At age 56, LL is rapping again on The FORCE — short for Frequencies of Real Creative Energy — his first album in 11 years.
The veteran MC dropped by The Breakfast Club to talk about his 14th studio album The FORCE via Def Jam Recordings/Virgin Music Group. The album, executive produced by Q-Tip, begins with his brand-new collaboration alongside Snoop Dogg “Spirit of Cyrus” followed by the title track. From there, the Queens, N.Y. native serves up songs like “Saturday Night Special” with Fat Joe & Rick Ross, “Black Code Suite” featuring Sona Jobarteh and his Saweetie-assisted “Proclivities.” LL closes out the 14-track project with “Huey In The Chair” featuring Busta Rhymes, “Praise Him” with Nas, “Murdergram Deux” featuring Eminem and “The Vow” with Don Pablito, J-S.A.N.D. and Mad Squablz.
His new album, out Sept. 6, is produced by Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest and features several of his contemporaries, including Nas, Eminem and Snoop Dogg. Across 14 tracks, the album tackles themes of social injustice and racism. But, it’s not all heavy; in a collaboration with the rapper Saweetie, the two rap about seduction and lust. Back in 2017, LL Cool J became the first hip hop artist to receive Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime contributions to American culture. The year before, his star was unveiled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He’s had a successful acting career in both film and television, playing a special agent in the crime drama “NCIS: Los Angeles.”