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Opinion: 8 Reasons Why LL COOL J is the Most Important Rapper Ever

With a career spanning four decades, the legendary rapper’s influence on hip-hop culture is undeniable.

LL is the only rapper who was a contemporary of Kurtis Blow, Run-DMC, Whodini, and the Beastie Boys, and was also among an elite class of MCs such as Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Krs-One, and Kool G. Rap. Wherever you hear rap songs about love or heartbreak from Nas, JAY-Z, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, J. Cole, and a host of others, they are all branches from the James Tood Smith tree of songwriting. Before Ice Cube came to New York to work with the Bomb Squad on AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, LL was churning out hits with producers from Los Angeles.

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