Hip-hop living legend LL COOL J has not taken kindly to Akademik’s controversial view that old rappers are “dusty.” It seems he made the comments during a recent Twitch live stream.
DJ Akademiks said that old rappers who are considered the foundation of Hip Hop are not really living well before he added that they shouldn’t come for him because he doesn’t really care about their opinions.
It seems the hip hop veteran was so taken aback by the comment that he hopped on Instagram Live last night, September 21, to share his views and put Akademiks in place. It must have meant that the comment really got to him since he’s not really known for being overly active on social media.
While he didn’t call the rap blogger’s name, it was obvious that those comments were what he was addressing. The “Mama Said Knock You Out” rapper started by saying he was addressing the deejay who questioned the pioneers of hip hop because some don’t have a lot of money.
LL Cool J admonished Ak as he said that just because somebody knows how to get money or fails to get money doesn’t mean that they didn’t make a contribution to the culture. He added that no one discusses Miles Davis or John Coltrane’s bank account.
The rap icon shared that the same principle can be applied to rock and country musicians. The idea that a rapper has to have money before they have any value is a bad idea, and it’s a misinformed way of looking at the world and the culture.
LL Cool J also pointed out the obvious: when rap was in its infantile stage, there wasn’t a lot of money and resources to be had.
“When Hip Hop first started, there were no managers, there were no accountants that believed in it. Record companies didn’t even believe in it! Nobody believed in it. How can you make a five-year plan or a 10-year plan on something that doesn’t even exist yet?” he questioned.
In the modern-day game, a rapper can develop a five-year plan, a 10-year plan, or a 20-year plan. That’s because they can find a manager, an accountant, and a team that helps a career go to the next level.
The “Rock the Bells” creator also pointed out that just because the pioneers of rape didn’t get rich does not mean that they didn’t contribute to hip-hop and created an industry that all other rappers have been able to benefit from tremendously.
Even though he’s known for his lyrics about chasing the paper, LL Cool J added that had nothing to do with those who helped build hip-hop into what it is today.
“I’m all about getting paper, I’ve been talking about it my whole career. But don’t ever, ever, ever confuse being rich with making a contribution to our culture. Don’t ever play yourself like that again,” LL added.
The New York native ended the Live by reminding Akademiks that he should not only respect the pioneers but be thankful that they helped create the culture, something he currently benefits from.
For fans who weren’t sure who LL was referring to, former Hot 97 DJ Mister Cee helped to connect the dots by posting an audio clip of the Off the Record podcast host’s comments, followed by LL’s response.
Many well-known veterans and other rappers got in on the act and lauded LL in the comment section. Some of them included Busta Rhymes, Royce Da 5’9?, Doug E. Fresh, Lloyd Banks, DJ Z-Trip, MC Sha-Rock, and Scorpio from Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five.
