On the eve of the Grammy Awards, LL Cool J, Michael Strahan, and Hennessy V.S.O.P Privilège Cognac, hosted celebrity friends and tastemakers at an exclusive dinner at Hinoki & the Bird in Century City, Los Angeles.
This year, Hennessy celebrates its 250th anniversary by honoring the unique legacy and heritage that will lead the brand into the future. At the pre-Grammy dinner, Hennessy joined LL Cool J to salute his legacy in music and the best and brightest in the industry today. Guests enjoyed signature Hennessy V.S.O.P Privilège mixed drinks and a lavish culinary experience by award-winning chef David Myers. Read what LL Cool J had to say about hosting the the 57th Grammy Awards.
This is your fourth year hosting the Grammy awards. What’s your ritual? How do you prepare?
LL: You know what, just have fun and and just go out there and try to be myself, not trying to be someone I’m not. Just trying to have a good time, enjoying the moment, enjoying the music, I really approach it like a fan. I don’t go out there trying to over think it.
What artists are you looking forward to seeing perform?
LL: As the host I’m looking forward to seeing all the performers. Sia has an amazing performance. Can’t wait to see Madonna, obviously she’s a veteran, but she is amazing and just incredible to see on stage. I think the whole show in general is really fun. There’s a lot of cool stuff that happens.
What about some of the collaborations?
LL: Oh man we have everybody from Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga to Kanye West/Rihanna/McCartney. There’s gonna be a lot of different really cool crews – there’s gonna be Jessie J and Tom Jones. It’s gonna be fun.
Do you get nervous before the show?
LL: Of course I feel it, like everyone else. I’m not immune to feeling it, but I feel like everybody who is watching it … is watching because they love music … because they’re fans of music, so I just go out there and be myself and hopefully they enjoy it.
Tell us about tonight, this party and Hennessy?
LL: This party is about celebrating the win. It’s about celebrating people who go after their dreams no matter where you are on that sliding scale. It’s about celebrating success, the idea of success and the idea of trying to obtain mastery and trying to be the best you can be at all times. And what Hennessy has done and what they’re doing with us has represented that for the past few years, it’s been great.
