LL Cool J has worn many hats throughout his career. He’s been an actor, a businessman and a TV host, just to name some of his roles. And because he switches his head wear on a normal basis, he’s worn a bunch of hats in the literal sense too.
But as far as his career goes, the 51-year-old announced that he’s returning to his roots as a rapper, and one of his fellow Queens legends will be handling the production.
“I just started recording new music produced by my lil bro @QtipTheAbstract,” wrote Cool J Monday on Instagram. And in the caption he wrote, “In the lab.”
The last album Cool J dropped was 2013’s “Authentic” and before that came the LP “Exit 13” in 2008.
Of course, the album that put him on the map is 1985’s “Radio,” which he released to critical acclaim.
Cool J was signed to Def Jam in the early ’80s after Beastie Boys member Ad-Rock made a young Rick Rubin listen to his demo tape while Rubin attended New York University.
It was at that same school that Rubin ran Def Jam out of his dorm room before he teamed up with Russell Simmons to make it one of the most prominent rap labels in history.
Many may recall seeing Cool J for the first time in the 1985 film “Krush Groove,” where he played an eager rapper wanting to audition for a record label.
“Box,” Cool J said in the film, telling one of his group members to play a boombox. It was right before he performed his song “Radio,” and he’s been wowing audiences ever since.
As for A Tribe Called Quest’s Q-Tip, who’s producing the new album, he’s considered one of the architects of East Coast hip-hop.
In fact, when Queens rapper N.O.R.E. had members of A Tribe Called Quest on his “Drink Champs” podcast in 2017, he told Q-tip what he means to East Coast rap and hip-hop in general.
“You are the East Coast Dr. Dre,” he told Tip, who produced all of Tribe’s albums.
As of now, there’s no word on when Cool J plans to release the new album, but his fans say they can’t wait for it to drop.
“Hip hop needs this🤟❤️👍,” one person wrote.
“I can’t wait to hear it,” wrote another. “Been a fan since I was a kid.”
