“It’s about the art, you know? This isn’t any different from LeBron and Steph, or when Jordan was coming in and Magic was going out.
You can be the most popular, the biggest chart-topper, but that doesn’t mean you’re ‘the one.’ Just like how Michael Jordan had to play for himself, some people might say, ‘Hey, Drake’s just using this music culture for his own gain.’ What do you think about those critiques?
It’s kind of the same thing. Critics often aren’t part of the original scene. Appropriating a culture means taking it for yourself without acknowledging where it came from. Supporting it means working with artists who are deeply rooted in that culture and giving them opportunities, not just taking from it.
Just when we thought the Kendrick vs. Drake drama was over, LL Cool J had to jump in on the colonizer vs. colleague debate. Why’s LL getting involved? Because he laid down the blueprint for Drake’s style—mixing rap with R&B. Back in the day, LL was the king of blending heartfelt R&B with hard-hitting rap, and he believes he paved the way for Drake’s rise to the top.”
LL Cool J on Drake and Kendrick’s Rivalry: Who’s the GOAT?
Q: What did LL say about Drake’s rivalry with Kendrick and the whole culture vulture conversation?
A: Let’s break it down. Who’s the GOAT right now, Drake or Kendrick?
LL: Well, you talking about the battle? Yes, I mean Kendrick won the battle, come on. I mean, that’s obvious. I mean, that’s a no-brainer.
How LL Cool J Paved the Way for Drake
Back in 1984, LL Cool J was the first artist signed by Def Jam, with his debut single “I Need a Beat” helping Def Jam secure a distribution deal with Columbia. His debut album “Radio” dropped in 1985, marking the first project released by Def Jam. LL Cool J didn’t just stop at being a music icon; he popularized the term GOAT (Greatest of All Time) in hip-hop. With over 13 million records sold, mostly in the pre-streaming era, LL solidified his superstar status.
A Legend Beyond Music:
LL Cool J, the last of the red-hot loving MCs, once famously said, “Ladies love long, hard, and lean, and now you know what LL means.” He also said, “When I find you, I put all my love inside. I need love. Anybody want to come up here with me? Everybody needs love. Only suckers are scared to love.”
LL also scooped up numerous awards during his career. In 2017, he made history as the first rapper to receive the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors. In 2021, LL was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Even though he hasn’t dropped any new tracks since 2013, his influence remains strong, with many rap icons openly admitting they owe a lot to him.
The Meaning of LL: Living Legend
LL, do you remember a story you told me about leaving Def Jam? You were the first artist on Def Jam, recorded all this music, and delivered all these albums. Then, when your deal was up, you expected a high-value parting gift, right? Do you remember what you got? A cheap watch, right? Well, now I guess you know what time it is.
LL Cool J’s Impact:
Def Jam knew exactly what they were doing when they signed a 17-year-old LL Cool J. His debut album launched both Def Jam and a superstar career. Over three decades, LL Cool J gave us 13 studio albums. From the sonic brutality of “Mama Said Knock You Out” to the silky ballad “I Need Love,” and smooth R&B and pop-infused songs like “Around the Way Girl,” “Doin’ It,” and “Going Back to Cali.”
LL, you know the old hip-hop term, right? “It ain’t where you’re from, it’s where you at.” Where do you live now, LL? California. While rap legends have no issue giving props to LL, some of today’s artists, clearly riding his coattails, aren’t showing him the love he deserves.
Let’s talk about the connection between Drake and LL Cool J. There’s a good argument to be made that LL laid the groundwork for the style that Drake has become famous for. In a 2020 interview with Complex, LL reminisced about his 1987 hit “I Need Love,” which was one of the first rap songs to show a softer, more sensitive side. He recalled facing backlash at the time, saying, “There was a lot of friction back then. The scene was really conservative, and if the energy wasn’t all about toughness and aggression, you didn’t get much credit,” LL told Complex. “In hip-hop, you only got points for creativity within certain limits. Stepping outside that box, especially with something not seen as 1,000% street, meant you got no credit.”
When asked about being compared to Drake, LL brushed it off, saying, “We’re very different artists because I have a lot of hard records and I’m very diverse, but in that aspect of my career, it paved the way for guys like that.”
Both LL and Drake have faced criticism for their songs about women, often being accused of going soft or selling out. However, unlike Drake, LL embraced these comments. In a 2013 interview, when asked if “I Need Love” was a soft song, LL responded, “It’s not soft, it’s the truth. Love isn’t soft; it’s just a part of life.”
Drake, on the other hand, seemed to let the critics get to him. Instead of sticking to his original image, he overcompensated, rapping about mob ties and trying to project a tougher persona. He even compared himself to Michael Jackson and declared himself the GOAT of rap. After losing a beef with Kendrick Lamar by popular vote, Drake deleted several Instagram posts promoting his diss tracks against Kendrick and posted photos of himself at his son Adonis’s soccer game with the caption, “Goats don’t worry about one-trick ponies.”
According to LL Cool J, there’s a key reason why Drake can’t be considered the GOAT—at least by LL’s standards. The GOAT debate, an acronym for Greatest of All Time, is believed to have originated in the hip-hop scene of the 1990s. LL Cool J popularized the term with his 2000 album “GOAT.” In an interview with Change the Game TV, LL explained how he coined the term and gave it its iconic status. “I got the term from two people. First, Muhammad Ali, who said he was the greatest of all time, and then a street ball player named Earl Manigault, who was called the GOAT. So I decided to take GOAT and Greatest of All Time and make it an acronym. That’s when I dropped my album in 2000. I called it GOAT, featuring the greatest of all time. I had no idea it would become part of everyday language,” LL shared.
The term “GOAT” didn’t stay confined to hip-hop. It quickly made its way into mainstream culture, becoming a hot buzzword in sports, especially on social media. Fans and analysts started calling top athletes the GOAT, sparking endless debates about who truly deserves the title.
When it comes to hip-hop GOATs, LL Cool J believes the definition is straightforward: You can’t be considered in that league if you don’t write your own lyrics. Can you be a GOAT if you didn’t write your lyrics? By the original rules of hip-hop, absolutely not. You can be the most popular, the most commercially successful, or the biggest chart-topper, but you can’t be considered the greatest if you don’t write your own stuff. It’s like Michael Jordan playing basketball himself—he can’t send LeBron out to play and then take the points for himself. You need to write your own songs to claim the GOAT title.
Drake has faced ghostwriting allegations throughout his career. What’s even worse than using ghostwriters is the claim that Drake has stolen flows and bars from other artists like XXXTentacion and Big Draco.
I was talking to a friend, and they were like, “Yo, listen to this.” So he plays it, I hear it, and I’m like, what the—? As soon as it started, I knew what he was getting at. The fans discovered it. They were saying that Drake was biting your style. They did a mash-up, putting his verse on my song, and the cadence was literally the same. It’s like, “I teach Drake everything he knows.”
Hold on, you taught Drake everything he knows?
Y’all hear Drake on his first song? Tell me what’s really going on. Drizzy back in this thing already. What’s that? That’s my bar. Copy my style word-for-word, bar-for-bar.
Oh, don’t act like—make Drake do that.
So, yeah, Drake calling himself a GOAT is a bold move. But what about the whole culture vulture narrative? How does LL Cool J feel about that? Colleague or colonizer?
When it comes to the drama between Kendrick and Drake, LL Cool J tried to steer clear of the gossip, not wanting to comment on the wild allegations Kendrick made against Drake in his diss tracks. However, LL didn’t hold back on his opinion that Kendrick completely outshined Drake and obliterated him lyrically.
Who’s the GOAT Right Now: Drake or Kendrick?
When it comes to the battle, Kendrick won hands down. That’s a no-brainer.
As for the culture vulture allegations, LL Cool J recently clapped back at Drake’s ally, DJ Akademiks, after Akademiks claimed that old-school hip-hop pioneers are “dusty.” LL set the record straight, saying, “A DJ basically said that a lot of the pioneers in hip-hop are dusty or questioned how they could have invented hip-hop if they don’t have a lot of money. Let me explain something to you: Don’t think that just because somebody knows how to get money or fails to get money that they didn’t make a contribution to the culture.”
LL also pointed out that no one questions the bank accounts of legends like Miles Davis or John Coltrane. He noted that rock and country musicians are often hailed as greats without their financial status being scrutinized. LL emphasized, “This idea that you have to have money or else you don’t have any value is a bad idea, and it’s a misinformed way of looking at the world and the culture.”
This has led many fans to argue that Drake is off base with the GOAT narrative. While he might dominate in streaming numbers and revenue, when it comes to the true essence of a hip-hop GOAT, many music enthusiasts believe Drake doesn’t measure up. One fan remarked, “Please educate these young folks. LL has longevity. He has hip-hop, rock, and love songs, and he wrote his own stuff.” Another added, “You can’t be the greatest when you don’t write your own lyrics. You’re just a mule when you’re using somebody else’s words.”
What’s your take on this GOAT debate? Do you agree with LL Cool J that you can’t be the GOAT if you don’t write your own material? Drop your comments below!
