LL COOL J is making a comeback to Hip Hop and gearing up to drop what will be his first studio album in over a decade.
Taking to Instagram on Friday (June 7), the legendary rapper-turned-actor confirmed that a single named “Saturday Night Special” will be released on June 14. It will serve as the lead-in to the project, which he also confirmed will drop later this year.
“Album’s coming in the fall. It’s the real deal, baby. It’s go time. I’ll let you know about the features in a couple of days. Tracklisting for the album is coming.”
LL’s last album was 2013’s Authentic, which was his thirteenth studio effort and his first after leaving Def Jam. It debuted at No. 23 on the Billboard 200 with 14,000 units in its first week.
Earlier this month, LL COOL J reflected on his decorated career while visiting LeBron James’ The Shop, admitting he made some “bad albums” and can relate to André 3000‘s pivot to playing the flute.
“I make bad albums, but I also have some smack, some crazy shit too,” he acknowledged. “But I made bad shit, or shit that people didn’t respond to because that was where I was at.”
Lena Waithe, who was also a guest, then interjected and said: “But at the time you thought it was good!”
LL bluntly replied: “Not always. I’m a little bit of a weirdo, B. Sometimes I make records in a vacuum just because it’s for me and then sometimes I make albums for the culture. I’m very different in that regard, so you can’t really gauge my albums like that ’cause I don’t make all my records for the culture.”
It’s this revelation that the “Mama Said Knock You Out” rapper allows him to relate to 3 Stacks, whose long-awaited debut solo album New Blue Sun was an entirely instrumental affair that partly showcased his woodwind skills.
“Maybe that’s what André was doing with the flute thing,” he theorized. “I can understand it from that point of view. He just expressed it differently.”
Was excited when I heard Dre was doing the beats… then i heard it was Tip instead… then I heard the first single… pure garbage.
Love LL but he needs better beats.
First single “The Force” is not garbage at all. I’m assuming you only heard the one minute snippet, and not the full version.
Nah, that song gives me a headache. Horrible beat
Another Lollipop album for white teens birthday parties! That’s been this dude’s formula since 2002. And people are still calling him the goat just because he’s the first artist to release music under Def Jam flag in 1984. FOH. Overrated as fuck!
LL has made anything worth playing at parties since the late 90’s
Don’t call it a comeback.
“The Force” has been playing on Rock The Bells Radio for over a year, and it still keeps me bored. I hope the album is better.
Can’t wait for that Nas collab to drop. They chemistry in the lab definitely got the fans ear to the streets. Queensbridge stand up. #QGTM
he’s the king of rap.
even eminem worships LL.
Em is a fan of his but he never puts him in his top 5 when he mentions them
Looking forward to this. Its LL, so I will keep my expectations in check. He’s very capable of making a good album, but he can easily make a wack one too.