THINGS THEY SAY: LL COOL J’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO HIP HOP

“First of all, I am the first solo rap artist period in the world to really blow up in hip-hop on the whole planet; that’s one contribution, that’s a starting point. I took my shirt off too, that’s another starting point, but Melle Mel might have beat me to that (laughs). I introduced the big gold chains, the Champagne, the models, the diamonds, the (Mercedes) Benzs — I did all that on (1989’s) “Walking With a Panther” and got eaten alive for the same things that they celebrate everybody for now. If you look at “Walking With the Panther” the album cover and you look at the front and back, I got crucified and persecuted for stuff people love now. So I bought that to the game: the diamonds, the ice, the flash. … (Also) I made love songs a necessary part of any hip-hop album. Before I did it, if you did a love song, you was soft, corny, ridiculous, (but) once I go out and get stabbed up 95 times and make it OK. They tenderized me like a steak, stuck me with forks all over, then they come after and drop it, and it’s OK”.