realize that an interview that you don't get the questions you're having to answer questions as they come out so i didn't get a script and i knew what shannon was gonna ask you know if i flub a line don't take it as a lie or i'm capping okay so that being said um i think it's evolving okay because i think that remember the the the hip-hop that a lot of people know about that that emerged early on was rooted in hip-hop culture the rap was rooted in hip-hop yes the so the rap that's rooted in hip-hop culture

ain't going nowhere okay the rap that's rooted in hip-hop culture is still strong it's still solid and that's why you have people putting out albums and that day one audience loving it rap that's not as rooted in the purity of the culture it can be different because it's very pop now and you know there are just a lot of different variables. You know what I mean? Wake up with football every morning and listen to my new podcast, NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal. Five days a week, you'll get all the latest news, previews, recaps,

and analysis delivered straight to your podcast feed by the time you get your coffee. No dumb hot takes here. Just smart hot takes. We'll talk every single game every single week, but I can't do it alone. So I'm bringing in the big guns from NFL media. That's Patrick Claiborne, Steve Weiss, Nick Shook, Jordan Roderick from the Athletic, and of course, Colleen Wolfe. This is their window right now. This is their Super Bowl window. Why would they trade him away? Because he would be a pivotal part of them winning that Super Bowl. I don't know why, Colleen.

Catch the podcast, the NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal every day. Subscribe today and you'll immediately be smarter and funnier than your friends. And who doesn't want that? Listen now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. There's so many variables, man. Something as simple as a producer not being musically trained, but sampling people who are musically trained and thus keeping the integrity of a sound recording. And that sound recording hitting people in their souls because they are musically trained people apart are a part of the creation Whereas if you're just tinkering on the laptop and you're not musically trained

It's gonna you may catch a vibe and catch a moment, but it's not sonically the same I don't want to get complicated with people because it'll drive them insane. Basically what I'm saying is Don't make bullshit Don't make bullshit that was a way all the way around don't make bullshit you know like let me let me just put it in language that people can understand don't make bullshit right you know and it's just like you know no it ain't dying man no you know it's just like it grows and it evolves it ain't the newest thing no more right there's subcultures afro beats has exploded reggaeton and and the latin music has exploded there are other genres that are blowing up so it ain't the young upstart anymore there's genres that are younger and fresher in that sense but no it ain't it ain't it's just evolving you know

but the thing is it's just like look man with these dudes and with these guys and these girls, like, you know, if we're going to only rap about, you know, money and pee only. Only? Yeah. Get a little exhausted. Right. It's like, how many times, how many different ways you going to tell me about that pee, baby? Yeah. I get it.

You know what I mean? Hey, hey, hey, by the way, I believe you. I believe you. Yeah. Oh, no, I believe you. I believe you. I believe you. I'm going to take your word for it. You might have to remix that shit though and talk about something else this week. Just once. It's just a thought.

Hey, just a thought. Rap about something other than the P. Just a thought. But then the flip side of that is, if if i'm gonna talk about money on every song only and nothing else right or running down on the art well i mean look those are all parts of life but it's also you know a dude told me this a long time ago very talented super producer he said things can be in bad taste as long as they don't taste bad what he was basically trying to say is you could talk about all the things that we just talked about, but it's the art.

Are you injecting art into it? Right. Is it being is it artful storytelling? Is it artful? Isn't an artful approach? Or is it just the same old same old? But that's where, you know, it's not about criticizing what's going on. Right.

It's about if you have a different opinion, then you need to get in the booth right right so like my thing is oh ll you feel different you think it should be something well then get in the booth and prove it don't tell us what to do don't tell us how to make make the music that you think you know should be leading the way and then we'll decide from there right so i go kind of more in that space last couple of minutes i want to go l i don't want to what made you decide to say you know what i've mastered this rap i don't know if you use the term master but i've done a lot in this game of rap let me try tv let me try movies how did you come to that how did you come to that conclusion well a couple of things one when you got more than one talent, you use it. And then two, I just didn't want to be a slave to music.

I wanted to be able to express myself in different areas and have the freedom to benefit from what I do. See, I'm in a position where I can do, you know, I can do many things and I'm grateful for that and I have many relationships great relationships with great people and they all give me love and I give them love and I'm able to work with different people different industries and that's a lot of fun I just didn't want to limit myself right Shannon I didn't want to limit myself you know I'm saying when did you realize that you had that you could do other things because it seems to me like early

On you like okay. Yeah, I like the fight I like boxing, but I really want to be no box of 90 NFL thing if that could have worked out I could have been that but you like the rap. Yeah, it's like your heart was into that and now all of a sudden you like well, hey TV interest me too and so do the movies. Yeah, so um, I Mean the short answer um man i just i just you know i just decided that i was just gonna just make it happen i'm just a dreamer right i'm just a dreamer bro like i'm a dreamer i'm one of them dudes that like

if i dream about something if i say i'm gonna do something I do it And I just go get it right and I don't I don't I'm relentless man. I'm relentless See, that's the thing that people don't understand. I'm relentless man, right? Like I'm the guy like if I tell you yo if I tell you yo in seven years I'm behind in your bushes on May 11th On May 11th, you better be ready for the bushes. Right. And it might be the bushes across the street on me. So don't, you know what I mean? So I'm like that dude.

Right. So it's like, I just loved it. I see a lot of myself in you, L. You strike me as a guy that you worked extremely hard to get to a level. And a lot of times people work extremely hard to get to a level and they're okay with that. You worked extremely hard to get to a level and a lot of times people work extremely hard to get to a level and they're okay with that You worked extremely hard to get to that level and worked even harder to go even higher and want to just keep going And want to just keep growing and keep going and keep getting it because guess what apple trees don't retire bro. You from the country

When a peach tree retires this day you have for true You know, I don't feel like giving up no peaches this week i'm gonna chill this season i'm gonna take a season yeah you only get a couple years not to bear no fruit they gotta chop you down you feel me yeah you see what i'm saying yeah you keep bearing fruit in life so whatever that fruit chooses to be you could be a mechanic you could be a girl doing hair you could be a doctor you could be a mechanic you could be a girl doing hair you could be a doctor you could be a surgeon you could be a lawyer you could be a damn uh mechanic or you know you can work in baggage handling at the airport it don't matter whatever it is that you do in your life you want to take care of your kids you want to take care of yourself you want to put yourself through class you want to

take an online class whatever it is you bear fruit life. You know I'm saying you maximize your personal potential You hear doing this a lot of a lot of big haul of you know guys like you high-level athletes they just Let it go right you ain't let it go. No, why you let it go because you want it more, right? How much is enough more right? It's not about so it's like we're in this world to maximize our potential right i'm not here to pretend to like not to be too cool to have goals i ain't got time for that shit i want it all i'm gonna get you out of here on this i think you've accomplished so much in the music industry film industry yeah television

you're an entrepreneur yeah L I'll be honest with you I think the most impressive thing you've been the same woman for damn near 40 years yeah I know my audience want to know how when you the success that you've enjoyed for 40 years and a lot of times when one individual wants to be successful the other individual must be willing to sacrifice maybe their goals and what to stand behind that person to push them forward well look what i do is this man if there are times when i need to go in my room and close the door and relax and take a break, I know when to take a break. Okay. All right.

That being said, when it comes to helping somebody pursue their dreams, helping them become whatever it is they want to become, helping them be the businesswoman or career that have the career they want to have, I'm willing to help and encourage that. And that not only goes for Simone, it also goes for my daughters my son and all of them right so it's a matter of being helpful when i need to be and taking space for me when i need to right you know i'm saying right so i'm not above taking some space i'm telling you i'm that guy oh okay i'll take some space right that being said being said, I'm going to be there. I'm going to help. I'm going to do everything I can to encourage you to go to the next level in your life. And I'm going to be supportive all along the way because I want you to be successful and independent and able to take your life to the next level.

And that's what I do. How did you know she was the one L? Because you knew what you wanted to become. You saw the future. You saw, I'm going i'm gonna do this no you don't know there is no answer there's no right answer no answer so people been lying oh yeah i knew she was the one dog yo you know what man you like that skirt cut that shit out these dudes you don't know i listen you know some things are best just you know let them be let time answer them questions right i'm saying i just put it like this man in life man we got to maximize our potential we got to be you know you want to be the

best human being you could be um you got to have faith in God, faith in yourself. And you got, you know, you also got to allow some things to happen in your life. It's not only about hard work. It's about actually tuning into the frequency that's going to allow some good things happen to you. And it's also wanting the best and wanting to see other people succeed. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's just like when you call me, when you call me the first time about this podcast, it was just an just an idea right this is before all of the big interviews and it blew up and all that i had already said yes yes so you got people watching this oh i don't want to get on shannon now that

they hot because we're three years into making but that's the you said it but i'm just saying you know what i mean yeah so it's like letting you gotta let life happen you gotta let life happen man and if you tuned into the right frequency good things to happen and so you ain't gotta be like i don't try to be perfect you know i'm saying i don't claim to be perfect you know i'm saying i'm not that guy i also don't claim to be like you know off my rocker you know i'm not gonna ruin my life just to be successful it's just like because that's not success right so i'm not gonna be publicly I'm not gonna publicly room personally room. I like to have public success

You know what I mean, but you just kind of live and that's what I do You know I'm saying and then take care of them kids Make sure they can take care themselves and then just get a people love. That's it. How do you what I struggle with L is that? Tough men that's it how do you what I struggle with L is that tough men create easy times mm-hmm easy times create weak kids yeah how do you how did you balance you being who you are but also like you say and trying to raise kids to lay realize that you know just because you're my child, that doesn't mean it's going to be as perfect or it's never was perfect. I get it. I get it. How did you do that? I mean, the real thing is like,

don't ask me for nothing that ain't attached to a dream. wow you know i mean i'm not here to be your personal you know concierge service video games is all you know that ain't my job right like you know my kids growing up they ain't even have tvs in their rooms i wouldn't let them wow why because i wanted them to use their imaginations because that's the where you get the preview of life's coming attractions right their imaginations we good we good you know i'm Because that's where you get the preview of life's coming attractions, right? Their imaginations. We good. We good.

You know what I'm saying? That's where we, that's, right? Yeah. So they have TVs in their room. And then it's like, okay. Custodial account. Yeah, I'm going to do all that. Yeah.

Yeah, we're going to hook it up. But what's the dream? What's the goal? I'm not here to buy you a bunch of shoes. I'm not tricking on my kids. Right. I didn't grow up tricking on them. You know, and also encouraging them to be creative. And what do I mean by creativity? I'm not talking about just the arts. I'm talking about in life. You know, I'm saying like. saying like that's a real important factor yeah you know what i mean because if they don't have that inner desire to create you you'll have rich bums you know i'm saying because it's easy like

listen man you know money doesn't make you more of a man like you can have all the money in the world be goofy as hell right and you just be at restaurants eating with people and eating with you know you'd be eating with a girl and she's just there because she liked the scenery and shit you know i mean like you could be goofy and rich easy you know i mean right so you can also be a kid can be from a wealthy background and be a bum because their mentality right they got a bum mentality my kids don't have that my kids have a wealthy mentality their spirits are rich right because i you know when i was when they was eight nine years old i was taking them down to the stock exchange going around the back showing them oh yeah all of me

trillions of dollars go through here just so they could see what was going on you know what i mean teaching them about being entrepreneurial, teaching them about spirits. And now, you know, you know, the spirit. And now, you know, one has a denim line and another works with me. I rock the bells and my company and another one has her skin line and their mother has their jewelry line. Right. You know, like all of them are working and doing different things. You let them have their dreams, didn't you? Because people ask me about my kid. They say, well, your son didn't play football. I said, like all of them are working and doing different things. You let them have their dreams, didn't you? Because people ask me about my kid.

They say, well, your son didn't play football. I said that was my dream. That wasn't his. Hundred percent. I want them to live their life. Yeah. Because I got an opportunity to live mine. Yeah. That's why I didn't name my son Junior. You know, and I'm a third, by the way. So he would have been the fourth. He would have been the fourth. And then you could have a fifth. I know, but you stopped it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I want him because I Yeah It's all order like, you know, I want him to be his own man, you know, I'm so I'm the third, you know James Smith did we like like probably the 14,000?

That's a whole nother show. Yes, yeah goddamn that's a whole nother show yes yeah yeah but i was the third so it's like but yeah that's the thing man just teaching them to dream and not spoiling them right like you know like i'm not with that man like i'm you know like people like i'm low maintenance man high expectations shannon wow you don't like that low maintenance high expectation no question you know i don't i don't need require a lot of pampering and preeming and all that bullshit, but I want the best in the world. I need luxury around me. But with an asterisk of not all that extra. That comes along with it. Yeah, man. It's corny. It's boring.

Or you're leading with your wallet. You're trying to tell everybody you got money, so that's why they should like you. It's like, come on, man. Who are you inside bro you know when i'm in the gym and we're sitting there on the bench or we're talking or we you know we're doing some curl and they're about to your bank account right you know when can we just have a conversation can we just have a conversation bro like you know i know you got the contract big dog congratulations doc yeah congratulations doc you know what i mean but right so that's kind of like

how i live my life and when i look at artists when i look at my kids when i look at human beings when i look at people i come from that space what up you know i'm saying like nothing changed like you know except yes i've evolved but i haven't changed in terms of my view of human beings i still love people you know i mean the I mean? The one, the only. The album is out. The album is September 6th. September 6th. The fourth. Frequencies of Real Creative Energy. Almost 50 years in the game. The one, the only, LL Cool J.

Peace. Ah! Love it, bro. Awesome. All my life, been grinding all my life Sacrifice, hustle, pay the price Wanna slice, got the roll of dice That's why all my life, I be grinding all my life All my life, been grinding all my life Sacrifice, hustle, pay the price Wanna slice, got the roll of dice That's why all my life, I be grinding all my life you you you you Thank you. We'll be right back. your coffee. The show hits every single game every single week, but I can't do it alone. So I'm bringing in all the big guns from NFL media like Colleen Wolf.

Subscribe today and you'll immediately be smarter and funnier than your friends. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.