Just starvin’ like Marvin for a Cool J. song!
LL Cool J might be known nowadays for his work on CBS’ NCIS: Los Angeles, but decades before his acting career, he was just a kid with a dream trying to make out of the hood.
In this episode of Complex’s Magnum Opus, LL recalls how his demo tape got in the hands of Rick Rubin, after rocking park jams and block parties in Queens. He called the Def Jam offices numerous times before he got heard, when Ad-Rock from the Beastie Boys listened to his demo. From there, Rubin brought him in to record more music and they pressed up “I Need A Beat” before Def Jam signed a distribution deal with Columbia Records.
Russell Simmons, DJ Cut Creator and DMC from Run D.M.C. all look back at that time in the early Def Jam days, speaking on the competition they faced against each other after every artist topped one another with every single that blew up. Even from the early days, they remember LL being a ladies man and being called a sex symbol, something that they never envisioned.
Rubin also tells the story of how “Rock The Bells” was formed, taking a break beat and piecing together different raps from Cool J’s notebook. They didn’t know how big that record would blow up at the time, but it caught fire and was different than anything out at the time.
Listen to how one of the most recognizable records in Hip-Hop history was crafted, from all of the people involved and those were there to witness history.
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