For two decades, LL Cool J served as the link between the classic Def Jam era ushered in by Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin and today’s contemporary version. No longer the flagship artist at Hip Hop’s top label, LL talked with Tim Westwood about his time on top, and continuing to build brand via his book LL Cool J’s Platinum 360 Diet and Lifestyle and his top rated show, “NCIS: Los Angeles.”
“I haven’t always made the right decisions, but I’ve been about that,” LL said. “I sold my ownership in Def Jam early. I’m obviously one of the founders of the company, but I sold that a little early. I should have held on to that. It’s kind of like baseball. A guy who hits the ball three out of ten times will end up in the hall of fame for hitting .300. But he missed more than he hit. So I missed a lot, but I made a few too.”
LL even poked fun at himself for an overblown feud with Jay-Z, which he eventually cleared up, jokingly laughing while repeating his now-infamous quote about Exit 13, “It was a hot album. They just didn’t promote it right!”
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LL Cool J’s Platinum 360 Diet and Lifestyle is in stores now, and “NCIS: Los Angeles” premiered its first episode of season two Tuesday, September 21. LL did not speak further on his previous statements regarding continuing with a fourteenth album.
