TO GET AN IDEA OF HOW FAR BACK LL COOL J'S contributions to hip-hop go, take a close listen to his recollection of a conversation with Q-Tip that became the genesis of his new album The FORCE.
Q-Tip is one-fourth of the revered rap group A Tribe Called Quest; their penchant for meshing jazz samples with thoughtful, Afrocentric lyricism made them one of the most original acts of the 1990s.
Tribe is widely acknowledged as a noted predecessor to superstars including Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, Ms. Lauryn Hill, and others. For most millennials and younger, Q-Tip would be as much of a forefather as hip-hop has to offer. But when LL Cool J reached out to work with him, that emeritus status took on a different tone.
"I called Q-Tip and he answered on the first ring. He's like, 'what up, big bro?!" LL remembers. He recalls the talk excitedly while speaking to Newsweek on a Friday morning Zoom call. It may seem like an indistinct epithet, but it's a powerful one: it's a tone of reverence. LL Cool J is an elder sibling to innumerable artists who surfaced in the decades after him, but the amount of rappers who he can look up to can be counted on one hand. With his new album, he wants to show that he can still contribute to the culture that he helped build from the ground up.
"By me becoming a fan of hip-hop at about 8, starting to rhyme at like 9 or 10, and starting to write around 11 or 12, I've been here since day one. I haven't been professional since day one, but I've been a part of it since day one," LL says. "I found out that I'm more of [Grandmaster] Flash's generation than I thought I was. Now, when I back up and I look at it, I'm a little more self-aware."
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der September 30, 2024-Ausgabe von Newsweek Europe.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der September 30, 2024-Ausgabe von Newsweek Europe.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Carrie Coon
CARRIE COON IS HAVING A MOMENT, EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY NOT RECognize her.
Terry Crews
FOR TERRY CREWS, THERE ARE NO RULES.
Still Doin' It Well
Ahead of the release of his new album, The FORCE, LL Cool J told Newsweek of his strong desire to keep contributing to the hip-hop culture he helped create
WORLD'S MOST TRUSTWORTHY COMPANIES 2024
TRUST IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF ANY RELATIONSHIP-FROM PERsonal relationships to ties between businesses and consumers.
HOPE and HEALING on HORSEBACK
IT'S BEEN A DECADE SINCE ISIS COMMITTED GENOCIDE AGAINST IRAQ'S YAZIDI POPULATION. MORE THAN 100,000 YAZIDIS REMAIN DISPLACED BUT WORKERS AND ANIMALS AT AN EQUINE THERAPY CENTER ARE PROVIDING RELIEF
Is College Worth It?
AMERICANS are LOSING FAITH in HIGHER EDUCATION amid RISING TUITION FEES, UNCERTAIN PAYOFF and CULTURE WARS on CAMPUS
An integrated model for water management
Alkhorayef Water and Power Technologies has deep expertise and synergistic capabilities across the full water and wastewater value chain
Investments that are transforming life in Saudi Arabia
Abdullah Al Othaim Investment Company is creating distinctive destinations and experiences that encompass multiple sectors
A Kinder and Gentler Nick Cave
After a period of personal upheaval, the famed Bad Seeds singer returns with the vibrant and optimistic 'Wild God'
Fleeing War and Scams
Newsweek spoke to three Ukrainians who have been targeted by \"sponsors\" trying to profit from applicants seeking refuge in the U.S. via a humanitarian scheme