LL Cool J |
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Fri. October 11.2002 4:29 PM EDT |
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LL Cool J: Songs for the DefGrandma spanked him, god forgave him, and at least one fan learned English through his rhymes. by C. Bottomley |
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LL Cool J (VH1.com) |
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LL Cool J may not have called his new album Greatest of All Time II, but he didn't need to. The title Ten speaks volumes. Ten albums represents an eternity in hip-hop. LL was the first rapper signed to Def Jam, the first to appear on
Those considerable laurels havent been rested on. With Ten, LL offers an album to his core audience - the ladies who love him. That means no profanity, plenty of sumptuous grooves, and P. Diddy slipping past the velvet rope to rhyme on After School. For the single Luv U Better, our boy even managed to get the Neptunes to stray from their proven formula. Before popping open the bottle of Kris and testing the temperature of our hot tub, VH1 sat down with Uncle L to talk about his fitness regime, his unorthodox manner of proposing to his fiancée, and the worst trouble he ever got into with his grandma. Mr. Smith proved a knock out. VH1: You went into the gym and lost 35 pounds before making Ten. Do you always go to boot camp before you start recording? LL: Not always. I had to gain a lot of weight and be a big athlete for Any Given Sunday and Rollerball, but that character shouldnt come into my music. It was time for me to shed that weight and those characters - just make the music be raw LL. VH1: How can I lose 35 pounds? LL: You can lose 35 pounds in three months. Its what you do after you lose the 35 pounds that matters. I work out four or five times a week. I have a great trainer. I dont believe in dieting&because youll just die. I prefer to change my eating habits in a way that allows you to remain comfortable. VH1: What wont you eat? LL: Pork. Im not too crazy about scallops, either. [With those] I feel like Im eating someones colon. VH1: This is your last album for Def Jam. Most artists at the end of their contract would just freestyle over any old crap and say, Peace, out. Instead, you worked with A-list producers like the Neptunes and Trackmasters. Why were you so dedicated to making a great record? LL: Im always dedicated to making a great record. I would never cheat the people that support my music and put out any old thing just to get out of my contract. I satisfy the people first. All my records are the best records I can make at the time, but sometimes your best today is better than your best yesterday. You can do your best one night in a basketball game and score 20 points, and do your best another night and score 50 points. This time, my best turned out to be better than my last couple of albums! VH1: Why did you hook up with the Neptunes? LL: I worked with them because theyre really talented and make good records. But I didnt want to make the same record that they made with Nelly. A great producer has to give you what you want, not give you a track thats ready made. We did everything from scratch. We were only going to do one [track] and it ended up being like five! VH1: The Neptunes Pharrell Williams was quoted as saying that you felt God was angry at you for calling your last album The Greatest of All Time. Is that true? LL: Yeah. Even though its a record, you have to be careful. When I said the greatest of all time, I was talking about LL on the mic. It didnt reflect my feelings about a higher power. You can say Im the greatest of all time, but if you mean it [religiously], it can separate you from God. Thats when you experience Gods wrath. So my album went to No.1, but didnt have the legs that it could have. He was merciful; He still gave me the No. 1. Im very upfront about God. I tithe - I give 10 percent of my money to the church. I believe that God, who can turn an acorn into an oak tree, is absolutely the greatest. VH1: Why isnt there any profanity on Ten? LL: I didnt think it was necessary. Two years ago I went to the Hip-Hop Summit and told people I was going to make a clean record. I had to keep my word. Ive done it before. Mama Said Knock You Out was a clean record. VH1: On Paradise you rap about laying a mink down over a puddle for your girlfriend. Whats the most romantic gesture of your life? LL: Asking someone to marry me. VH1: How did you propose? LL: Driving in my Porsche... at like 110mph! I wouldnt slow down until she said yes! [Watch Clip] VH1: Did she change her mind once you stopped the car? LL: No! She never changed her mind - I hope! VH1: On Big Mama, theres one line where you say your grandma whipped you because you got your privates out in class. Is that true? LL: I must have been about eight or nine. I was just sitting there and I said, Hey I just want to show you something. Look! I pulled out my joint. We were doing a little comparison thing. Its vague in my mind, but one thing I do remember is the spanking I got! VH1: Whats the biggest trouble you ever got into with your grandma? LL: When I wanted to make records. She told me I would have to leave home if I didnt go to school. But I didnt get in a lot of trouble with my grandma. I did a lot of things because I wanted to pursue my dreams, but I wasnt necessarily bad. [Watch Clip] VH1: Have you ever written a rap, laid it down and thought to yourself while listening to the playback, Yeah, I got it right with this one! LL: Im funny. Im a very confident dude, but Im not obsessed with my own work. I like hearing [my tracks] on the radio. I like vibing with them. I love the whole body of work, because every moment was different. Theyre all representative of different periods in my life. Every day that I live I get wiser and grow more. So theres no comparison between what I did to what Im capable of doing. You just let it flow. VH1: Youve fought pitched verbal battles with Kool Moe Dee and Can-I-Bus, but whats the nicest tribute another rapper has paid to you? LL: It wouldnt be on record. It would be guys coming up to me, shaking my hand, and telling me that they love my music and have been listening to it their whole life. The most inspiring thing I ever heard is when a guy came up to me and said, I learned how to speak English listening to your records. For somebody to come here from another country, listen to your music and learn how to speak English is amazing. I have a lot of respect for all of the rap and hip-hop artists in the industry. They respect me, I respect them. I dont have any problems with anybody. Its great to see them living their dreams and doing what they got to do. VH1: Whats the most demanding movie role youve had so far? LL: Any Given Sunday. Playing football, gaining those 45 pounds, lifting those weights and banging through that line everyday was rough. VH1: Not exactly touch football. LL: Touch football is like a shiatsu massage compared to running through that line. Touch football is like the gentle caress of your girl after making love compared to being out there on the field. Theres no comparison. I was so sore when I sneezed my butt hurt! [Watch Clip] VH1: You just published your childrens book The Winner Is. What kids books do you recall from your childhood? LL: I didnt read a lot of childrens books growing up. A little Dr. Seuss Green Eggs and Ham. Or The Little Old Lady That Lived in a Shoe. Around that age I was more into listening to hip-hop and watching movies. If Run D.M.C. had a childrens book I would have been like, yo man! VH1: On Ten Million Stars you rap, End of my contract Im the last one left. How does it feel to be the last guy from the old school standing? LL: Somebody was going to have to last from that era to now. Thats just the mercy and the grace of God - the universe smiling on me. I wont question why it was me. Ill just say Im very thankful. As far as those other guys are concerned, anyone who came at the time I emerged & theyre all just a record away. VH1: Looking back on your career, is theres a certain wisdom that only really comes with time? LL: You learn a lesson everyday. Listen to the Rolling Stones! |
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