During an interview on Apple Music’s Le Code with host Mehdi Maïzi, LL Cool J reflected on his cultural importance in the world of hip-hop and his lasting impact on rap music. The two-time Grammy Award-winning emcee made a career out of slick rhymes filled with braggadocio, and he expressed that same arrogance throughout the discussion. “I’m [going to] say this humbly, but I really mean this,” LL said. “I think one day people are going to wake up and realize that LL Cool J is the most important rapper that ever existed.”
The 56-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer went on to praise the groundbreaking ways he impacted rap music, like bringing jewelry, love songs, and custom clothing into the world of hip-hop, as well as popularizing the Greatest Of All Time acronym. “When it comes to the G.O.A.T terminology, they gon’ say, ‘This is the guy who came up with all the G.O.A.T stuff,’” LL boasted. “I’ve done so much for the culture, it’s almost unfathomable.” (People)