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Rolling With LL Cool J to His Home Neighborhood in Queens
Days before the release of his new album 'The FORCE,' we joined LL Cool J in his old Queens neighborhood, hitting a block party, a hoops championship and lots and lots of selfies
Later that week, just a couple of miles away, he also would celebrate the 40th anniversary of Def Jam Records, his label then and now, as part of an all-star performance at the MTV VMAs by Public Enemy, Busta Rhymes and other veterans of the company’s storied roster. He buys a strawberry sundae from a Mister Softee truck and stops for more photos in front of wall with murals that includes ones of himself and fellow Queens native and “FORCE” producer Q-Tip, from the foundational hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest. “He’s my idol — he’s the sole reason I rap,” says Fat Joe, who is featured along with Rick Ross on the album’s lead cut, “Saturday Night Special.” “Anytime I stand next to him or do a song with him or collaborate with him, it’s like a dream come true — it puts me back into the memories of me as that kid in Forest Projects who had the ‘I’m Bad’ poster on the wall.
Or read this on Variety