A recently broadcast episode of MTV’s docuseries “Behind the Music” was dedicated to LL Cool J and featured one of his biggest fans – Eminem.
It is widely known that LL’s music heavily influenced Marshall, and he admired both LL Cool J’s style and technical abilities to the point that he admitted to him personally that he was his Stan. So this was a topic dear and near to Em’s heart, and Marshall seemed very comfortable to talk about his inspiration on camera.
In small segments scattered across the episode, Eminem said:
[LL Cool J] has been so vital to broadening the horizons of hip-hop.
For my eleventh birthday, I got the “Radio” tape. And in that moment, everything LL — I was into it. I just think about having his posters everywhere, plastered across my wall like wallpaper. I would say definitely early on his impact on me personally just gave me more confidence, a little more self-belief. The swagger that he had!.. If I can portray that swagger, I can go to school, and kids might think I’m cool.
You know, LL Cool J got me this chain too. Since I was a little kid, I always wanted a chain. I was recording with Rick Rubin, and I was like, “Yo, can you ask LL where he got his chains from?” So he had these made and sent them to me. These are the same two chains he’s wearing in the “I’m Bad” video. That’s crazy, man.
I do remember when “Walking With the Panther” came out I wanted to hear that album so bad! There was a hotline you could call. I must have called this fucking thing a hundred times.
One of the pages that I took from him is how you address the haters. The way he did it and his passion in that song [Mama Said Knock You Out]… I don’t care who you are and how much you hate him — there is no way you can not like this song. “Damage, uh, damage, uh, damage, uh, damage!!!” Jesus Christ! Did he just say “damage” four times in a row and get away with it?! He made you feel it. He could rife that beat, and you could also feel the passion. He wanted the crown back. That’s why we call him a GOAT. The whole blueprint he had — I stole it. Just trying to do my version of that.
After this outpour of love and respect, LL Cool J said a couple of words himself to shout back at Eminem:
I love Em. I think he’s such a good dude. It feels good to know that you inspired other great artists.
This relationship needs only one thing to take to a level of perfection – a collab. And while we know since 2014 that Eminem and L Cool J recorded a song together, the audience is still yet to hear it.
Watch the video below:
