LL Cool J goes back to his roots in his new album

LL Cool J, a two-time Grammy Award winner, has never lost his rap bona fides. At age 56, the legend is rapping again on The FORCE — short for Frequencies of Real Creative Energy — his first album in 11 years.

His new album, out Sept. 6, is produced by Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest and features several of his contemporaries, including Nas, Eminem and Snoop Dogg. Across 14 tracks, the album tackles themes of social injustice and racism. But, it’s not all heavy; in a collaboration with the rapper Saweetie, the two rap about seduction and lust.

Back in 2017, LL Cool J became the first hip hop artist to receive Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime contributions to American culture. The year before, his star was unveiled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

He’s had a successful acting career in both film and television, playing a special agent in the crime drama “NCIS: Los Angeles.”

The Queens, New York, native rose to fame in the ’80s. He made his first record, “I Need a Beat,” at age 16. Later came numerous smash hits, including his Grammy Award-winning rap performance in “Mama Said Knock You Out.”

In his new song “30 Decembers,” LL Cool J takes a trip down memory lane. During the height of COVID, he would ride the subway in New York City and record his observations. “To write is to truly be inspired by something,” he said in an interview with NPR’s A Martínez.

He also talked about how he’s not hanging up his hat anytime soon.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity. Listen to Morning Edition to hear the full interview.

A Martínez: Tell us about Frequencies of Real Creative Energy. Why did you want to do this album now?

LL Cool J: If filmmakers can continue to make great films over numerous years, and if The Stones and Mick can run around at 80-something years old, which I love and respect — if they can do that, LL Cool J can create art that’s not just mediocre, that’s not like a B-minus, but actually something that, in terms of my heart and my passion, and my soul, is an A-plus project. And present it to the world and touch the culture. That was the point that I was looking to prove.

A Martínez: I read that you had to learn how to rap again, considering it’s been 11 years since you put out new music. What is that process like to learn to rap again?

LL Cool J: I think it’s developing new skills, sharpening skills that you already had. You know, you may have been riding bikes all your life, but never popped a wheelie. It’s like learning how to pop wheelies. It’s like, Oh, you’ve been popping wheelies your whole life. Well, learn how to ride a unicycle.

A Martínez: So a number of your tracks sound like they’re autobiographical. Tell us the story you’re telling in “Black Code Suite.”

LL Cool J: That story is really about the Black experience in America and then tying that and connecting that to my roots all the way over in Africa. And that journey and that world and what it’s like. I think it’s just a raw and honest, fun-loving kind of look at Black culture.

A Martínez: You wrote “30 Decembers” in the height of the pandemic. What was the story behind that song?

LL Cool J: So during the pandemic, I got an opportunity because of all the masks and restrictions. I took it as an opportunity to just anonymously travel throughout New York City. And for me, that was amazing, because I would travel on the subway by myself – alone. I was everywhere, man. From Marcy to pink houses from all up in the Bronx. I was just running all over the city because you can’t create art for people that you can’t relate to. When you’re trying to write songs that really connect with people, you’ve got to be able to relate. And one of the things you forget about is the danger. You forget about real things happening to real people on a daily basis. You could get lost in this little upscale bubble. Everything I documented in that song was real.

A Martínez: Do you still see rap as the competitive sport that you did maybe back in the day when you were 16 or 17 years old?

LL Cool J: Thousand percent. You know, the stakes are different, but I see it as wanting to prove a point, you know. It’s not lost on me that I’m making a culturally relevant and impactful record at year 40. Because, you know, the arts, you should get better — you should be more curious. I mean, I would argue that Picasso got better. Miles Davis got better.

A Martínez: Now please forgive me for the way I ask this next question. So can we call this album a comeback?

LL Cool J: No! Absolutely not. I’ve been here for years, baby. How are you going to call it a comeback when I’ve been here for years, man? How are you going to do that? I’m just in the joint, you know what I’m saying.

A Martínez: They’re going to be lifelong fans of yours who are in their fifties, who are going to play this album in their cars when they’re driving their kids to school. The kids are going to ask ’Who is that, mom? Who is that dad?’ What do you hope that those moms and dads say when they describe the artist you were back in the day when they were young, and the artist you are now?

LL Cool J: I hope that the conversation doesn’t even have to be had that much, because when they press play, they just think it’s cool. Because at the end of the day, the real questions get answered by the quality of the art. I’ve had occasions where people felt like they wanted to tell their kids about me and stuff like that, which is cool, but I don’t even think about it in those terms. It’s like, Yo, this is my music. If this is where you joined in with the world of LL Cool J, and if this is where you discovered me, so be it. It’s up to you. I just want to share my art with the world, share this project with the world, and watch them have fun listening to it.

The digital version of this interview was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi.

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