Eminem shows his admiration for LL Cool J in a new documentary.
A few days ago, a snippet from the Behind The Music documentary was leaked which had Eminem talking about getting a gift from the great LL Cool J. Now the first episode of the documentary is released on Paramount+, which is entirely dedicated to the Bay Shore legend LL Cool J. It featured the Detroit Rapper recalls how he turned into a big LL fan at the age of 11.
“I think LL Cool J has been so vital to broadening the horizons of hip-hop,” says Em. “For my eleventh birthday. I got the radio tape. And in that moment, everything LL, I was into it. And I just think about having his posters everywhere. I would say he had a big impact on me early on. He gave me more confidence. Little more self-belief. The swagger that he had, If I can portray that swagger, I can go to school and kids might think I’m cool.”
“You know, LL Cool J got me this chain too. Since I was a little kid, I always wanted a chain. I was recording with Rick Rubin, and I was like, “Yo, can you ask LL where he got his chains from?” So he had these made and sent them to me. “I’m Bad” video, These are the same two chains he’s wearing in that video. That’s crazy, man.”
“I do remember when “Walking With the Panther” came out I wanted to hear that album so bad. There was a hotline you could call. I must have called this f**king thing a hundred times.”
Em continues, “One of the pages that I took from him is how you address the haters. The way he did it and his passion in that song [Mama Said Knock You Out]. I don’t care who you are and how much you hate him, there is no way you can not like this song. “Damage, uh, damage, uh, damage, uh, damage.” Like Jesus Christ. He just said damage four times in a row and get away with it, He made you feel it. He was riding that beat, and you could also feel the passion. He wanted the crown back. That’s why they call him the GOAT, man. The whole blueprint he had, I stole it. Just trying to do my version of that.”
Eminem continues by saying that LL Cool J’s enormous chains and the video it came from tremendously influenced him. He also says that LL had “the full package,” including “the look” and “the swagger.” “I’m like, ‘Yo, I wanted that. That is what made me actually want to rap,’” Em recalls.
In the end, LL Cool also showed love for the Detroit MC. “I love Em. I think he’s such a good dude. It feels good to know that you inspired other great artists.”
Shortly after Eminem signed to Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment in 1998 when his Slim Shady EP ended up in the Doctor’s hands, the two artists had their first in-person encounter. Em spoke about the business interaction in an appearance on LL’s Rock The Bells Radio programme on SiriusXM in 2018. “I’m like, ‘Yo, he’s in here by himself.’ I was buggin’ the f**k out,” he recalled the moment the two were in the same room before the set of “Just Don’t Give A F**k” music video. “You quoted a lyric back to me. You said, ‘Yo, how can I be white / I don’t even exist.’ You quoting that lyric back to me, was like, I think I s**t myself.”
Eminem’s enthusiasm for LL Cool J, whom he refers to as the “first rockstar of rap,” is much more than a long-standing admiration. Shady discusses his connection with LL in a new clip from Behind the Music on Paramount+, confirming long-held fan conjecture regarding a certain piece of jewellery. In fact, LL gave him a chain that was meant to look like the one he wore in his iconic “I’m Bad” video from 1987.
Eminem and LL Cool J performed “Rock the Bells” together on the night of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Then, for “All I Have,” LL Cool J was joined by Jennifer Lopez. As Lopez made her appearance to duet on her No. 1 hit “All I Have,” Eminem and his pal performed LL Cool J’s “Rock the Bells” in the style of a rap war.
LOVE IS LIFE AND LIFE IS LIVING !!!! I was honored to be part of something very special for my friend @llcoolj tonight ✨ #RockAndRollHallOfFame #AllIHave #GOAT pic.twitter.com/bQ8XCkCt7f
— jlo (@JLo) October 31, 2021
Watch the clip below.
