Superlatives
A Vulture series in which artists judge the best and worst of their own careers.
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Forty years into being Americas Poet Laureate of Braggadocio, LL Cool Js legacy remains unparalleled.
In essence,R.I.P.
However, the undisputed king of scorched-earth wax battles couldnt pick one of his many lyrical TKOs.
They dont really occupy a lot of space in my head, he says.
Greatest song
I would say Doin It.
It was a different time, so the explicit version isnt even really explicit in this day and age.
But at that time it wasrisque.
I mean, itssexy, but its pretty mild compared to whats going on now.
You know, they talking about brown booty holes now.
Baddest bar
It would have to be Dont call it a comeback.
Its not just about hip-hop and LL.
It transcends all that.
People go through things and switch their lives up and use Dont call it a comeback.
It just says so much.
Tiger Woods had that moment he came back and said,Dont call it a comeback.
At the time, people had essentially written me off.
That was a song that was written out of frustration.
I was clawing my way back.
I was snatching victory out of the jaws of defeat.
It was like a buzzer beater, you know?
It came to me.
A lot of my lyrics just come to me.
When you get out of the way, they just pop in your head.
Yo, I completely blew that one.
Like, in terms of my intention versus how it came off to people.
Like, I missed the mark crazy.
And it always bothered me because my intention wasabsolutelynot how it came off.
But you think its vegan still, you know what I mean?
I completely screwed that one up and didnt mean to.
And then it goes Gold, which is really fucking bizarre.
I dont even have a copy of the plaque.
I never even asked for one.
Like, I made songs that just werent great songs.
I can live with that.
That shit was the worst.
I think it was just the idea that, somehow, I was looking to appease racists.
Yo, bro, that is not what I meant.
And then we could see what else can happen from there.
But instead, I said the iron chains and the durag …
It just was a bad metaphor.
It was just all wrong.
Best music video
That was a time when MTV didnt really play many rap videos.
I thoughtMartha Quinnwas cool.
I had the Im Bad video.
That one was really good too, but it didnt get the same play.
I wasnt getting those same looks, so it was a little bit tougher for me.
Toughest battle opponent
Canibus.
Him and Moe Dee both came at me really hard.
Canibus came at me the hardest.
He just couldnt tackle me.
Moe Dee did as well with Death Blow.
You know, with the L lower lack, living in limbo, laborious …
I remember being a little kid listening to this shit, like,The fuck is he talking about?
Just turn that shit off.And then Canibus getting Mike Tyson on Second Round K.O.
Me and Mike were cool.
He didnt know what song he was getting on.
At least thats what Id like to think.
It was just Team USA in South Sudan, thats all.
I still got the point.
I still walked away with the trophy.
It was more like Steph and LeBron playing against each other.
It wasnt me not liking them personally and hating them or having any real ill will toward them.
It was just like, we did what we did, we said what we said, cool.
We could shake hands after the game.
It wasnt that deep.
Song that should have knocked them out
Its on alittle indie album I did.
Its the only album I did that wasnt on Def Jam.
Not Leaving You Tonight.
That should have been bigger.
It should have played on every station in the country.
And I just was in a bubble.
I made that experimental album and I didnt focus.
So Im not blaming anyone.
I cant really point the finger.
This is kind of a little corny and presumptuous, but it should have went on its own.
Its just that good to me.
These lines on my face are a sign of the times.
Like, come on, bro talking about growing older and maturing, and the sound of that.
I remember playing that song for Rick Rubin and he was like, Wow, thats really special.
One day, somebody will be smart enough to remake that song and it will go through the roof.
Most fun he had in a film role
In Too Deep.
Like, that was right up my alley.
I loved everything about it, man.
It was loose, it was street, it was ghetto.
It was enjoyable playing a completely different person.
And working with Robin Williams onToyswas super-fun.
Matter of fact, Ill give you three:Halloween H20.
Jamie Lee Curtis was great.
She was so fun to work with.
Cringiest role
ProbablyRollerball.
Why are you and Chris Klein in a fucking van?That shit was ridiculous, man.
But you know, I didnt know no better.
I look back on it like, Not your best work.
I watched that shit at the premiere and walked outta that motherfucker like, Welp, that happened.
Me and Chris Klein should apologize to each other for that bullshit.
Wildest place G.O.A.T.
has entered the lexicon
Throat goat.
Yo, G.O.A.T., that went everywhere, B.
The fact that it made it all the way there, thats kind of bananas.
Moment onThe FORCEthat does it to these meatballs
Murdergram Deux, for sure.
Q-Tip played the beat.
I actually watched him create a lot of it.
It was absolutely amazing to me.
Because of the choppiness in the tempo, I felt like Eminem would be perfect for it.
We ended up going to L.A. to Dr. Dres studio.
I would go in and write my verse and record mine in the booth.
He would go in and write his verse, record in the booth.
I think its the perfect example of what I was saying when I made that comment.
And I remember how many people were like, Oh, we dont need this.
Thats the nature of the beast.
It is what it is.
But I think that it definitely delivers.
I think this took that idea of the display of skill to another level.
We sound like a rap group.
Hardest Song to Write
Ive never had a hard song to write.
I never had one of those.
