“Word, I’m here to crush all my peers/
Rhymes of the month in The Source for twenty years.”
Just in case you were unaware, LL Cool J‘s “I Need a Beat” and the Beastie Boys‘ “Rock Hard” were the first releases with Def Jam Recording‘s catalog numbers. With that being said, it comes as a major surprise that neither of the aforementioned artists are on the line up for Def Jam’s 30th Anniversary concert. According to the label’s site: Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, DMX, Fabolous, Foxy Brown, Jhené Aiko, Onyx, Method Man, Redman, Ashanti, Ja Rule, Warren G, EPMD, and Jeremih will perform during the historic, one-night-only event at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. While the label gives a nod to artists both past and present — all classic, nonetheless — for the event, they fail to incorporate the originators.
Back in 2007, MTV documented the slight riff LL had with the storied label over promotion for his album, Exit 13. He went on to say:
“These guys fail to realize that when you talk about Def Jam, you’re talking about my legacy. Everything that ever happened at Def Jam is my legacy. Without me being a 16-year-old with my rhyme book, Def Jam [wouldn’t] exist. Everything that’s ever been a success up there is a product of me, and I’ve given birth to it.”
When Cool J phoned in to Mina SayWhat of Power 99‘s Rise & Grind Morning Show earlier this week, she spoke on his legacy, and asked why he wasn’t on the bill. After a long pause, Mr. Smith responded with, “They didn’t reach out to me.” Shortly after, he added, “They know my phone number — it ain’t too late. We’ll see what happens. If they want to call me, I’m cool. If not, then it is what it is.”
Mina then asked the rapper-turned-actor if the seemingly blatant slight hurt his feelings. LL responded with, “Hurt my feelings? [Laughs] Nah, if I didn’t own my catalogue, maybe it would hurt my feelings… but we’ll see what happens. You never know.”
Lisen to the interview in its entirety HERE
When Jamaal was born, he opted for the name LL Cool J, but it was already taken. Help him cope by following on twitter — @jamaalfisher
