One of the most famous rappers “had no idea” he had come up with one of the most popular phrases of all time.
LL Cool J, a legendary rapper from New York, started his career at the age of 16 and has had an amazing journey as hip-hop’s first major solo star.
LL has had a successful career in music, but he has also done well in movies and TV. He has won several honors, earned multiple platinum records, and has a long list of acting credits.
He is a wealthy businessman, a philanthropist, a passionate spouse, and the father of four children.
But that’s not all; LL is also the person who came up with one of the most famous meme phrases ever.
Metro talked to LL Cool J on his first new album in more than 11 years.
LL (actual name James Todd Smith) decided it was time to get back into music after a long absence since his last album, “Authentic” (2013).
What drove him? Keeping in touch with fans and not being called a “part-time artist.”
In an interview via Zoom from New York, he told the outlet, “You can’t be an artist in your spare time.” He went on to say that even while he had never stopped making art, his music had been on the back burner.
“Musically, the pilot light was always on. “I’d always be going in the studio and touching things here and there.”
The tipping point came when LL’s long-running CBS action program NCIS: Los Angeles, in which he played Special Agent Sam Hanna, began to end its last season in May 2023.
He went back to the studio and focused on recording because he had more time.
The end result is his newest album, “The FORCE” (which stands for Frequencies of Real Creative Energy). It has 14 songs and was made entirely by Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest.
Def Jam Recordings, the famous hip-hop company where LL started his career in 1984, is putting out the album.
After his 12th studio album, “Exit 13” (2008), LL quit Def Jam because he and the executives didn’t see eye to eye on creative issues.
But now he’s back on the label, which he thinks has a new vibe. Artists like Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Big Sean, Coco Jones, and Jhené Aiko are all on the label right now.
LL COOL J has also had a great acting career, with more than 35 credits. He has been in movies including Any Given Sunday, S.W.A.T., Charlie’s Angels, In Too Deep, and Deep Blue Sea, as well as his well-known part on NCIS: Los Angeles.
LL says that composing music is his main passion, even though he loves acting.
He says, “I just love the music.” “I don’t put limits on myself. I like making these movies and TV shows, but I love music more.
He has thought about retiring throughout the years, but he always ends up back in the studio. He says that as long as he feels creatively motivated, he will keep recording.
“I’ll always want to record and release more music as long as I’m inspired.”
LL is known for coming up with one of the most famous meme phrases of all time, in addition to his numerous other contributions to hip-hop.
LL came up with the word “G.O.A.T.” (Greatest of All Time), which is currently used to identify famous people, athletes, and entertainers.
He says that the word comes from putting together Muhammad Ali’s famous quote, “I am the greatest,” and a reference to street basketball icon Earl “The Goat” Manigault.
He initially used the acronym in the title of his 2000 album, “G.O.A.T.: The Greatest of All Time,” which went on to top the Billboard 200 chart.
He explains, “I had no idea it was going to become a worldwide phrase and statement,” when he thinks about how the word has affected culture.
LL wishes he had trademarked the name, but he focuses on the positive and sees its success as a sign of his ability for future creative work.
“Being able to touch the world with my art like that is pretty cool.” It tells me that I can be more creative. It tells me, “If I can come up with words for the whole world, I can do big things.”