![]() ![]() I mean, if anything, I’m just blessed to have more than one talent. It definitely doesn’t make me feel like anything negated. LL COOL J: It’s funny you say that, because I been thinking about it a lot recently. Does that negate some of your legacy for you, or do you see it as an opportunity of sorts? Tour, there’s also that large swath of your fan base who know you as an actor, on NCIS: LA and more, not as a rapper. The Grammy salute to hip-hop’s 50th anniversary (Kevin Winter) Getty ImagesĭEADLINE: I know you’ve heard this before, but as you get ready for the show at Forest Hills Stadium with the Rock the Bells Festival and then the F.O.R.C.E. It’s not kinda like, “Oh, we stop and then there’s a set change.’ It’s like once that first downbeat starts, and once that first turntable scratch happens, you know, we’re off to the races for the rest of the night. It’s a celebration of all of this music, but it’s mashed up so this act, that act, this act, me coming out, them coming out, I come out - it’s not conventional. Tour is like the Grammys tribute to hip-hop from February’s ceremony. LL COOL J: Well, that’s the goal for the tour. ĭEADLINE: That tribute was amazing, everyone was there, and it was seamless … We performed on the Grammys together, and it was myself and The Roots obviously and then all the other acts were involved. It’s perfect for us because it’s what we love to do and what we want to do, right? You know, we had so much fun doing the Grammys - that’s where the idea was sparked. LL COOL J: I appreciate you saying that, I think it is. ![]() LL Cool J onstage with The Roots and DJ Z-Trip at the 2023 Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks (Getty Images)ĭEADLINE: In a way that seems like the perfect celebration of the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop, unto itself. I think that that’s going to be take it to another level, you know? It won’t be like anything that anybody has seen because it’s not just acoustic, it’s a mash-up of all of these vibes and sounds. So this is a whole new take on live hip-hop performances. LL COOL J: Yeah, so I got DJ Z-Trip, DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Roots. LL COOL J: Well, we’re actually doing some really innovative because we’re combining the band and the DJs What brought you back on the road like that for the 50th anniversary? It’s all going to conclude on September 3 here in L.A. But, you know, the flip side of that is they were curious and showed up.ĭEADLINE: Now, you are heading back out on your first arena tour in decades with The Roots, plus the God MC himself Rakim, Queen Latifah, Big Boi, Method Man and Redman, many more. I remember going to Maine and having to explain to people that my DJ was cutting the record back and forth and, you know, like actually having to do a tutorial on what they were witnessing just so they could have some context, so that they can relate. LL COOL J: (Laughs) I mean, there were people who used to look at us at that time and say, “Where is the band?” Right? “What are you doing to those record players?” So those turntables, I used to call them record players. You got to take action.ĭEADLINE: Certainly, hip-hop had established itself in New York by the early 1980s, but you went on some of the first tours taking it outside the five boroughs. So you got to listen, you got to learn and you got to act. And that is about dreaming, right? Like if you want to accomplish anything, you got to dream. It just works, man - that’s really how it was done. I think, as you grow older, evolve as an artist, maintaining that creative inspiration and maintaining that joy, and maintaining that energy, that jovial vibe. You know, it’s that magnetic confidence - you’re a kid and you love it. People were like, “Oh, who was this they bring it on tour?” and Grandmaster Flash and the Five ended up crushing it and being one of the most revolutionary groups ![]() LL COOL J: Yeah, and you think about the Clash having Flash open for them - there was a lot of backlash, I remember at that time. DEADLINE: When I was a kid, I saw Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five open for the Clash. ![]()
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