Why was LL Cool J able to stay relevant in music way longer than his 1980’s rap peers?
- Thread starter Street Knowledge
- Start date
<<TheStandard>>
I Am A God
He was ahead of the curve in making music for women and the mainstream and he could adjust to pretty much any era.
Look at the records LL Cool J was making in 1995-1996
These LL Cool J were just as good as anything Bad Boy or Death Row released.....
Now look at what Whodini was doing in 1996.......they sounded completely out of touch despite Jermaine Dupi updating their sound.
Look what Rakim dropped in the 1997 in the heart of the Puffy and Bad Boy era. Gangsta Rap and Street Rap had dominated and he just looked corny, still rapping about microphones. This record didn't even chart.....it was completely wack and out of touch.
If you don't update your sound and connect with what's new and hot, you will fall off. LL did it really well.
Even Mc Lyte did a good job at it with records like Cold Rock a Party (Bad Boy Remix)
Look at the records LL Cool J was making in 1995-1996
These LL Cool J were just as good as anything Bad Boy or Death Row released.....
Now look at what Whodini was doing in 1996.......they sounded completely out of touch despite Jermaine Dupi updating their sound.
Look what Rakim dropped in the 1997 in the heart of the Puffy and Bad Boy era. Gangsta Rap and Street Rap had dominated and he just looked corny, still rapping about microphones. This record didn't even chart.....it was completely wack and out of touch.
If you don't update your sound and connect with what's new and hot, you will fall off. LL did it really well.
Even Mc Lyte did a good job at it with records like Cold Rock a Party (Bad Boy Remix)
DontEemTry
Superstar
Great question, I don't think it's necessarily anything to do with him being a sex symbol, I just think he was never afraid to blatantly go pop with some of his singles. It was risky but it worked throughout the 90's and kept him afloat.
he’s a default template - he was doing movies less than a year after his debut album. he pioneered chick records. he pioneered rap records as pop records. he pioneered dis records. in large part he got nikkas in the gym…Nelly, 50….
influenced pretty much everybody important and somehow always sounds hungry and never took a break
it’s impossible to wash him off the culture when you can trace so much shyt back to him. he always fits in somewhere on the strength of that, and probably always will
influenced pretty much everybody important and somehow always sounds hungry and never took a break
it’s impossible to wash him off the culture when you can trace so much shyt back to him. he always fits in somewhere on the strength of that, and probably always will
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Bigblackted4
Superstar
He got help
Awesome Wells
The Ghost of Jack Tripper
Constantly reinvented himself.
He never got stuck in a sound. A lot of the 80's legends had a hard time adapting to the changes going on in Hip Hop, musically. They didn't grow as artists. So they started falling off and vanishing. L was always able to try different things until he figured out how to operate at a high level whenever the culture shifted into a new era.
He never got stuck in a sound. A lot of the 80's legends had a hard time adapting to the changes going on in Hip Hop, musically. They didn't grow as artists. So they started falling off and vanishing. L was always able to try different things until he figured out how to operate at a high level whenever the culture shifted into a new era.
Why did Big Daddy Kane get such a negative feedback when he tried to switch over?
do you feel the Def Jam emblem(branding) made it more acceptable for fans to gravitate towards LL and not Kane?
Or Kane music afterwards was just that "wack"
This.
BECOMING AN ACTOR HELPED
KEEP HIM RELEVANT.
Him, Latifah, Lyte, even Cube....they expanded what they do and thus prolonged their brands' existences.
Like, LL was/is on a CBS WEEKLY SHOW...mad people see him all the time. Hell, Lyte does voice overs for EVERYTHING, too.
Musically he just maintained some semblance of relevancy after his prime years…he wasn’t really flourishing or being a focal point past his 30’s like that, nah. L is great tho and he definitely had a better career than them other guys you named tho…but we looked at him as an old, semi-washed forefather type dude as shorties when he was like 30, lol, believe that…despite the couple of joints here and there that he dropped that were getting some radio/BET play. A lot of that moderate music relevancy should be attributed to his Hollywood moves that kept him in the spotlight
....because Kane tried to go pop at a time when that was still FROWNED upon, AND he did it in the worst ways possible (soft pop cover songs, Madonna book, etc.).
And since so many in the hip-hop community revered him for his OG status, many turned on him when he did it.
Duke_Droese
Superstar
He was in movies and had a globally circulated tv show.
And, pause, he was a good looking guy and kept in shape.
His career was similar to Will's. The difference is that LL had a better career as a rapper (though Will had monster hits) whereas Will had the much better on screen career.
LL won though.
And, pause, he was a good looking guy and kept in shape.
His career was similar to Will's. The difference is that LL had a better career as a rapper (though Will had monster hits) whereas Will had the much better on screen career.
LL won though.
No offense to you personally, B....but that sentiment is why the culture remains stagnant.
Only in hip-hop is there an AGE LIMIT. The friggin Rolling Stones just dropped a new single a month or so ago, and ere'body celebrated them. Our community doesn't do that and never has, instead it CLOWNS artists for still doing what they love after years of doing it.
"B-b-b-but it's our CULTURE...."
Alotta rap fans are frauds.
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No offense taken G'z, I agree with you 1000%.No offense to you personally, B....but that sentiment is why the culture remains stagnant.
Only in hip-hop is there an AGE LIMIT. The friggin Rolling Stones just dropped a new single a month or so ago, and ere'body celebrated them. Our community doesn't do that and never has, instead it CLOWNS arists for still doing what they love after years of doing it.
"B-b-b-but it's our CULTURE...."
Alotta rap fans are frauds.
We was kids tho bro, lol, when L was 30 I was like 13 I guess, keep that in mind, lol, nig was a dinosaur in my eyes.
In hip hop the youth dictates what's hot and what's not, that's a huge part of the problem imo.