LL COOL J was apparently not talking about JAY-Z when he made his recent comments about inactive rappers – at least, according to one person who was reportedly there.
The original quote arrived during a Friday (August 25) performance of his F.O.R.C.E Tour in Houston.
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“Let me shout it out to all you rappers trying to play mystery man: stop fuckin’ up your legacy,” he said without saying any names. “Get on this goddamn stage, man.”
It wasn’t long before fans began speculating that the comment was aimed at JAY-Z, who Uncle L has had a complicated relationship with dating back to Hov’s days as an executive at Def Jam. However, X user @EriqEnigma took to the platform to clear things up on Monday (August 28).
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“I was LITERALLY at this show,” they began. “He and Questlove had just finished performing Whodini’s “Freaks Come Out At Night” and was saying he had tried to get Jahlil from the group to come on the tour but he declined.”
They continued: “THAT’S who his referring to here. ANYTHING for engagement tho right?”
Whereas LL COOL J has spent most of 2023 celebrating the 50-year anniversary of Hip Hop, JAY-Z hasn’t participated in any event to honor the craft that shot him into space. Instead, he launched his “Book of HOV” exhibition at the Brooklyn Public Library in mid-July.
The sprawling display is one of the largest of its kind dedicated to a single Hip Hop artist, featuring “thousands of archived objects, including original recording masters, never-before-seen photos, iconic stage wear, prestigious awards and recognitions, as well as videos and artifacts from every facet of JAY-Z’s professional life.”
Though LL and Jay have both denied rumors of there being an overt beef between them, their relationship isn’t entirely regular either. Things really heated up when 50 Cent dropped “I Get Money (Forbes 1, 2, 3 Remix)” in 2007, on which Jigga raps: “I’m already the G.O.A.T. – next stop is the billy.”
Soon after, LL appeared on BlokTV and addressed the bar: “I don’t even know why you did that to yourself, instead of doing that verse; you should’ve been doing your job.”
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During a listening party for his album,American Gangster, Jay reiterated that the line in question was never meant to be a shot at LL.
“He’s a legend,” Jay said. “I’m not doing that. That type of shit comes back to you …I believe in karma. He’s upset, not me. If he wanna work it out, I’m more than willing to do that.”
