Rap icon LL Cool J took the stage at the MTV Video Music Awards for the first time in nearly 30 years on Wednesday night (September 11) to lead a tribute to the legendary Def Jam label, which (like the the VMAs) celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.
LL was inducted by fellow hip-hop great Busta Rhymes, who called him “a true trailblazer… also my hero. He's not only a hip-hop innovator, he's not only a godfather, a great friend and a mentor – he was the first artist to release an album on Def Jam and a force to be reckoned with.” (Busta also provided vocals on the new LL album The Forceand shouted, “I'm proud to say I'm on this album too, baby!!“)
Joined by DJ Z-Trip, LL kicked off his set with the first verse and chorus of his 2004 hit “Headsprung,” as crowds of fans donned his iconic red Kangol hat — some holding photos of a goat, in relation to LL. Having popularized the phrase “GOAT” (referring to “greatest of all time”) with his 2000 album of that name — he set the stage.
Public Enemy's Chuck D and Flavor Flav then briefly took over for a rendition of their group's 1988 classic “Bring the Noise,” before Z-Trip delivered a string of top LL classics: “Mama Said Knock You Out “, “Rock the Bells”, “Around the Way Girl” and “Goin' Back to Cali”.
From there, the rapper segued into “Passion,” off his new single The Force album — he stops to shout out to someone in the crowd, “That's a nice green shirt” — and the breakthrough single “Proclivities,” which also features Saweetie and intersperses LL's 1990 hit “Jingling Baby.” Eventually, LL went from “Proclivities” to his R-rated Mr. Smith crushed “Doin' It,” which he performed during his last VMA stage appearance in 1996.
LL Cool J is a two-time MTV Video Music Awards winner: “Mama Said Knock You Out” won Best Rap Video in 1991, and in 1997 he became the first rapper to win a Video Vanguard Award.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/ll-cool-j-def-jam-salute-vmas-1235773520/
