LL COOL J is back! The iconic rapper amazed fans by announcing on Instagram that he’s set to release his first studio album in more than a decade. He dropped the exciting news on Friday, June 7, stating that his new single, ‘Saturday Night Special,’ will be out on June 14, leading up to the album release later this year.
With the album set to drop in the fall, LL COOL J promised more updates soon, including the track listing and featured artists. ‘Album’s coming in the fall. It’s the real deal, baby. It’s go time. I’ll let you know about the features in a couple of days. Tracklisting for the album is coming,’ he shared.
This upcoming album will be LL’s first since ‘Authentic’ in 2013, which debuted at No. 23 on the Billboard 200, selling 14,000 units in its first week. Back then, it marked his departure from Def Jam.
Earlier this month, LL COOL J appeared on LeBron James’ show, ‘The Shop,’ where he nostalgically talked about his career. Reflecting on his journey, he admitted to creating some ‘bad albums’ but also acknowledged his many hits. ‘I make bad albums, but I also have some smack, some crazy shit too,’ he confessed. ‘But I made bad shit, or shit that people didn’t respond to because that was where I was at.’
Interestingly, LL revealed that his approach to making music varies. ‘Sometimes I make records in a vacuum just because it’s for me and then sometimes I make albums for the culture. I’m very different in that regard, so you can’t really gauge my albums like that ’cause I don’t make all my records for the culture,’ he said.
He also drew parallels between his journey and André 3000’s recent pivot to playing the flute, as seen in André’s instrumental album, ‘New Blue Sun.’ LL understands André’s seemingly unusual choices, stating, ‘Maybe that’s what André was doing with the flute thing. I can understand it from that point of view. He just expressed it differently.’
Fans of LL COOL J have a lot to look forward to with the upcoming album and single. With the rapper’s history of blending personal passion and cultural milestones, this new project promises to be another intriguing chapter in his legendary career.
