LL Cool J is making a bold statement against ageism in the hip hop industry with his new album, The FORCE, marking his first release in a decade. The rapper, whose real name is James Todd Smith, expressed his desire for the album to be “culturally relevant” despite the challenges posed by his extended absence from the music scene.
In an interview with Billboard, LL Cool J, 56, recounted the skepticism he faced when announcing his intention to produce a culturally significant album amid a wave of younger artists. “When I told people, ‘Yo, I wanna do a culturally relevant album,’ people looked at me like I had nine heads,” LL Cool J said. “They looked at me like I was a hydra—looking at me crazy, not out of any ill will, but just wondering, ‘How can you do that?’”
Collaborating with hip hop veteran Q-Tip on the writing and production of The FORCE, LL Cool J expressed confidence that the album meets his ambitious goal. He likened his efforts to breaking the four-minute mile, referencing the historic achievement of Roger Bannister. “Nobody thought it could be broken until Roger Bannister did it, and then a lot of people started breaking it,” he noted.
LL Cool J is determined to challenge the prevailing norms within the industry and is hopeful that his success will inspire others. “Now you’ll see, when The FORCE succeeds, people will believe that they can make it happen, and it’s going to extend the life of hip-hop in general,” he stated.
He emphasized the importance of demonstrating that artists with a long career can still produce relevant work. “If I don’t do Rock the Bells and festivals and show that guys without records in the marketplace can still be relevant, and if I don’t prove that a long-standing artist can make a new record and be relevant, then it never happens,” LL Cool J concluded.
