The rapper LL Cool J didn’t know he’d coined a popular meme phrase until years later.
The legendary New York rapper, who kicked off his career 40 years ago at just 16, has had an extraordinary journey as hip-hop’s first major solo star.
In addition to his celebrated music career, LL has conquered the worlds of film and television, earning multiple platinum records, a series of awards, and an impressive catalog of acting credits.
He’s also a successful businessman, philanthropist, devoted husband, and father of four.
But that’s not all – he’s also the inventor of one of the most popular meme phrases of all time.
LL Cool J spoke to Metro about his first new album in over 11 years.
After a long break since his last album, ‘Authentic’ (2013), LL (real name James Todd Smith) decided it was time to return to music.
His motivation? Staying connected to fans and avoiding the label of a ‘part-time artist.
“You can’t be an artist in your spare time,” he told the outlet in an interview over Zoom from New York, explaining that while he’d never stopped creating, his music had been on the back burner.
“Musically, the pilot light was always on. I’d always be going in the studio and touching things here and there.”
The turning point came when his long-running CBS action drama NCIS: Los Angeles, where LL starred as Special Agent Sam Hanna, began wrapping up its final season in May 2023.
With more time on his hands, he headed back to the studio and focused on recording.
The resulting project is his latest album, ‘The FORCE’ (an acronym for Frequencies of Real Creative Energy), a 14-track collaboration produced entirely by Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest.
The album arrives via Def Jam Recordings, the iconic hip-hop label where LL started his career in 1984.
LL had left Def Jam after his 12th studio album, ‘Exit 13’ (2008), due to creative differences with the executives.
But now, he’s re-signed, drawn back by what he sees as a revitalized energy at the label, which is currently home to artists like Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Big Sean, Coco Jones, and Jhené Aiko.
Beyond music, LL COOL J has established an impressive acting career with over 35 credits, including roles in Any Given Sunday, S.W.A.T., Charlie’s Angels, In Too Deep, and Deep Blue Sea, in addition to his well-known role on NCIS: Los Angeles.
Despite his love for acting, LL admits that making music is his true passion.
“I just love the music,” he says. “I don’t limit myself. I do enjoy doing these films and television shows, but I just love music more.”
Over the years, he’s considered retirement but ultimately finds himself drawn back to the studio, explaining that as long as he feels creatively inspired, he’ll keep recording.
“As long as I’m inspired, I will always want to record and release more music.”
Among his many contributions to hip-hop, LL is credited with coining one of the most famous meme phrases of all time!
LL invented the term ‘G.O.A.T.’ (Greatest of All Time), a title now commonly used to describe top athletes, entertainers, and iconic figures.
He explains that the term came from combining Muhammad Ali’s famous declaration: “I am the greatest,” with a nod to street basketball legend Earl ‘The Goat’ Manigault.
He first used the acronym in the title of his 2000 album, ‘G.O.A.T.’ Featuring James T. Smith: The Greatest of All Time, which went on to top the Billboard 200 chart.
Reflecting on the cultural impact of the term, he says: “I had no idea it was gonna become a worldwide phrase and statement.”
Although he wishes he’d trademarked the term, LL focuses on the positive, seeing its success as a reminder of his potential for future creative impact.
“To be able to touch the world through my art like that is pretty dope. What it says to me is that I can do more creatively. It says to me, if I’m capable of creating terminology for the entire globe, I can do some big things.”