LL Cool J said he was the most important rapper to ever exist. Sure, I’ll buy it

LL Cool J, the multi-hyphenate artist who released his 14th studio album “The FORCE” in 2024, almost 40 years after the release of his debut album “Radio”, recently sat down for an interview with Apple Music’s Le Code during which He “humbly” told the host that someday people would get up and figure it out that he is the most important rapper to ever exist.

Now look, I’m a fan of LL Cool J. I still remember the first time I saw the music video for “Mama Said Knock You Out” and the way ready I was to defend LL Cool J as the best rapper in the game after the release of his album of the same name. It was 1990, I was 11 years old. I already had good taste back then. I’ve at all times been a fan of LL, although I believe with a while to analyze his catalog might be not nearly as good as it deserves (let’s get back to that). Of course, the one thing that cannot be explained by trying to analyze the world of 1995 in 2024 is what I felt when, say, “Mr. Smith” dropped. The phenomenon that was “Hey Lover” and “Loungin'” can’t be summed up in words; you actually had to be there to understand what an enormous deal LL Cool J was.

And who was involved in all this? L.L. Cool J.

My first thought after I heard LL describe himself as the most important rapper was, “Well, he’s not.” I mean, being first matters. To be the first and still find a way to release an album forty years later, make the rounds in the media and folks still respect what you probably did says lots. For many rappers, LL Cool J was probably a job model (that is his point). He claims to have presented jewelry, partying, rap love songs and bad boy vibes, etc. In the most basic sense, I believe LL Cool J is true about all of this. As the first rapper with a real superstar, it is sensible that he could be the one to bring drug dealer culture to hip-hop; LL Cool J has been very open about the cats he played with early in his profession there have been drug dealers and kingpins. Everyone seems to have given LL this style. Since he was doing it in the mid-80s, he’s right to bring it into the hip-hop space. Or at the least be one among the biggest to achieve this at the time.

LL also managed to switch gears successfully, creating hardcore rap jams and anthems for ladies. He fought rappers and won those battles. LL Cool J retained the respect of the hip-hop community even after assuming the role of elder statesman. And let’s be honest, LL did introduce the most significant terminology hip-hop has ever had (save for the actual hip-hop moniker): he gave us the acronym GOAT, which stands for “greatest of all time.” Yes, he probably picked it up from Muhammad Ali, but he brought it to hip-hop and it’s still there today.

Meaning is an odd factor for one and all. Being the most important person in a complete genre of music is even weirder; I do not think LL Cool J is fallacious about being the most important thing, but I do not know if it’s price delving deeper into it either. I believe the more you dig, the easier it will likely be to find spaces that may dispel his own ideas.

With that in mind, it also seems that not too many individuals didn’t feel strong enough opposition to LL for an actual conversation to occur. None of the rappers who might need sensed it said anything, possibly because LL was the North Star in his youthful journey. Maybe not the just one, but a North Star nonetheless – and what’s the point of arguing for something that, until he said it, nobody else seemed to have considered? Have all of us wondered who the biggest rapper of all time is? Sure, and we’ll argue about it eternally. But most importantly? There are almost too many aspects to consider. Is it price arguing with a one that has “humbly” decided HE is the one who has been around long enough, successful and relevant long enough to make valid claims? Probably not.

So go ahead, LL. You got this, brother. And for those who’re not the most important, you are definitely one among the most important. The thing is, it’s not even price searching for the “right” answer.

LL Cool J, the best ever.