LL Cool J Reteaches Himself to Rap on ‘The FORCE,’ First Album in 11 Years

NEW YORK (AP) — Grammy award-winning rapper-actor-author LL COOL J is set to release his first new album in 11 years, titled “The FORCE.” This album marks 40 years into his illustrious hip-hop career and is scheduled for release in September.

Although he hasn’t been entirely absent from the music scene, LL COOL J shared he has been tinkering in the studio occasionally over the years. However, it was only in the past two years that inspiration truly struck, prompting him to collaborate with a producer and take music-making more seriously.

He encountered a significant challenge during this process. “I just felt like the tracks that this producer was giving me were better than the songs that I was writing,” he admitted. Then, he had a dream where the late Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest appeared. “He told me, ‘Yo, man, that new music you’re working on is great, man.’ But he had a look on his face like a Cheshire cat, like he was lying to me,” LL COOL J recounted.

This dream served as a wakeup call. He decided to reach out to Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest, leading to a fruitful collaboration. Q-Tip ended up producing every track and making all the beats on “The FORCE,” set to release on September 6.

LL COOL J described the album’s creation as “going back to the drawing board and learning how to rap again.” He emphasized the importance of being inspired by his words, which is why the album lacks unnecessary content.

He likened his process to that of elite athletes: “The LeBrons, the Stephs, the Jordans, and the Kobes, they all go back to the drawing board, they always try to make themselves better,” he said. “I wasn’t trying to do trendy, and I wasn’t trying to recapture anything I did before.”

“The FORCE” is an inventive rap record that reflects LL COOL J’s extensive career. It tackles various themes, such as self-motivation in “Passion,” full-force swagger in “Murdergram Deux” featuring Eminem, and sensuality in “Proclivities” featuring Saweetie. It also includes cautionary tales, as heard in the lead single “Saturday Night Special” featuring Rick Ross and Fat Joe.

Particularly notable are tracks like “Huey in the Chair,” referencing Black Panther Party co-founder Huey P. Newton, symbolizing “taking a stand for what you believe in.” This flows into the funky “Basquiat Energy,” celebrating artist Jean-Michel Basquiat’s innovative spirit. LL COOL J believes these American icons share an ability to “express their personal truths,” a goal he pursued for this album.

The acronym “The FORCE” stands for “frequencies of real creative energy,” which became an unofficial mantra for the album. “That’s what we wanted to present to the world,” he explained. “It’s about wanting to vibrate at a high level.”

Following hip-hop’s 50th anniversary last year, LL COOL J aimed to demonstrate that artists with long, storied careers can still make significant, modern contributions to hip-hop. “I wanted to show people that artists that have had long storied careers, so to speak, can make modern contributions to hip-hop that have a major impact. I hadn’t seen that done before,” he revealed. It was another challenge for him: creating something new and fresh.

This album isn’t about succumbing to trends; expect genuine rap. Yet, it’s not a nostalgia trip either. The album features a star-studded lineup beyond Ross, Fat Joe, Saweetie, and Eminem, including Snoop Dogg, Sona Jobareth, Busta Rhymes, Nas, Mad Squablz, J-S.A.N.D., and Don Pablito.

“The one thing I wanted to do is, I wanted to meet people where I’m at now. I wasn’t trying to be preachy,” LL COOL J stated. “I’m not trying to tell people necessarily how to live. I did want to express with people where I’m at artistically at this point in my life and give them that. And then they can take that and do whatever they want with it.”

“The FORCE” Track List:

1. “Spirit of Cyrus” (feat. Snoop Dogg)
2. “The FORCE”
3. “Saturday Night Special” (feat. Rick Ross and Fat Joe)
4. “Black Code Suite” (feat. Sona Jobarteh)
5. “Passion”
6. “Proclivities” (feat. Saweetie)
7. “Post Modern”
8. “30 Decembers”
9. “Runnit Back”
10. “Huey In Da Chair” (feat. Busta Rhymes)
11. “Basquiat Energy”
12. “Praise Him” (feat. Nas)
13. “Murdergram Deux” (feat. Eminem)
14. “The Vow” (feat. Mad Squablz, J-S.A.N.D., and Don Pablito)

Source: AP