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LL Cool J: ‘Hip-hop isn’t underdog music any more’

The artist and actor answers your questions about dodging animatronic sharks, hanging out with Al Pacino, his love of Abba and the making of his first album in 11 years

It’s become more of a pop genre and doesn’t have the punk rock, Sex Pistols, Beastie Boys, Run-DMC, LL early 80s energy, but I think it’s more important than ever for artists to write about more than just the trappings of success. Photograph: Warner Bros/Allstar Thomas Jane said that while making the movie Deep Blue Sea, the first time an animatronic shark swam towards him, he felt a primal fear and had to get out of the water. After I managed to pull my leg out and get out of there, there was one dude left on set sitting there with a cigarette and he went: “I guess you made it out, huh?” Making that film was dangerous, with a lot of water flying around, but it was a great experience.

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