The discussion delves into the significant impact of LL Cool J on the hip-hop landscape, as articulated by the hosts who share personal anecdotes and reflections on their formative experiences with his music. Recalling the year 1985, one speaker recounts receiving a record player as a gift, a pivotal moment that ignited a lifelong passion for rap music, largely influenced by an older brother's taste. The narrative unfolds with vivid imagery of the thrill and excitement associated with listening to LL Cool J's debut tracks, particularly emphasizing his distinctive lyrical prowess and charisma. The hosts note LL's remarkable ability to convey powerful messages without resorting to explicit language, marking a departure from the norms of his contemporaries and showcasing a level of artistry that resonates deeply with the speakers. This nuanced conversation encapsulates the essence of LL Cool J's contributions to hip-hop, as well as the personal connections and memories that his music has fostered in the lives of the speakers. They reflect on LL Cool J's evolution from a groundbreaking rapper to a successful actor, underlining the versatility and enduring relevance of his career, which continues to inspire new generations of artists and fans alike.
Takeaways:
The discussion highlights the significance of LL Cool J in the evolution of hip hop culture, underscoring his influence as both a rapper and an actor.
I articulated my personal connection to LL Cool J, sharing a nostalgic memory from my youth that reflects his impact on my life.
It is noteworthy that LL Cool J's lyrical style is characterized by a lack of profanity, which distinguishes him from many of his contemporaries.
The episode emphasizes the importance of lyrical precision and vocabulary in hip hop, demonstrating how LL Cool J exemplified these qualities.
We explored the transition of LL Cool J from music to acting, indicating his versatility and adaptability in the entertainment industry.
The speakers debated LL Cool J's placement in their personal rankings of influential rappers, revealing differing perspectives on his body of work.
Which is interesting because in your rant just now, you brought up my next guy.
Speaker A:
Now, if you're asking me, Paul, if you ask me, Paul, who's in my top five, this guy would be in my top five.
Speaker A:
Now, I know he won't make most people's top 15, but he makes mine.
Speaker A:
And this is my show, damn it.
Speaker A:
So I'm putting him in my list.
Speaker A:
Now I'm about to date myself.
Speaker A:
Way back in the year:
Speaker A:
I got my first record player for Christmas.
Speaker A:
With that record player, my mom gave me some 45 single.
Speaker A:
And I want to say it was a new edition song, like Candy Girl or something, but I have an older brother who's four and a half years older than me.
Speaker A:
And so.
Speaker A:
And that was my brother's senior year in high school.
Speaker A:
So I actually been in rap for a long time because, you know, little brother always listens to what big brother listens to, right?
Speaker A:
So Christmas night comes and my brother's best friend, Joe Burnett, the guy who actually taught me how to throw a curveball, he come over to the house with this album in his hand.
Speaker A:
We put that album on my brand new record player.
Speaker A:
Oh, I forgot.
Speaker A:
It was the record player with the dual cassette on the bottom.
Speaker A:
After we played this record, you know, we went straight to the store to buy a blank tape.
Speaker B:
So you can record.
Speaker A:
You know how we do.
Speaker A:
And so I put this record on and the first thing that came out the speakers was, LL Cool J is hard as hell.
Speaker A:
I battle anybody, I don't care.
Speaker A:
You tell I excel.
Speaker A:
They all fail.
Speaker A:
I'm gonna crack shells.
Speaker A:
Double L, rocks, bells.
Speaker A:
Oh, my God.
Speaker A:
You know, it might be why he's in my top five, you know, Another reason I'm, you know, impressed with LL is because throughout his whole career, LL never really use cuss words or the N word, all in his rhyme.
Speaker A:
LL is a Virgo rising with three planets.
Speaker A:
And another.
Speaker A:
Wait.
Speaker A:
LL is a Virgo rising and he has three planets in Virgo.
Speaker A:
LL is actually a Capricorn sun in the fifth house.
Speaker A:
The fifth house is the Leo house.
Speaker A:
And out of Leo energy comes actors.
Speaker A:
Although LL became famous off of rapping, he eventually transitioned into acting.
Speaker A:
Remember earlier when talking about Rakim, I said Capricorn represents can be like military, government, structure.
Speaker A:
Well, LL has played in many movies, but one of his main characters on TV show is a cop.
Speaker A:
Capricorn.
Speaker A:
What's your thoughts on ll?
Speaker B:
So my first time seeing LL was on Crush Group and he busted in the studio in the office and just said, box.
Speaker B:
And Jam Master J stood up like he was gonna shoot him.
Speaker B:
Like we said, ain't no.
Speaker B:
We ain't taking no more people today.
Speaker A:
No more auditions, no more.
Speaker B:
He said, box.
Speaker A:
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:
And then, bam.
Speaker B:
He just started to flow.
Speaker B:
And I was amazed.
Speaker B:
Like, his energy probably is the thing that got me, but that beat was cold.
Speaker B:
And his energy and his lyrics.
Speaker B:
At that point, I had to have a LL record.
Speaker B:
I had to have it, and I didn't know where to get it because a lot of people don't understand.
Speaker B:
You know, today you can get music anywhere.
Speaker B:
Like hip hop.
Speaker B:
You can get it anywhere.
Speaker B:
You can get it on itunes, Apple.
Speaker B:
I mean, back to.
Speaker B:
Back then, they had record stores.
Speaker B:
And the record stores wasn't selling a lot of hip hop back then.
Speaker B:
You know what I'm saying?
Speaker A:
Small section.
Speaker B:
So I didn't know where to find this song, this guy.
Speaker B:
You know what I'm saying?
Speaker B:
So it took me like, a couple months before I was even able to figure out how to get this shit.
Speaker B:
But once I got it, I listened to it over and over and over and over, over, memorized it, you know what I'm saying?
Speaker B:
It was one of the.
Speaker B:
Just like we said, Rakim changed the game.
Speaker B:
LL changed the game.
Speaker B:
At that point, he became a dude.
Speaker B:
Because at that point, it was all about Run dmc.
Speaker B:
You know what I'm saying?
Speaker B:
But LL came and he came out hard.
Speaker B:
He was a solo artist, and he came out hard, and he dominated the charts for, like, his next three albums.
Speaker B:
Like, LL was the coldest one out.
Speaker A:
I mean, who comes out and names that album?
Speaker A:
I'm Bad.
Speaker B:
I'm bad his hat is like a shark's fin.
Speaker A:
I'm glad you brought that song up, because I'm a bring the audience in to something really personal.
Speaker A:
Right about, man.
Speaker A:
LL was.
Speaker A:
I loved LL So much that he had.
Speaker A:
In his rhymes, I'm the pinnacle that means I reign supreme I'm notorious I crush you like a jelly bean I'm bad And my senior year, I was playing football, and I had a shirt, and it had Pinnacle on it, and I wore that shirt every football game.
Speaker B:
Yeah, you want to be cynical?
Speaker A:
Yeah.
Speaker A:
Because when I.
Speaker B:
When I.
Speaker A:
When I stepped on that field, I was ready to reign supreme, you know, I was about to run over somebody, do something, do some damage, you know, Nobody can rap quite like I can.
Speaker A:
I tell him, must have bound man to put his face in the sand, man.
Speaker B:
And that's the truth.
Speaker B:
How you say he really didn't cuss.
Speaker B:
A lot, you know, which nobody did back when he came out.
Speaker B:
That was kind of before the real cussing era.
Speaker B:
But that's when you show your lyricism, your vocabulary, your mental capacity is when you can get your point across without all of that cussing and stuff, you know, and that's what he did.
Speaker B:
Like, he was one of the most precise lyricists.
Speaker B:
Like, he could he a spit of rhyme, let you know exactly, you know, what he was thinking, how he was feeling.
Speaker B:
He would paint a picture for you with his words, and that's how, you know he.
Speaker B:
That's why he was one of the best.
Speaker A:
What would you put him?
Speaker A:
Is he in your top five?
Speaker A:
Ten?
Speaker B:
Not in my top five.
Speaker B:
And to be in my top five, it all kind of goes back to body of work.
Speaker B:
Like, he's just as talented.
Speaker B:
But like I say, when you start going song for song, at a certain point, LL runs out of songs.
Speaker B:
These other guys that are in my top five, keep going.
