LL COOL J Declares Himself Hip-Hop’s Most Important Rapper

LL COOL J isn’t shy about his legacy. The hip-hop icon recently dropped a bold claim during an appearance on Apple Music’s Le Code, stating he’s the most important rapper in the genre’s history. While the rapper made it clear he knows his worth, his take on the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) debate is surprisingly humble.

“I’ma say this humbly, but I really mean this,” LL COOL J said. “I think one day people are going to wake up and realize that LL COOL J is the most important rapper that ever existed. I truly believe one day people are going to say that.”

LL went on to highlight his trailblazing contributions to music, culture, and business. “They’re gonna say when it comes to Fubu, ‘Yo, this guy introduced the whole idea of putting clothing lines. Even before that, he did Troop.’ When it comes to endorsements, ‘Oh, this is the guy who did Kangol and made the Kangol popular before people even did that.’ When they talk about television, they gon’ say, ‘Oh, this is the guy who did incredible stuff on TV and at the same time was still making incredible records.’ It wasn’t just doing TV and using rap as a launch pad. When it comes to business… I could go on and on and on and on.”

While the Mama Said Knock You Out rapper confidently declared himself the most important, he was quick to differentiate between importance and being the GOAT, calling the latter subjective. “Because there’s still a kid that the 2Pac album is the most important album to them,” he explained. “There’s still a kid that thinks Snoop made the records that changed their life. There’s still a kid that loves Biggie or loves Nas for their music and they should and have the right to do that.”

LL COOL J acknowledged the nuances of the conversation, adding, “Do I call myself GOAT on the record? Of course, yes. I will say a lot of things on a record. But outside of being on the mic as an MC, there are too many rappers who have done too many important things for me to try to claim that I’m the one.”

LL’s balanced approach to the debate shows his respect for the legends who’ve paved their own paths while firmly staking his claim as a pivotal figure in hip-hop’s history.