LL COOL J has called out rap veterans who now only make sporadic appearances in the Hip Hop space — and many fans think he was referring to JAY-Z.
During a Friday (August 25) performance of his F.O.R.C.E Tour in Houston, LL took a minute to bring attention to MCs who have eased into their legacy by becoming inactive as performers and recording artists.
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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 he has had a complicated relationship with dating back to Hov’s days as an executive at Def Jam.
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“LL is arguably more important to Hip Hop than Jay z ever was,” one social media user commented under the TikTok of the brief rant, while another took a different stance and wrote: “Jay Z doesn’t have to do anything but take care of himself and his wonderful family.”
Some fans even pointed out that the clip’s caption is a reach, with one saying: “Did I miss the part where he called out Jay ?”
@welldamntv Ll cool jay calls out jay z for thinking hes too good to rap anymore #fyp#jayz#illuminati#freemasons#hiphop50
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.”
