Preloading

The Real Reason LL Cool J Went Solo

Season 6 Episode 604
Aired on 09/09/2017 | CC tv-pg
At the very beginning of LL Cool J's hip-hop career, DJ Cut Creator—aka Jay Philpot—was the more seasoned artist who helped LL gain exposure by bringing him to perform at local parties. Soon enough, though, LL began to find opportunities himself, like the time he connected with the soon-to-be co-founder of Def Jam Records, Rick Rubin.

When Rick offered LL the opportunity to record an album, LL couldn't wait to tell DJ Cut Creator and the others in his rap group that they could take their career to the next level. There was only one problem: No one believed him.

"They used to always think I was lying! It was the craziest thing," LL says. "One of the main reasons why I ended up a solo rap artist is because the guys that were in my rap group didn't believe me when I told them, 'Yo, we got this opportunity with Rick Rubin.'"

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